2025 Optometry Year in Review: Key Developments in Eyecare

Why Dry Eye is No Longer a "Side Note" in Optometry 👁️ Focus Shift For years, Dry Eye Disease (DED) was often treated as a minor nuisance—a quick prescription for artificial tears at the end of a refraction. But as the world spends more time behind screens and environmental stressors increase, we can no longer afford to be "generalists" when it comes to the ocular surface. I’ve been diving into the latest strategies for managing DED, and here is the essential knowledge for any practitioner looking to level up their clinical outcomes: 1. Move From "Symptom-Fixing" to "Root-Cause" Management 🔍 DED is a chronic, multifactorial condition. We must stop treating it as a temporary discomfort and start managing it as a progressive disease. This means looking beyond the tear film and assessing the entire lacrimal functional unit. 2. Diagnostics: High-Touch over High-Tech 🧪 While advanced imaging is incredible, you don’t need a massive investment to start specializing. The Power of Expression: Clinical confidence starts with touching the lids and expressing the Meibomian glands. Staining Matters: Proper use of vital dyes (Fluorescein and Lissamine Green) is still the gold standard for assessing ocular surface integrity. 3. The "Time" Factor ⏰ A successful dry eye consult requires a different workflow. It takes time to listen to the patient’s history and even more time to set realistic expectations. Success in this niche isn't measured by the number of patients seen per hour, but by the depth of the education provided. 4. Expanding the Treatment Ladder 🛠️ To provide "specialty" level care, we must move beyond the "drop and hope" method. This includes: In-office lid debridement and heat therapies. Advanced solutions like punctal plugs and amniotic membranes. Collaborating with surgical colleagues to optimize the surface before cataract or refractive procedures. The Clinical Reality: Specializing in the ocular surface elevates our profession. It moves us from being "vision-only" providers to being essential medical primary care providers. When we fix the surface, we fix the vision. To my colleagues: How are you integrating ocular surface disease into your daily practice? Let's discuss in the comments. 👇 #Optometry #DryEyeDisease #EyeCare #MedicalOptometry #OcularSurface #EyeHealth #ClinicalExcellence #PatientCare

Excited to share a recent article I wrote for Review of Optometry: “Navigating the New Age of IOL Designs.” As optometry’s role in surgical care continues to expand, understanding modern IOL technology has become an increasingly important part of patient education and surgical planning. This piece reviews the current IOL landscape—from monofocal and EDOF lenses to adjustable designs—and highlights practical considerations to help align technology with patient expectations. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gsB8C_tH #Optometry #Ophthalmology #Cataractsurgery #refractivesurgery #collaborativecare

First day back in clinic — a reminder of the breadth of modern optometry. One session included: • Binocular vision assessment • Cataract referral • Dry eye treatments (LLLT & IPL) • Ortho-K review • Management of an CRVO with swollen ON • Comprehensive dry eye assessment • Demodex blepharitis • Posterior blepharitis A good illustration of how varied and clinically demanding primary eye care can be. Each presentation requires careful listening, thorough assessment, and targeted management — not a one-size-fits-all approach. Grateful to work in a field that combines problem-solving, technology, and patient-centred care every day.

In hospital optometry, early detection of ocular conditions like glaucoma, cataract, and macular degeneration plays a crucial role in preventing vision loss. Comprehensive eye examinations, accurate refraction, and timely referrals to ophthalmologists help improve patient outcomes. Being part of clinical eye care in a hospital setting allows optometrists to contribute meaningfully to preventive and therapeutic eye care. #optometry #EyeCare #Healthcare #DHALicensed #UAEJobs

Ophthopedia Update:AmblyoPlay improves visual acuity, hand-eye coordination: Children with amblyopia who used the AmblyoPlay app 5 days a week for 6 months had significant improvements in visual acuity, as well as oculomotor function and motor coordination, according to data published in BMC Ophthalmology. “These findings reinforce our core belief that amblyopia treatment must go beyond visual acuity,” Matic Vogri, CEO of Smart Optometry, the maker of AmblyoPlay, told Healio. “Vision is a complex, interconnected system, and AmblyoPlay is designed to train multiple visual skills — not just one.” AmblyoPlay is an app intended to treat amblyopia through dichoptic therapy,

Optometry Australia (OA) says momentum is building for the introduction of universal pre-school vision screening in South Australia, with new national reporting highlighting the transformative impact of early detection. A recent ABC News story, featuring a South Australian family whose child’s undiagnosed vision condition negatively impacted their child’s learning and confidence, has renewed public attention on the need for state-wide early eye health checks. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) Australian Society of Ophthalmologists (ASO) Orthoptics Australia Optometry Victoria South Australia Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ) Cassandra Haines Chris Picton

Ophthopedia Update:AmblyoPlay improves visual acuity, hand-eye coordination: Children with amblyopia who used the AmblyoPlay app 5 days a week for 6 months had significant improvements in visual acuity, as well as oculomotor function and motor coordination, according to data published in BMC Ophthalmology. “These findings reinforce our core belief that amblyopia treatment must go beyond visual acuity,” Matic Vogri, CEO of Smart Optometry, the maker of AmblyoPlay, told Healio. “Vision is a complex, interconnected system, and AmblyoPlay is designed to train multiple visual skills — not just one.” AmblyoPlay is an app intended to treat amblyopia through dichoptic therapy, #ophthalmology #eye #eyenews

It’s all happening tomorrow, our sessions on Rethinking Myopia Management – Evidence, Optics, and Clinical Reality. CPD hours approved for Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The current approach to spectacle-based myopia management is drifting off-course. Prescribing lenses without understanding the biological drivers of growth, the optical principles behind each design, or the consequences for binocular vision is leading to inconsistent clinical outcomes. On January 15-16th, join Dr Grant Hannaford, recognised internationally for his work in biometric modelling and advanced ophthalmic optics, for a free one-hour webinar offered at three different times for clinicians: Session 1: 15th January 7pm Eastern Time Session 2: 15th January 7pm Pacific Time Session 3: 16th January 7am GMT (Sessions are identical – choose the one that suits your time zone. Visit https://lnkd.in/dPG6dNZw to find your time zone conversion.) What the session covers: ✔️The aetiology of myopia and the mechanisms guiding ocular growth ✔️Evidence-based strategies for influencing eye development -A clear, clinically grounded explanation of today’s major spectacle lens technologies ✔️The optical theories underpinning myopia-control lens designs: peripheral defocus, asphericity, segmental structures, light distribution, and higher-order effects ✔️How to dispense and monitor these lenses effectively in real practice ✔️The limitations: when these lenses work, when they do not, and why binocular vision function often determines treatment success ✔️Practical guidance to avoid common prescribing errors now widespread in the market Who should attend: Optometrists, opticians, practice owners, and anyone involved in paediatric care or myopia management who wants a clearer, evidence-driven framework for spectacle lens prescribing. Why this matters: Many clinicians are unknowingly using myopia-control spectacle lenses outside their validated operating range. Understanding optical behaviour, fitting geometry, and binocular vision interactions is essential for predictable outcomes. This webinar provides the missing technical and clinical foundation. Dr Grant Hannaford is a senior lecturer at the School of Optometry and Vision Science University of New South Wales, adjunct lecturer at the Save Sight Institute University of Sydney and co-owns a multi-award winning independent optometry practice Hannaford Eyewear and the Academy of Advanced Ophthalmic Optics. He was the Silmo and the International Opticians Association - IOA 2022 International Optician of the Year and researches emmetropisation and ocular biometric development in children and lens design. Please register at https://lnkd.in/dHi38CDm #aaoo #myopia #optometrist #optician #lenses

Breaking down refraction basics for all my fellow eye care learners! Whether you’re an Optometry student or an Ophthalmology resident, here’s your 101 guide to mastering the art of the refraction! By IG @ interesting_retinal_cases

A nomogram was able to predict axial length (AL) elongation greater than 26.0 millimeters despite long-term orthokeratology (ortho-k) lens treatment. These findings were published in the Journal of Optometry. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3NXgsm8 #AxialLength #MyopiaControl #Orthokeratology