Need for Eye and Vision Care in an Underserved Population

The Native American population has a significant unmet need for eye and vision care. Beginning with the onset of continuous eye care on two reservations in North and South Dakota, a compilation was done of refractive errors and other clinical findings in 1886 Sioux Indians. The results are similar to previous findings in the Navajo, Cheyenne, and Zuni Indians. This paper contributes to the epidemiological characterization of an underserved population, demonstrates the degree of unmet needs before continuous eye care services, and hopefully will aid in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of optometric care for such groups.