NVISION Eye Centers has released recent findings from a survey of 1,000 people across the U.S. to find out what’s holding them back from prioritizing their visual health. For many people, cost and distance are contributing factors, as the average American lives around nine miles from their eye doctor. The report also provides insights into the states dealing with the biggest eye doctor disparities.
According to respondents, 48% go at least once a year, 21% every 2 years, 18% visit every 3-5 years, 10% go every 6-10+ years, and 3% have never been to the eye doctor at all. Overall, the majority of Americans (63%) do not have vision insurance. This may come as a surprise because many people report needing assistance when it comes to their vision. 70% of Americans have prescription glasses, 23% wear prescription contacts, 13% use reading glasses, and 3% have had laser eye surgery.
One of the most common reasons for needing vision assistance is refractive errors, which include blurred vision, near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and astigmatism. Over half (58%) of Americans report having refractive errors.
Although some people haven’t recently visited an eye doctor, 53% had their vision checked in the last year. Additionally, 20% had it checked two years ago, and 27% had it looked over more than three years ago.
The report also analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to find out which states have the highest and lowest patient-to-optometrist ratios. At the top of the list is Nebraska (4,675:1) while Louisiana falls at the bottom (18,496:1).
Overall, 1 in 6 people doesn’t think there are enough eye doctors where they live and 14% report struggling to find an eye doctor.
Read the full report from NVISION Eye Centers.
Source: NVISION Eye Centers