Brien Holden Vision Institute has announced the new online ‘Global Myopia Centre’, bringing its expertise and resources in myopia research, practitioner training and global advocacy, all onto one platform to educate eye care professionals and equip them to manage the impending escalation in myopia.
The platform will host the global online Myopia Education Program, several online tools for myopia management, global prevalence data, the latest relevant peer-reviewed references, and information and resources for advocacy initiatives.
Ms Yvette Waddell, CEO of Brien Holden Vision Institute, says the organisation has a long history in myopia research, practitioner training and development of technology and practical resources, and is well-placed to deliver what practitioners need to transition effectively to ‘myopia management.’
The ‘Global Myopia Centre’ is bringing together the most critical knowledge and resources to the one platform
“The ‘Global Myopia Centre’ is bringing together the most critical knowledge and resources to the one platform to assist busy eye care professionals in better understanding all the new information available to them,” she said.
Brien Holden Vision Institute has developed a number of online tools specifically to help practitioners making the transition to managing myopia, including the ‘Myopia Calculator’ and ‘Guidelines for Myopia Management’, which are freely available from the centre.
“Our first ‘Managing Myopia’ course has been extremely popular”, Waddell said, “and in November we are launching ‘Complex Cases’, responding to participant feedback. In 2019, we are planning a new course ‘The Business of Myopia’, which will focus on adapting an optometric practice to maximise this transformation in patient care.”
Leading international researcher in the myopia field, Professor Padmaja Sankaridurg, Head of the Global Myopia Centre, says the platform brings together the organisation’s strengths across all aspects of myopia, specifically tailored for practitioners.
“We are at the cutting-edge of myopia research and can provide what optometrists need to adapt to what will be a monumental change in the profession,” Professor Sankaridurg said.
“Importantly, this platform will continue to evolve and keep pace with new evidence, collaborators and technology. The Global Myopia Centre will link all aspects of myopia, from epidemiology and understanding the escalation, to offering education and professional models of myopia management in the community.”
