Afua Oteng Asare

Afua Oteng Asare, OD, PhD, MPH

Academic Information

Departments Adjunct - Pediatrics , Adjunct - Population Health Sciences , Primary - Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

Academic Office Information

afua.asare@utah.edu

Dr. Asare's research team seeks to improve vision health outcomes in pediatric populations with a special emphasis on amblyopia and myopia. The aim is to do this through implementing and evaluating strategic, evidence-based tools and strategies, including point-of-care and population health information technology (HIT) tools. Establishing and strategically implementing HIT will enable the accurate identification, referral, and surveillance of children identified with vision impairment in primary and specialist care.

The objectives of the team are to determine:

  • Disparities in access to vision care for children with an initial focus on vision screening as part of well-child visits in pediatric primary care and completed referrals to specialist eye care.
  • Patient, provider, and system-level factors associated with poor access to vision care.
  • Adapt, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of a HIT tool to bridge gaps in access to vision care.

The team uses several research methods to gather and analyze data to achieve its goals. These include but are not limited to implementation science, user-centered design, qualitative research, and mixed methods.

Visit this PubMed listing for publications authored by Dr. Asare.

Education History

Doctoral Training Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
 OD
Graduate Training Harvard University
 MPH
Graduate Training University of Waterloo
 MS
Graduate Training University of Toronto
 PhD

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Asare AO, Wong AMF, Maurer D, Kulandaivelu Y, Saunders N, Ungar WJ (2022). Economic evaluations of vision screening to detect amblyopia and refractive errors in children: a systematic review. Can J Public Health, 113(2), 297-311.
  2. Asare AO, Maurer D, Wong AMF, Ungar WJ, Saunders N (2022). Socioeconomic Status and Vision Care Services in Ontario, Canada: A Population-Based Cohort Study. J Pediatr, 241, 212-220.e2.
  3. Asare AO, Malvankar-Mehta MS, Makar (2017). Community vision screening in preschoolers: initial experience using the Plusoptix S12C automated photoscreening camera. Canadian journal of ophthalmology. Journal canadien d'ophtalmologie, 52(5), 480-485.
  4. Montero-Odasso M, Bherer L, Studenski S, Gopaul K, Oteng-Amoako A, Woolmore-Goodwin S, Stoole P, Wells J, Doherty T, Zecevic AA, Galinsky D, Rylett RJ, Jutai J, Muir-Hunter S, Speechley M, Camicioli (2015). Mobility and Cognition in Seniors. Report from the 2008 Institute of Aging (CIHR) Mobility and Cognition Workshop. Canadian geriatrics journal, 18(3), 159-67.
  5. Montero-Odasso M, Muir-Hunter SW, Oteng-Amoako A, Gopaul K, Islam A, Borrie M, Wells J, Speechley (2015). Donepezil improves gait performance in older adults with mild Alzheimer's disease: a phase II clinical trial. Journal of Alzheimer's disease, 43(1), 193-9.
  6. Montero-Odasso M, Oteng-Amoako A, Speechley M, Gopaul K, Beauchet O, Annweiler C, Muir-Hunter S (2014). The motor signature of mild cognitive impairment: results from the gait and brain study. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 69(11), 1415-21.
  7. Kumah DB, Oteng-Amoako AO, Apio (2009). Eye Disease amongst Kitchen Staff in Senior High Schools in the Kumasi Metropolis. Ghana Journal of Science, 11, 140-147.
  8. Asare AO, Maurer D, Wong AMF, Saunders N, Ungar W (2023). Cost-effectiveness of Universal School- and Community-Based Vision Testing Strategies to Detect Amblyopia in Children in Ontario, Canada. JAMA network open, 6(1), e2249384.
  9. Stagg BC, Tullis B, Asare A, Stein JD, Medeiros FA, Weir C, Borbolla D, Hess R, Kawamoto (2023). Systematic User-centered Design of a Prototype Clinical Decision Support System for Glaucoma. Ophthalmology science, 3(3), 100279.
  10. Hicks PM, Elam AR, Woodward MA, Newman-Casey PA, Asare A, Akrobetu D, Gupta D, Stagg B (2022). Perceptions of Respect From Clinicians by Patients in Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups With Eye Disease. JAMA ophthalmology, 140(2), 125-131.
  11. Asare AO,Wong AMF,Maurer D,Nishimura (2019). Access to vision services by vulnerable populations in Canada: A scoping review. Journal of health care for the poor and underserved, 30(1), 6-27.
  12. Killeen OJ, Choi H, Kannan NS, Asare AO, Stagg BC, Ehrlich J (2023). Association Between Health Insurance and Primary Care Vision Testing Among Children and Adolescents. JAMA ophthalmology, 141(9), 909-911.
  13. Antonio-Aguirre B., Block S., Asare A.O, Baldanado K., Ciner E.B., Coulter R.A., DeCarlo D.K., Drews-Botsch C., Fishman D., Hartmann E.E., Killeen O.J., Yuen J., Collins M. (2023). Association of socio-demographic characteristics with pediatric vision screening and eye care: An analysis of the 20212 National Survey of Children's Health. Ophthalmology,
  14. Asare AO, Stagg BC, Sharareh N, Stipelman C, Del Fiol G, Smith J (2024). Vision Loss in Children from Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Households: Evidence from the National Survey of Children's Health 2018-2020. Journal of immigrant and minority health, 26(5), 813-822.
  15. Asare AO, Horns JJ, Stagg BC, Richards-Steed R, Young M, Watt MH, Stipelman C, Del Fiol G, Hartmann EE, Keenan HT, Asare EA, Smith J (2024). Vision screening for preschoolers with commercial insurance: impact of geography. Journal of AAPOS, 28(6), 104054.
  16. Asare AO,Stagg BC,Stipelman C,Killeen OJ,Hicks PM,Omotowa O,Hartmann EE,Keenan HT,Smith J (2024). Patient-centered medical homes and vision care for children: a cross-sectional analysis with data from the national survey of children's health 2018¿2019. BMC pediatrics, 24(1),
  17. Asare AO,Stagg BC,Stipelman C,Keenan HT,Watt M,Del Fiol G,Young MP,Smith J (2024). Access to vision care for children from immigrant and nonimmigrant households: evidence from the National Survey of Children's Health 2018-2019. Journal of AAPOS, 28(6),
  18. Antonio-Aguirre B,Block SS,Asare AO,Baldanado K,Ciner EB,Coulter RA,DeCarlo DK,Drews-Botsch C,Fishman D,Hartmann EE,Killeen OJ,Yuen J,Collins M (2024). Association of Sociodemographic Characteristics with Pediatric Vision Screening and Eye Care: An Analysis of the 2021 National Survey of Children's Health. Ophthalmology, 131(5), 611-621.

Commentary

  1. Hicks PM, Asare AO, Woodward M (2023). Beyond Accessibility in Exploring Access to Eye Care to Achieve Vision Health Equity. JAMA ophthalmology,

Editorial

  1. Baugh B, Tullis B, Asare A.O., Zouache M., Stagg, B (2023). Ensuring that glaucoma decision support meets the needs of providers and patients . 6,

Report

  1. Committee on Focus on Myopia: Pathogenesis and Rising Incidence: Frick K.D, Young T.L, Asare A.O., Berson D., Born R.T., Chen J., Guggenheim. J.A., Kuo A.N., Maurer D., Movshon J.A, Mutti D.O., Pardue M.T, Sabesan R., Summers J.A., Weise K.K (2024). National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Myopia: Causes, Prevention, and Treatment of an Increasingly Common Disease. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27734.