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AOA pursues goals outlined by NASEM report
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The American Optometric Association is encouraging government, private-sector and nonprofit stakeholders to make eye health and vision care a national priority by implementing recommendations made by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in its foundational report, which was released in September and discussed in a public workshop March 13.
The report, “Making eye health a population health imperative: Vision for tomorrow,” defines steps toward improving eye health across the country and ensuring that all have access to quality vision care, according to a press release from the AOA.
“The National Academies’ report not only emphasizes the critical importance of eye health and vision care improvement but also identifies the need to responsibly address eye and vision issues that continue to plague millions of Americans,” AOA President Andrea P. Thau, OD, said in the release.
“The good news is that doctors of optometry have been on the forefront of implementing these recommendations by using the latest technology and tools to deliver evidence-based care and ensure that everyone has access to in-person, comprehensive eye examinations and much-needed clinical eye care,” Thau continued.
The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) report outlines five foundational strategies for improving access to vision care:
- Facilitate public awareness through timely access to accurate eye health and vision care information;
- Generate evidence to guide policy decisions and evidence-based actions;
- Expand access to appropriate, in-person clinical care;
- Enhance public health capacities to support vision-related activities; and
- Promote community actions that encourage eye- and vision-healthy environments.
These recommendations are achievable and they set a path for the entire vision care community to shape the future of eye health, according to Lori Grover, OD, PhD, NASEM panel member, AOA Evidence-based Optometry Committee member and senior vice president for health policy at King-Devick Technologies Inc., in the release.
In addition, the AOA continues to talk with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to bring a cohesive surveillance system to increase the understanding of population eye health.
The AOA’s soon-to-be-released pediatric vision care guidelines will constitute the only set of evidence-based guidelines for children’s vision care that follow NASEM’s guidance, the AOA said.