Tomorrow, the 23rd of March is marked as World Optometry Day and the following week as World Optometry Week. The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) marks this day as an opportunity to draw the spotlight on a key eye care profession and create awareness about optometry and its practices around the world. On World Optometry Day, optometrists and eye care professionals have the opportunity to spread knowledge and expertise in order to create a huge impact and raise awareness.
World Optometry Day is unique to the profession of optometry and serves as a reminder that while globally there may be different definitions, ultimately eye care professionals worldwide are striving to provide the same things, comprehensive eye care services to their patients. The World Council of Optometry (WCO) defines optometry as “a healthcare profession that is autonomous, educated and regulated, and optometrists are the primary healthcare practitioners of the eye and visual system who provide comprehensive eye and vision care, which includes refraction and dispensing, detection/diagnoses and management of disease in the eye, and the rehabilitation of conditions of the visual system.”
Sight is known to be the most important of the five senses. In fact, the brain receives 80 percent of its information from the eyes. In a national survey, most Americans said that losing their vision would affect their lives more than losing memory, speech, hearing, an arm or a leg. Globally, optometrists share a vision of a world where optometry provides high quality and comprehensive eye care where its accessible to all people. Blindness and vision impairment affect more than 600 million people around the world, according to the IAPB. Many cases are because individuals do not have access to the eye exams and eyeglasses they need. Optos is dedicated to helping eye care professionals aid people across the globe receive the quality eye exams necessary for good vision.
Optos offers optomap®, an ultra-widefield retinal imaging (UWF™) retinal imaging method that facilitates early detection from vision impairment or blindness, and other systemic disease. The unique UWF imaging of optomap captures more than 80% of the retina in a single image, whereas small-field methods reveal only 10 – 15%. Our eye care partners generally include optomap as part of their standard comprehensive eye exam. Ask your eye care professional about optomap today.
Sources:
https://worldcouncilofoptometry.info/tag/world-optometry-day/
https://www.iapb.org/news_tags/world-optometry-day/
https://www.srmuniv.ac.in/content/world-optometry-day