Practice Tip: As the terms “OSD” (ocular surface disease) and “DED” (dry eye disease) are sometimes used interchangeably, it can cause confusion or miscommunication among eye care professionals, as “OSD is a term that incorporates DED, allergic eye disease, recurrent corneal erosion, and other corneal/conjunctival diagnoses,” notes Glenn S. Corbin, OD. Vin Dang, OD, FAAO, agrees. “I reserve OSD as a broad term that includes DED and not vice versa. I have been trying to teach my residents and interns the proper acronyms to not create more confusion within our profession.” For more on this, see “Dry Eye Disease: OD Questions Answered,” at https://www.optometricmanagement.com/issues/2022/july-2022/dry-eye-disease-od-questions-answered.
ABB Hosting Webinar on Soft Contact Lens Innovations
ABB Optical Group is hosting the webinar “Customizing Vision with Soft Lenses-From Sports to Challenging Patients” on Wednesday, July 13, at 5:30 p.m. PT/ 8:30 p.m. EDT. Speakers for the event include Mark Andre, FCLSA, FAAO, and Craig Norma, FCLSA. To join the event and learn more about the latest innovations in specialty contact lenses, follow the link: https://bit.ly/3uhQiOl.
Alcon Offers Coupon for Systane Complete Preservative-Free Lubricating Eye Drops
During this month (July), which is Dry Eye Awareness Month, patients can sign up at www.systane.com to receive an $8 coupon off Systane Complete Preservative Free Lubricating Eye Drops (Alcon). The drops hydrate and support all layers of the tear film, enabling fast- tear evaporation protection and long-lasting relief for a patient’s eyes, Alcon says. The coupon can be redeemed in-stores from July 1 to July 31 through all major retailers, the company says.
Global Specialty Lens Symposium Invites Paper and Poster Submissions
The Global Specialty Lens Symposium’s (GSLS) Education Committee is inviting the submission of abstracts for the presentation of Free Papers and Posters at GSLS 2023, which will occur Jan. 18 to Jan. 21, 2023, at the Horseshoe Las Vegas, formerly Bally’s. Specifically, the committee is looking for topics, such as new and innovative concepts, clinical cases and research on all aspects of contact lenses (such as materials, designs, lens care, etc.) and related topics, such as corneal and ocular surface disease, diagnosis and treatment approaches, and practice management. Submit at https://na.eventscloud.com/website/35541/paper-poster-submissions/. The deadline is Oct. 3, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. EDT.
McGee Group Announces Back-to-School Line up of Eyewear
The McGee Group, a family-owned, American eyewear company, unveiled its
back-to-school lineup of eyewear, including new releases from Vera Bradley and Life is Good.
Specifically, Vera Bradley offers 10 new frame styles for children, and Life is Good has nine new frames for children. The McGee Group also represents Trina Turk, Mr. Turk,
Jenny Lynn Eyewear, Badgley Mischka, Ducks Unlimited, XOXO, Totally Rimless, TR Optics, and Argyleculture. Visit https://www.mcgeegroup.com.
Prevent Blindness Declares July Dry Eye Awareness Month
Prevent Blindness named July “Dry Eye Awareness Month” to provide free resources to eye care providers and the public on the chronic condition. This includes fact sheets and shareable social media graphics available in both English and Spanish, and a dedicated web page. (Incidentally, the theme of the July issue of Optometric Management is dry eye disease!) OCuSOFT Inc., has partnered with Prevent Blindness in support of “Dry Eye Awareness Month.” For more information on dry eye, visit the Prevent Blindness resource page at preventblindness.org/understanding-dry-eye.
The Vision Council Celebrates National Sunglasses Day
On June 27, The Vision Council, its members, optometrists and eye care providers celebrated National Sunglasses Day, an observance to highlight the importance of ultraviolet (UV)-protective eyewear. The social media campaign, including #NationalSunglassesDay, garnered more than 137 million impressions and more than 146,900 engagements. The Vision Council also distributed a national press release that garnered 383 outlets and reached a potential audience of 169 million. Residual mentions of National Sunglasses Day throughout the month include 52 media outlets, including those like “The Today Show” and OKMagazine.com.
Treehouse Eyes Launches Online Learning Platform
Treehouse Eyes, a myopia management services company, launched a new online learning platform, Treehouse Eyes University, which is available exclusively to Treehouse Eyes partner practices. The web-based platform provides video-based clinical training from some of the leading experts in myopia management, including Drs. Earl Smith III, Thomas Aller, Jeffrey Cooper, Kevin Chan, Dana Reinhardt, and Thanh Mai. New courses will continue to be added to the platform for advanced topics and will reflect new products and studies as they become available. For information, visit treehouseeyes.com.
World Council of Optometry Participates in World Health Organization’s Event Launching Eye Care Guide
The World Council of Optometry recently attended an event organized by the World Health Organization to launch the “Eye Care in Health Systems: Guide for Action.” Specifically, the Guide is designed as a practical resource for countries to “analyze, plan, and implement, and review integrated people-centered eye care,” according to a press release. The Guide can be found at https://worldoptometry.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e768c4f193fdaa05db21182da&id=60319cfaa5&e=487594c627.
OD Notebook is published weekly on Wednesdays. Unless otherwise noted, the information presented is based on press releases and/or announcements by the respective organizations. Find earlier editions here. To submit a press release to be considered for publication, click here.