Earlier this month, Eyes On Eyecare’s first annual event for myopia left leading eyecare professionals (ECPs) with key takeaways for myopic patient care, including the importance of conducting early assessments and treatment as well as tracking axial length in pediatric patients through methods parents can understand.
What is Eyes On Myopia?
The myopia-focused event from Eyes On Eyecare drew nearly 3,000 attendees over two days to discuss topics like ortho-k technology, lifestyle optimizations, myopia diagnostics, progression management, and atropine treatments.
When was it?
April 7-8, 2023.
Where?
Virtually and globally. With 6 sessions in the clinical track—and delivering up to 6 CE credits—and 6 sessions in the implementation track, ECPs around the world came together to learn the latest innovations and share insights.
What’s the bigger picture?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), approximately half the world’s population—5 billion people—will have some degree of myopia by 2050.
Because myopia affects children, this translates to about 19.5 million kids with myopia; an estimated 300 kids for every ECP, according to Justin Kwan OD, FAAO.
Significance?
This virtual gathering of leading myopia experts demonstrated a significant and shared effort towards slowing this progression.
Key takeaways from the event included the importance of making an emotional connection with parents, sharing insights, and clearly demonstrating what lifestyle changes can mean for a child’s eye health.
Takeaways?
Key highlights focused on not just pediatric myopic patients, but also their parents.
Experts advised that parents are looking for the stamp of FDA-approval, new innovations, and lifestyle changes to give their children the best change at healthy vision throughout their lives and get their kids into the right treatment.
Where can I access the latest news about this?
All content, including videos, can be accessed on EyesOnEyecare.com.
Reference
Landreneau JR, Hesemann NP, Cardonell MA. Review on the Myopia Pandemic: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Prevention. Mo Med. 2021;118(2):156-163.