May 24, 2023
I have good news and bad news. First, the good news.
harvard medical school has just released a 53-page special report. Guess the topic: “The Aging Eye”! I wonder if they saw our journal, Review of Presbyopia and the Aging Eye.
Here is the opening of the report so you can see that Review of Presbyopia and the Aging Eye is right on target:
“Like the rest of your body, your eyes naturally change throughout your life. These changes occur gradually and often become apparent in later years, as the structures in and around your eyes become less efficient. For most people, the first sign is presbyopia, the deterioration of close-up vision. Luckily, this problem can be managed with reading glasses or progressive lenses.
“However, aging can also bring more serious eye problems. More than nine million adults ages 65 and over in the United States have significant vision loss, meaning they can’t see clearly, even with glasses or contact lenses. The vast majority of them weren’t born with vision impairment. They lost their sight to diseases like macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetes. The number of blind or visually impaired Americans is expected to double by the year 2050 as the baby boomer generation ages. For the most common eye diseases, early detection and treatment can prevent or slow vision loss.
“This report covers normal age-related conditions, such as presbyopia, as well as the four eye diseases that pose the greatest threats to vision after age 40: cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. It also describes other common eye disorders, including flashes and floaters, dry eye, retinal detachment, and eyelid problems such as drooping upper or lower lids.”
The topics they cover in this one-time special report are the sections our editors cover each month. Our goal is to keep you informed and provide an educational experience to care for generation 45+
Our difference is we are delving into the creation of a new paradigm shift in eye care practice and an in-depth look at each area of concern. Review of Presbyopia and the Aging Eye is so lucky to have the professional editors, the optometrists who can bring you the educational content you need to stay abreast of all the latest innovations and treatment options.
But here is the bad news: Unfortunately, the special report from harvard (lowercase intentional), refers all examinations and ocular problems to Ophthalmologists and never mentions Optometry (uppercase intentional).
This baffles me because Optometry controls over 80% of primary care patients. I guess they do not want to educate all patients, just the ones who choose Ophthalmologists but really see the Optometrist who is in charge of primary care in so many of the MDs’ offices. There are also many well qualified Optometrists who work for harvard, for Mass Eye and Ear, and for the Ophthalmologists associated with those institutions. (I hope you noticed I capitalized Optometry and lowercased harvard no matter how much my computer’s spellcheck tried to correct me.)
I am proud to have a publication for all eye care providers, for Optometrists as well as for Ophthalmologists. Our job is to make sure our patients are getting the best care available.
I want to also support the efforts of our American Optometric Association and our colleagues in Florida who are fighting a horrible legislation that is challenging their right to call themselves “Doctors.” WOW! I thought my Optometrist children were kidding with me when they told me about this. It is true and we need to support our Florida colleagues. I am very proud of my three children – Dr. Brooke Kaplan, Dr. Mark Schaeffer, and Dr. David Schaeffer, as well as myself, Dr. Jack Schaeffer, to be called a Doctor of Optomtery. Viva Florida!
There’s room for both Optometrists and Ophthalmologists, in Florida, in special reports, and of course, in Review of Presbyopia and the Aging Eye.
Thanks
Jack.
Dr Jack L Schaeffer
