PRACTICE TIP: Need to make patient education more efficient? Don’t overlook the front desk
If your practice is struggling to find time to educate patients on advances in spectacle and contact lenses, you can have the front desk start that conversation when patients first walk in.

“When patients present for their annual exam or contact lens visit, our front desk manager knows to greet and start talking with them about new advances in spectacle and/or contact lenses,” explains Ted A. McElroy, OD, president, and CEO of Vision Source-Tifton, in Tifton, Ga. “Even if patients didn’t present thinking about those things, we find bringing them up initiates some thought.”

More advice on educating patients on these lenses can be found in the article “Utilizing staff for patient education on refractive interventions.”

RESEARCH NOTES: 
• A recent study published in JAMA Ophthalmology sought to evaluate the performance of the novel release of an artificial intelligence chatbot capable of processing imaging data. The cross-sectional study used a publicly available dataset of ophthalmic cases for OCTCases, a medical education platform based out of the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto, with accompanying clinical multimodal imaging and multiple-choice questions. The chatbot answered questions requiring multimodal input from October 16 to 23, 2023. It found the chatbot answered 70% of multiple-choice questions correctly, with better performance related to neuro-ophthalmology questions and nonimage-based questions.

• Bausch + Lomb announced Frontiers in Ophthalmology published statistically significant results from a clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of a novel daily nutritional supplement formulated to address the symptoms of dry eyes. Bausch + Lomb expects to launch the supplement, which includes lutein, zeaxanthin isomers, curcumin, and vitamin D3, under the brand name Blink NutriTears early in the third quarter of 2024.

The clinical study met both primary endpoints:

- Change from baseline at day 56 (week eight) in tear production (Schirmer’s test).

- Change from baseline at day 56 in ocular symptoms measured by OSDI score.

View the full study here.

• Eyenovia provided results from a Phase IV study of tropicamide 1% and phenylephrine HCl 2.5% (Mydcombi), designed to characterize the lowest deliverable dose for mydriasis. In the study, 29 subjects were treated with a half dose of Mydcombi (8µL per eye). The results:

• At 30 minutes post dose, clinically relevant pupil dilation was achieved in approximately 67% of patients.
• By 60 minutes, that percentage increased to 86%.
• Most patients returned to a pupil size of less than 5mm between 3.5- and 6-hours post-instillation, with 93% reaching that point by 6 hours.

• Ocugen announced dosing has been completed in the second cohort of its phase 1/2 ArMaDa clinical trial for OCU410, a modifier gene therapy candidate being developed for geographic atrophy (GA). The ArMaDa phase 1/2 clinical trial will assess the safety of unilateral subretinal administration of OCU410 in subjects with GA and will be conducted in two phases: 1) a multicenter, open-label, dose-ranging study consisting of three dose levels and 2) a randomized, outcome accessor-blinded, dose-expansion study in which subjects will be randomized in a 1:1:1 rate to one of two OCU4410 treatment groups or an untreated control group. For more information, click here.

AOA and CooperVision launch The Myopia Collective
The AOA has partnered with CooperVision to launch The Myopia Collective, a partnership meant to rally the optometry profession and its allies to elevate the standard of care for children with myopia. The partnership will employ Change Agents, ambassadors who will receive specialized training in myopia management in their practices and lead legislative and community advocacy efforts. Optometrists interested in becoming Change Agents are encouraged to apply here by May 17.

AOA gives update on Capitol Hill advocacy event
The American Optometric Association (AOA) concluded its annual AOA on Capitol Hill event, the AOA's single-largest advocacy event in Washington, D.C, last week. The event directly connects optometry's advocates and leaders with the nation's policy leaders to advance optometric eye health and vision care for the benefit of all Americans. Over 500 of optometry’s advocates attended AOA on Capitol Hill on April 14-16 in Washington, D.C. and participated in over 300 meetings with their federal representatives to deliver optometry’s priorities. For more information on the AOS on Capitol Hill advocacy events, click here.

Cognivue Names Paul W. Estes as President
Neuroscience technology company Cognivue, Inc. announced that Paul W. Estes has been promoted to president. His appointment comes after 15 years of serving in increasingly senior positions with Cognivue. Estes joined the company in 2009, helping conceive and develop Cognivue technology, then played integral roles in its de novo 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and subsequent commercialization.

CooperVision celebrates Earth Day 
CooperVision and its employees sought to make a positive environmental impact in honor of Earth Day. Among the activities they undertook this April 2024: a series of educational sessions; Earth Day Fair with exhibitions featuring energy-efficient equipment, like electric cars; and volunteer opportunities. For more information visit here.

IAPB’s World Sight Day 2024 will prioritize children’s eye health
The International Agency of the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) announced that World Sight Day 2024, which will be held Oct. 10, will emphasize the importance of child eye health. This “Love Your Eyes” campaign is calling on parents, caregivers, and schools to pledge an eye test on behalf of a young person. Schools and organizations are encouraged to participate in by screening the vision of children; carers and parents on behalf of their children are invited to make a #LoveYourEyes pledge; teachers are asked to access World Sight Day resources that inspire children to take care of their eyes now, and long into the future. More information can be found here. In other IAPB news, the agency’s upcoming summit, 2030 IN SIGHT LIVE, will be supported by the Fred Hollows Foundation, a group that advocates for ending avoidable blindness. 2030 IN SIGHT LIVE will take place June 25-27 in Mexico City. 

Prevent Blindness declares May Inherited Retinal Disease Genetic Testing Awareness Month
Prevent Blindness has declared May as its first-ever Inherited Retinal Disease Genetic Testing Awareness Month. The initiative is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson and Spark Therapeutics. The goal of the program is to provide education to the public about Inherited Retinal Diseases (IRD) and the important role of genetic testing. Free fact sheets in English or Spanish, a dedicated web page, and shareable social media graphics are available. More information can be found here. A webinar, “Pathway to Diagnosis: Genetic Testing for Inherited Retinal Diseases,” will be held later in the month as well. Free registration for the webinar is here.

RevolutionEHR releases patient engagement solution
RevolutionEHR has released its new patient engagement solution, RevEngage. RevEngage offers optometric offices tools to assist with communication, including two-way texting, email campaigns, and order notifications. Visit the website for details.

Verana Health announces launch of Qdata Thyroid Eye Disease
Digital health company Verana Health launched the Qdata Thyroid Eye Disease (Qdata TED) module, which encompasses real-world data on more than 250,000 de-identified patients and provides information on extracting diagnoses from clinical notes in electronic health records. Additional key variables will soon be added to the module, including the designation of TED severity (e.g., mild, moderate-to-severe, and sight-threatening) and Clinical Activity Score (CAS). To learn more about Verana Health’s Ophthalmology Qdata modules, click here.

Visionix and 20/20NOW to debut Ocular Telehealth Program at ATA
Visionix USA and 20/20NOW have launched their newest collaboration, an Ocular Telehealth Program, which it will debut at the American Telemedicine Association’s 2024 Nexus Conference, which will run May 5-7 in Phoenix. Find them at booth 814. 

World Council of Optometry and CooperVision introduce Myopia Management Navigator
The World Council of Optometry (WCO) is partnering with CooperVision to introduce an interactive and educational resource for eye care practitioners worldwide. The WCO CooperVision Myopia Management Navigator (myopianavigator.info) discusses the three M’s of myopia management: mitigation, measurement, and management. Each of the three sections of the Navigator is linked to various elements of content and contains advice and practical actions to explore in the form of “Myopia Moments," webinars, and more. The Navigator also serves as a ready resource in clinical settings to provide guidance for patients and families in discussions about myopia management.