Just one year after Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA) launched the short online quiz at www.CheckMyMacula. com.au, more than 100,000 Australians now know their individual risk factors for age-related macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease. Thousands of users have downloaded important eye health information, and many have gone on to book an eye examination through Check My Macula’s ‘find an optometrist’ search function.
MDFA has celebrated the achievement by releasing an eye health video series – 27 bite-sized videos designed to share important health advice in a simple, easy-to-understand way.
Each eye health video is one or two minutes in length, answering many of the most common questions that people ask about their eye health.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the macular disease community told us that they’re looking for short, sharp video content – and we listened,” MDFA CEO Dee Hopkins says.
“The Check My Macula quiz has introduced 100,000 Australians to their risk factors for macular disease and diabetic eye disease over the past 12 months. I hope the eye health video series can now educate even more people about how they can take care of their eyes.”
The series has been supported by NSW Health and Novartis, whose funding allows MDFA to deliver education and awareness programs, as well as support services to thousands of Australians living with macular disease.
The videos aim to improve patients’ understanding of various macular conditions, possible treatments and preventions, lifestyle changes they can make to protect their sight, and tips to live well with vision loss.
Some of the questions answered are: How does the eye work?; What foods are good for my eyes?; What are the risk factors for AMD?; and How do eye injections work?
Patients can watch the eye health video series at www.YouTube.com/MDFoundationAus and by visiting MDFA’s website: www.mdfoundation.com.au.
