December already. This year has seen significant achievements for the profession of optometry and there are more flagged for the future as opportunities to evolve the scope of practice continue to be explored.
Congratulations to O V/SA, following the successful merger of Optometry South Australia and Optometry Victoria. It makes so much sense to join forces when this leads to strength in resources and advocacy, as well as lower costs for members. Around the country, state optometry associations have seen growth in membership, reflecting appreciation of the work being undertaken to support the profession.
I’m looking forward to 2020 and the roll out of Optometry Australia’s campaign which aims to increase awareness of eye health within the community. As the Specsavers’ 2019–20 Eye Health Report tells us, we need to do more to increase community awareness of eye disease and the role of optometry in managing it.
While the report found that ‘awareness’ of diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration has dropped just slightly (3–4%), what is more concerning is the lack of knowledge about the diseases, including risk factors, preventative measures and consequences of leaving disease unchecked. Making this information more accessible to the community and educating them about the role of optometrists in managing these diseases is critical.
As we wrap up for the year, I’d like to thank all the supporters of mivision. We are fortunate to have so many influential members of the optometric community who are willing to share their knowledge and experience for the benefit of the eye health profession and the community at large.
Thank you also to our advertisers who enable mivision to be published, and our readers for your continued support.
Thank you also to the dedication and consistent efforts of our team – Todd, Nikki, Simon, Kirsten, Emily, Dione and Stephanie, as well as our print partner Dean Slater at SpecialT – who together ensure mivision continues to be delivered to readers in Australia and New Zealand every month.
We wish you all the best for a restful, enjoyable Christmas.
