A Self-Paced Curriculum to Improve the Diagnosis and Treatment of Photophobia in Children

Photophobia, an abnormal sensitivity to light, is associated with a number of ophthalmic and neurologic conditions, including migraine, benign essential blepharospasm, and traumatic brain injury. Because photophobia is often perceived as an "eye problem," patients with photophobia may first present to an optometrist or ophthalmologist for care. We've previously found that nearly 70% of pediatric patients presenting to a tertiary eye care facility with a chief complaint of photophobia leave their evaluation without a diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to address this knowledge gap with a self-paced online curriculum.