THE OPHTHALMIC JOURNAL

As we went to print with this issue, the optometric industry was coming down from a post-ODMAFair high. The event, hosted by the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association (ODMA) was described by many I spoke to as “amazing” and “the best ever” for writing business – a welcome relief after an “up and down” start to the year.

Perhaps most exciting was the number of attendees researching and buying equipment, stock, and services for their brand-new independent practices. At a time when there has been significant consolidation, which threatens the sustainability of our smaller distributors, this is great news for the industry. And, of course, a choice of practice structures is positive for owners, employees, and patients alike. There is room for everyone.

ODMAFair met recent negative discussion about workplace environments with presentations on how to make personal wellbeing a priority and how to build a strong team culture. You’ll find more on this topic in the following pages.

In this issue, the focus is on myopia, and I thank Dr Kate Gifford for her contributions as our guest editor. Thank you also to the generous ophthalmologists and optometrists who have shared their knowledge on this progressive and potentially sight-threatening condition, which has become a significant global public health concern.

But before we get into myopia, we have a story written by ophthalmologist Dr Tanya Trinh about her incredible experience assisting a passenger during a flight from London to Sydney, via Singapore. The brief story of this encounter that we published online strongly resonated with our readers and I’m sure you’ll be keen to hear more detail about how the life-threatening cardiac emergency was managed.

Enjoy this issue.

This issue of mivision presents an optimistic perspective on the future of eye health, as we explore new technologies and strategies that have real potential to make a difference – not only to health care professionals but to the public.

We begin with a story on smart technology embedded into eyewear to enhance connectivity, track health data, and direct sound for people with slight hearing impairment. And, in the same article, we examine contact lenses with an update on Sensimed’s Triggerfish and news of a contact lens being developed that will combine multiple gadgets into one – smartphones, smartwatches, augmented reality, and health monitoring devices. Can you imagine?

From the University of Western Australia (UWA) we look at how workforce mapping has evolved into evidence-based strategies to close the gap on eye health service delivery in regional areas. It’s a model that UWA believes could be effective across Australia and around the world.

We then look at how not-for-profits in Australia and New Zealand are regularly meeting to share strategies and experiences. The hope is that by learning from each other’s successes (and challenges), each organisation will be well placed to roll out projects that better serve their communities.

In a CPD-accredited article, Dr Matt Russell explores the use of artificial intelligence in refractive and cataract surgery, in patient selection, surgical planning, intraoperative guidance, and clinical management.

And our lead news story looks at the potential for the mass of data generated across all of Australia’s health services to be used in “world-leading data-driven research to support healthcare improvement and innovation”.

As we head towards the end of optometry’s CPD year, we have a further three fabulous CPD-accredited articles for you to complete – two on presbyopia management and one on pseudoexfoliation syndrome, the most common identifiable cause of open-angle glaucoma. Continuing the theme of glaucoma, we have two articles that tackle visual field test analysis.

In short, there is a lot to wrap your mind around in this issue.

Enjoy!

THE OPHTHALMIC JOURNAL

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