CooperVision and the World Council of Optometry (WCO)’s newly-launched myopia-focused interactive and educational resource is making headway in promoting myopia management (MM) as a global standard of care.
At the American Optometric Association (AOA) annual 2024 Optometry’s Meeting, myopia expert Ashley Wallace Tucker, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Dipl ABO, spoke with Glance on the significance this tool has for eyecare professionals (ECPs) in treating their myopia patients.
First: Why add myopia management to clinical practice?
There’s no question about it: Uncorrected myopia is considered a leading cause of distance vision impairment across the globe, with estimates that 30% of the world’s population is currently myopic and, by 2050, that prevalence will escalate to 50%.
In the United States alone, myopia has been recorded with a prevalence of 42%—nearly doubling in just the last 30 years.
And that’s where ECPs come in, right?
Indeed. According to Dr. Tucker: “We have an obligation to, at the very least, talk about MM,” she said. “We took an oath, as ECPs, to always do what is best for our patients—MM is what is best for our pediatric myopes.”
It’s rare that healthcare professionals (HCPs) adopt the “wait-and-see” method when they know something can be done to prevent a condition from being diagnosed, she noted.
- Fact: A recent survey published earlier this year reported that +60% of clinical practices in the U.S. have adopted some form of MM treatment for patients aged 18 and under.
Where to start, though?
Dr. Tucker’s suggestion: Just start having the conversation with patients, including parents of pediatric patients.
“I bet (ECPs) would be shocked at how many parents would jump on board,” she said.
Tucker noted that with multiple options to choose from for MM these days—including soft contact lenses, orthokeratology (ortho-k), pharmaceutical agents, and even lifestyle changes—the challenges of starting MM in practice due to limited options and resources are no longer a factor.
Also: The WCO CooperVision Myopia Management Navigator can help with this.
Tell me about this myopia management tool.
The Myopia Management Navigator (MMN) is a digital, evidence-based guide with in-depth information on the “three M’s of myopia management”:
Users can also enter their email address to be “in-the-know” of any updates added to the resource.
What kind of information do these sections cover?
Each section is equipped with links to various elements of content, advice, and practical actions (accessible as “Myopia Moments), webinars, and other resources.
Plus: The MMN is also meant to be used “as a ready resource in clinical settings to provide guidance for patients and families in discussions about myopia management.”
Why choose these three M’s?
They can be traced back to the WCO’s Standard of Care Guidelines for Myopia Management, originally introduced in April 2021.
Since then, it has worked with CooperVision to promote awareness and adoption of this landmark initiative—with the Navigator being an extension of it.
And how is it unique?
“For me, the MMN creates a road map on how to navigate the MM conversation, what clinical tests and protocols are needed, and what options are available for each type of patient,” Dr. Tucker said.
For ECPs: She noted that clinicians have the option to dig deeper by watching short webinars and printing out resources that can be used in everyday practice.
“I see it as more of a resource for ECPs … (it’s) unique because it has everything you need in one stop,” Dr. Tucker noted. “It reiterates the fact that MM is not optional but a standard of care.”
Sounds amazing! So how are CooperVision and WCO promoting this resource?
Through a team of WCO-appointed ambassadors—all of whom were selected based on their “myopia management educational roles, outreach, and practice-building initiatives.”
Among them is Dr. Tucker, who serves as the Americas Representative.
See here for a rundown of the other three global ambassadors.
And her credentials for this role?
Dr. Tucker serves as a partner at Bellaire Family Eye Care and The Contact Lens Institute of Houston in Houston, Texas as well as visiting assistant professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry; and is course master for the Ophthalmic Optics Laboratory.
Plus: With myopes making up an estimated one-third of her patients in clinical practice—not to mention her position as principal investigator of several MM-focused clinical trials and writing/lecturing research articles centered around MM—Dr. Tucker stated that her selection as an ambassador has been an honor.
“MM has truly been my biggest passion and initiative in practice since the day I graduated (optometry school,” she said.
And what does her role as ambassador entail?
Essentially, “to assist with education, outreach, and practice-building initiatives,” Dr. Tucker said.
With all four ambassadors coming from around the world, the intent is to “learn from each other about our different regions in hopes of creating a global message that will transcend local limitations and ideologies about MM.”
Definitely a worthy cause. So where can I learn more about the MMN?
If you’re attending Optometry’s Meeting this week, stop by the CooperVision booth (#917) in the Exhibit Hall for more details and additional updates on the company’s myopia-focused initiatives.
Side note: CooperVision is also unveiling its new myopia interactive tracking tool (The Myopia Collective), developed in partnership with the AOA earlier this year—and stay tuned for a formal announcement!