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. 2025 Jan-Dec:16:21501319251355047.
doi: 10.1177/21501319251355047. Epub 2025 Aug 29.

The Case for Primary Eye Care Integration in Community Health Centers

Dean VanNasdale  1 , Sonia Menchavez  2 , Susan A Primo  3 ; American Academy of Optometry Community Health Center Special Interest Group
Affiliations

The Case for Primary Eye Care Integration in Community Health Centers

Dean VanNasdale et al. J Prim Care Community Health. 2025 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

In this Commentary, we provide an in-depth look at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report, "Making Eye Health a Population Health Imperative Vision for Tomorrow (2016)," which emphasizes the need for the integration of vision and eye care into more holistic healthcare delivery approaches, since many individuals who are visually impaired have disproportionately high rates of chronic co-morbidities. We have highlighted current barriers as well as a coordinated approach and methodology to improve team-based care in the United States to reduce eye and vision health disparities, particularly through the delivery model of community health centers; however, the model might be applied in other countries.

Keywords: NASEM report; eye health; vision impairment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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References

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