Survey finds one in five people with eye conditions offered ‘bogus’ treatments

A new survey of 955 UK and US adults with diagnosed eye conditions has found that close to one in five reported encountering therapies with a lack of evidence.

The questionnaire, which was described in JAMA Ophthalmology, explored the exposure of people with eye conditions to ‘bogus therapies’ – defined as interventions lacking sufficient scientific evidence of safety or efficacy, or appropriate regulatory approval to warrant routine consideration.

The survey found that 19.1% of participants reported encountering treatments they believed to be bogus.

Within this group, more than half (58%) reported being exposed to the suspect treatments through online advertising.

However, the survey also found that some study respondents first found out about the bogus therapies during an appointment with an eye care professional.

Among the survey respondents who had encountered therapies with a lack of evidence, around one in four went ahead with treatment.

The treatments reported by participants included nutritional supplements and vitamins; complementary and alternative therapies such as acupuncture and homeopathy; regenerative therapies including stem cell treatments and electromagnetic devices and topical substances.

Some participants reported spending more than £10,000 on therapies that they later realised were not legitimate.

They were significantly more likely to go ahead with treatment if they first encountered the therapy during an appointment with an eye care professional, rather than through online advertising or marketing.

Dr Lee Jones, a postdoctoral research fellow at the National Institute for Health and Care Research Moorfields Clinical Research Facility, highlighted: “Our results highlight the importance of clear and evidence-based communication between clinicians and patients as new therapies emerge, and online marketing continues to expand across the world.”