O.D. to O.D.

REFLECTIONS ON OUR CHALLENGES

ONE MIGHT SAY WE ARE AT A TIPPING POINT. HOW WE RESPOND WILL BE TELLING

Scot Morris O.D., F.A.A.O.
Chief Optometric Editor

I HAD ONE of those lazy Sundays recently that allowed me to reflect on conversations and ideas typically filed away for “someday.” It is an understatement to say we, as optometrists, face many challenges. One might say we are at a tipping point and how we, as a profession and an industry, respond will be telling. Consider these issues:

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES

The advance of technology is inevitable. Our diagnostic capabilities continue to expand. Therapies in the pipeline are absolutely fascinating. In the near future, technology may be better at making a diagnosis and maybe even better at establishing a more individually designed treatment plan than we are. These technologies are not good or bad — they just are and will be. Will these technological advances be better for humanity? Time will tell.

ONLINE SALES

On the continuum, the Internet will soon change every aspect of how consumers shop and purchase. It has already begun.

Our industry will not be an exception. But take consolation in that many people still want to touch and shop in brick-and-mortar stores. Why do you think that some online eyewear sellers have built stores? Consumers are an interesting and diverse bunch. Because of their varied needs, online will never take over all of the business, but as an industry we do need to embrace its existence and adapt our business to meet our consumer’s needs. It is — and always has been — about them. When this stops, we are in trouble.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Corporate acquisitions and mergers will continue. Our economy is in a phase of consolidation and has been for many years now. This consolidation affects all industries. Acquisitions and mergers lead to “super” groups and industry behemoths. This is not the first time in the world that this has happened, nor will it be the last. Once again, all changes can be seen as threats or opportunities. This round of changes may lead to greater R&D and, hopefully, better drugs, devices and more efficient service delivery.

HEALTH CARE REFORM

Health care reform is inevitable and necessary. Once again, our little industry, which makes up less than 1% of all health care expenditures, can’t control health care reform. There is an unending string of articles, videos and blog posts on how our health care system needs to change and ideas of how it should or may change. Will any of these be right? I don’t know.

The one thing that I do know is that health care, as we know now and have known for decades, will change because it has to.

In summary, we have had monumental challenges in the past, including changes in scope for diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical privileges. All changes bring threats to the unprepared and opportunities to the prepared. Only in the future will any of us be able to tell whether we, as a profession and an industry, made the right choices in our past. Life is funny that way. OM.