Prevalence of refractive error and spectacle coverage in schoolchildren in two urban areas of Chile.

Objective: To assess the impact of efforts to reduce visual impairment by detecting and treating refractive errors (REs) among schoolchildren in two urban areas of Chile.

Methods: In 2013, in the communities of Concepción and La Florida, we conducted a multicenter, multistage-sampling, cross-sectional study employing methods used by the Refractive Error Study in Children (RESC) survey. Best-corrected visual acuity was assessed using pinhole, with and without glasses.

[History and functions of Chilean ophthalmologic primary care units].

The access to ophthalmological care in Chile has been historically a problem. Only at the end of the twentieth century concrete solutions were promoted. In 1960, Primary Care Ophthalmologic Units were created to ease the access to ophthalmology, due to the efforts of Professor Juan Arentsen.