What We Learned at AOA Optometry's Meeting 2016

What We Learned at AOA Optometry's Meeting 2016

The American Optometric Association (AOA) held Optometry’s Meeting® 2016 this past weekend, June 29 to July 3, 2016, in Boston. This year's event featured five days of education, more than 200 exhibitors, the always-popular Varilux® Optometry Student Bowl™, and an opening general session with keynote speaker astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

OptometryWeb was there to take in the many sights and sounds of this annual conference — here’s some of the highlights.

PHOTO (right): Then AOA President Dr. Steven A. Loomis and former NASA astronaut Dr. Buzz Aldrin captivate the crowd during Optometry's Meeting Opening General Session. Photo courtesy AOA.

AOA Installs New Board Members, Adopts Resolution

AOA held its annual House of Delegates on Thursday, June 30 and Saturday, June 2. On Saturday, the House of Delegates elected a new president and other members of the AOA Board of Trustees and swore them into office, including:

  • President — Dr. Andrea P. Thau of New York
  • President-Elect — Dr. Christopher J. Quinn of New Jersey
  • Vice President — Dr. Samuel D. Pierce of Alabama
  • Secretary-Treasurer — Dr. Barbara L. Horn of Michigan and South Carolina
  • Trustee — Dr. Robert C. Layman of Ohio
  • Trustee — Dr. Jacqueline Bowen of Colorado
  • Trustee — Dr. Steven T. Reed of Mississippi

Additionally, the AOA House of Delegates reportedly adopted a resolution to "develop a new, model state optometric practice that would, ideally, allow doctors of optometry to treat all medical eye conditions by any appropriate method, including new and efficacious services and products as they become available."

MSO Wins Optometry Student Bowl

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Varilux Optometry Bowl Student Winners Michigan School of Optometry. Photo courtesy Essilor of America.

The Michigan School of Optometry (MSO) was this year's winner of the Varilux Optometry Student Bowl, presented by Essilor of America. More than 1,000 attendees gathered to watch this year's event — celebrating its 25th anniversary this year — as students from all schools and colleges of optometry answered optometry-related questions while their fellow classmates cheered them on.

For coming in first place, MSO won $1,000 and the coveted crystal trophy. Marshall Ward, class of 2017 at Pennsylvania College of Optometry, came in second place, while there was a tie for third between Derek Hennig, class of 2017 at Southern College of Optometry, and Amy Cuevas, class of 2017 at University of the Incarnate Word.

Latest New Products

Exhibit HallThis year’s Optometry’s Meeting Exhibit Hall (pictured right) was chock full of the latest and greatest products and technology from both new and returning vendors.

For the Exam

In regards to diagnostic equipment, Volk Optical showcased its iNview portable fundus camera — a quick and easy tool that allows practitioners to take a photo of the retina using an Apple iPhone or iPod. Images are taken using a free app and the images can be viewed on the screen and then downloaded, emailed, texted or printed as needed. Users can tag images with patient information, which are stored within the app with HIPAA compliance. Additionally, there is an encryption passcode option to further secure app access and patient data. And the iNview allows doctors to quickly show patients what may be going on in their eyes, allowing for great patient engagement.

Norwood Device & Diagnostics featured its new Adapt HCR Head & Chin Rest. Designed to improve poor positioning of patients while at the slit lamp, the head and chin rest fits patients with larger and smaller body sizes. It features ergonomic hand grips, side adjustments, and is available for both compact and vertical slit lamps with two mounting options. The Adapt HCR is on presale now and ready for installation starting in August 2016. Norwood has extended its show special for the Adapt HCR and for a limited time is offering a 10 percent presale discount (first 250 units with 25 percent down).

For the Optical

At this year's show, FittingBox unveiled its new augmented reality application, the O-Wiz Virtual Mirror, that allows patients to virtually try-on eyewear. Used through the iPad Pro, customers look into the "mirror" and the technology automatically places the virtual frames they select on their face. Customers can take selfies of themselves wearing the frames for later review. The O-Wiz Virtual Mirror is the latest in FittingBox's virtual try-on technology portfolio, which also includes the O-Wiz Plugin for practice websites and O-Wiz App for the iPad. FittingBox offers 33,000 frame SKUs from over 300 companies in its virtual collection, allowing doctors to have an almost unlimited number of eyewear options without needing to keep frames in stock.

EyenavisionAnd Eyenavision used Optometry's Meeting as the launch pad of Roger Bacon Eyewear (pictured left) — reportedly the world's first made-to-measure 3D printed eyewear collection. Developed two years ago by two Dutch engineers, the technology uses an infrared scanner attached to an iPad that takes a 360-degree scan of a patient's entire head, resulting in precise facial dimensions used to design and manufacture the patient's glasses. The frames are made of polyamide and produced on a super high-quality 3D printer in Germany. There are currently more than 20 frames shapes, each available in 10 colors, for customers to choose from. Patients can virtually try-on any frame in the collection, and optical that sign on are also provided with in-office samples and display.

For Vision Therapy & Low Vision

RightEyeFirst-time exhibitor RightEye (pictured right) demoed its eye-tracking technology that helps healthcare providers assess concussions, eye sight and performance issues. The tests take just a few minutes and objectively measures how a patient's eyes are acting. The metrics are then processed in real time by RightEye's proprietary cloud-based software and show patient reports that provide a baseline and identify areas that need further assessment. Tests currently available include Neuro Vision Tests for evaluating patients with concussions or stroke, Essential Vision Tests with core optometric tests, and Performance Vision Tests for sports vision and rehabilitation. 

Also exhibiting at Optometry's Meeting for the first time was Vivid Vision — a virtual reality system for binocular vision disorders. First launched last October, the vision therapy tool for both adults and children features a head-mounted display that tracks different aspects of binocular vision while the patient plays games or takes tests.

And Eschenbach Optik of America was also an exhibitor at this year's event, showcasing a variety of low vision aids and magnifiers for patients with conditions such as presbyopia, glaucoma, AMD, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy. Products on display included the Mobilux Digital video magnifier that can even change the contrast of text for those who have problems with glare, and the MaxTV glasses for telescopic distance that allows wearers to focus each lens separately.

For Practice Management

And another first-time Optometry's Meeting exhibitor was ECL Group — a provider of consulting, technology and services for eye care practices. They offer a variety of services including practice management and EHR systems, analytics and benchmarking, revenue cycle management, and their latest offering, practice consulting services designed to help ECPs improve practice efficiency and increase profitability. As part of the launch of its new consulting services, ECL Group if offering a three-part webinar series with the first taking place on July 19, 2016.

AOA's Optometry's Meeting 2017 will be held June 21-25, 2017 in Washington, DC. For more information, visit OptometrysMeeting.org.

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