KEEPING UP TO DATE ON MYOPIA

From education to guidance, the AOP has developed resources to support members in this evolving area of practice

The AOP has developed a day of education and refreshed resources to help members keep up to date with the field of myopia management.

Sunday 21 May marks the AOP’s second MAYopia Day.

The inaugural event saw more than 2300 attendees. Dr Ian Beasley, AOP head of education and OT clinical editor, confirmed that the programme for the 2023 event will be even bigger.

“It is very clear that myopia management is the topic of the moment, and because it is rapidly changing, it is important for practitioners to continually keep up to date with changes in the field.

What goes into forming a response?

The AOP responds to between 10 and 20 consultations a year, and we post most of our responses on our website.

Consultation responses are normally led by the AOP’s small policy team, but they often involve many other people. It is not unusual for the legal and regulatory teams to play a strong advisory role.

We also usually involve the AOP’s Policy Committee and the virtual policy group, which is an open group of members who have expressed an interest in helping. For the really big consultations, we involve the whole AOP Council. We often involve members to let us know their views, via emails and the website forums. When we know the topic is likely to provoke strong views among our members, such as the Department of Health and Social Care consultation on making COVID-19 vaccination a mandatory condition for being able to carry out patient-facing care, we undertake member surveys to find out what our members think.

Sometimes we don’t get much warning of a consultation, but usually we know what’s on the way through our ongoing monitoring of what is happening in politics and at the GOC. The biggest challenge ahead is the ongoing review of the Opticians Act. We already know that it could involve threats to the protected functions that only optometrists can carry out, potentially undermining the profession. When put alongside the threats from online sales, legal and illegal, this could make a huge difference to our members’ roles and incomes, so it’s essential that we make the strongest arguments possible, backed by evidence.

MAYopia Day is there to serve that purpose,” Beasley said.

MAYopia Day will be delivered in partnership with headline sponsor, CooperVision, and is supported by EssilorLuxottica, Topcon, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Hoya, and Eyerising International.

The full day of webinar content will cover a range of different topics relating to myopia, approaches to myopia management and communication with patients.

How can members get involved?

The AOP’s voice is greatly strengthened by our membership. When we can quote our members, or give figures for their support for topics, it makes our arguments stronger. We also find that many members can offer specific information and opinions from their experience. We have a virtual policy group which is made up of members who have agreed to be consulted by email on topics that might be of interest. There is no obligation to send their views, but the members have been really helpful in commenting on things within their experience and areas of interest. Members who don’t want to be involved can still contribute by reading the occasional AOP policy update emails and responding to questions they are interested in, or by participating in our occasional surveys designed to measure member opinion. Anyone considering joining the AOP virtual policy group can express interest via policy@aop.org.uk.

The AOP has also recently refreshed a suite of myopia management resources to recognise changes within the “rapidly changing clinical landscape,” Beasley said.

This includes guidance for members on myopia management.

Refreshed patient-facing resources includes a leaflet on myopia management along with a consent form to inform parents of children with progressive myopia, or those who are at risk of developing myopia, on current myopia management options.

Resources for practices, including patient leaflets, can be found at: www.aop.org.uk/advice-and-support