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Survey identifies vision as most important patient need
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 Michael D. DePaolis |
As I write this editorial I am returning home from Academy 2010, which was my 26th American Academy of Optometry (AAO) meeting. While I attend a fair number of meetings annually, the AAO has obviously become a priority … for good reason. For me, the AAO is a great place for reconnecting with friends and colleagues, attending exceptional continuing education classes and, perhaps most importantly, remembering just how far optometry has come.
This year, for instance, the AAO meeting offered courses ranging from “The optometrist’s role in collagen cross-linking” to “Zeaxanthin and visual function.” No doubt, today’s optometrist is well equipped to provide a high level of care to a wide demographic. In addition, today’s optometry is much more than a refractive profession.
While the AAO’s annual meeting offers so much, arguably its greatest asset is its commitment to research. The papers and posters sessions serve as a perfect reminder of the ever expanding role optometry plays in ocular and vision research – and in providing new and innovative solutions for patient care. However, while optometry’s research has expanded into many areas, it’s imperative we never forget what our patients expect from us: vision. The best possible vision we can deliver.
This sentiment was clearly demonstrated in an AAO poster entitled “A global survey reveals vision needs of highest importance amongst a vision-corrected population,” presented by Carla J. Mack, OD, MBA, FAAO; Mohinder M. Merchea, OD, PhD, MBA, FAAO, FBCLA; and Heather Thomas. The poster detailed the results of the Needs, Symptoms, Incidence, Global Eye Health Trends (NSIGHT) Study, an online survey involving 3,800 vision- corrected individuals from seven countries.
The researchers’ intent was to determine the hierarchy of patient needs when choosing eye-related products. Those responding to the survey did so with consensus. When asked to prioritize the importance of comfort, convenience, environment, eye condition, health, personal appearance, personal performance and vision, it was vision that reigned supreme.
The authors concluded “As eye care professionals and vision experts, we have the opportunity to provide our patients with the best vision treatment options based on their lifestyle needs.”
While the conclusions drawn from the NSIGHT study might seem intuitive, they can often be easily overlooked. As our practices become busier and more complex – necessitating advanced technologies and newer therapeutic modalities – we must never forget what our patients expect: an accurate refraction and our recommendation for the best possible vision correction, be it spectacles, contact lenses or refractive surgery. Regardless of how sophisticated the practice of optometry becomes, it will always be that simple.
Reference:
- Mack CJ, Merchea MM, Thomas H. A global survey reveals vision needs of highest importance amongst a vision-corrected population. Poster presented at: Academy 2010; November 2010; San Francisco, CA.