March 17, 2026
By Shane Foster, OD, FAAO
Governor Mike DeWine (left) pictured with Dr. Shane Foster. All photos courtesy of Dr. Foster.
Educating patients and delivering myopia care grounded in evidence is not just good medicine. Rather, it allows the patient to make informed decisions about their health. My practice, Athens Eye Care, is in a town that is home to Ohio University, so many parents affiliated with the university want to see the science behind our myopia recommendations. When addressing the core needs of the community I serve, I can provide better access to care that truly enhances their life. This keeps my practice sustainable.
Knowing Your Demographic
Our practice has offered myopia management through orthokeratology and off-label soft multifocal contact lenses for nearly 30 years now. What currently sets us apart is that the vast majority of our young myopes are enrolled in clinical trials focused on myopia management mechanisms like contact lenses or spectacles. Clinical trials not only serve as necessary data for our industry partners, but they provide a gateway to receive advanced care. For some of our patients in this rural and sometimes impoverished area, the price tag of myopia control is a deterrent. This means they may opt for traditional methods of vision correction instead. However, enrollment in clinical trials helps bypass that issue.
These trials also allow me to explore alternative treatment options, such as fitting FDA-approved contact lenses or experimental spectacle lenses seeking FDA approval.
In addition, we have a number of patients who are directly involved in a traditional myopia management protocol. These patients may not meet the inclusion criteria for a particular trial, or the parents may not want their children possibly being in a control arm of a clinical trial. But participating in clinical trials has allowed us to bring a myopia management option to far more children in our community.
Our Standard of Care
In our practice, we not only feel it is imperative that every patient understands their myopia management options, we consider it the standard of care to intervene in myopia progression. Our guiding principle is simple: even some myopia management is better than none, so any option we can competently provide should be offered.
My baseline is staying educated on the latest management options, discussing options with patients regardless of whether or not they move forward with treatment and then referring if necessary. Every optometrist in our practice notes in a young myope’s chart that we discussed myopia management options. Ultimately, what’s good for the patient is good for the practice.
Addressing Myopia
Following FDA approval of MiSight 1 day and Essilor Stellest lenses, I noticed a clear uptick in conversations on properly addressing myopia. MiSight has been our go-to myopia treatment option. The FDA approval and our patient demographics make it the natural choice. Our doctors feel comfortable recommending it, and patients are more willing to try it because they often ask to see supporting research for our claims.
While our practice is able to take axial length measurements, most parents are swayed more by the refractive error changes. The proof is in putting them behind the phoropter and looking at the dioptric change.
Although some patients and their parents come in with an understanding of myopia, we try to stay ahead by having proactive conversations in the office and on our own social media channels. Our aim is to offer various services and solutions for any vision issue. We have a doctor in the practice who provides vision therapy, and an occupational therapist on staff who does both vision therapy and OT. As a result, families turn to our practice with confidence we can address any issue their child might face.
Collaborative Statewide Advocacy Expands Access to Pediatric Eye CareWe are fortunate in Ohio to have so many optometrists advocating for children’s access to eye care. I am grateful that we have a legislature and governor who believe in that mission. Our legislators and Governor Mike DeWine’s administration endorse the importance of children’s vision and access to care, which galvanizes support for vision initiatives. They have even adopted my personal tagline, “Kids can’t read if they can’t see,” which links vision and literacy together. In Ohio, fewer than 20% of kids who fail an in-school vision screening go on to get comprehensive care, and when vision issues are left untreated, some children may be mislabeled as having ADHD, dyslexia, or another learning disability. In tackling this issue, Gov. DeWine launched OhioSEE (Ohio Student Eye Exam), a program that actively goes into schools and provides eye care for children. This overcomes various barriers we optometrists face, like transportation issues, cost, the impact of addiction, or other lack of parental follow-through. Bringing eye care directly to schools removes the hurdles to access and gives those children greater opportunities. The Ohio Optometric Association, the Ohio Optometric Foundation and many other organizations across the state have worked toward improving children’s vision for decades. However, this public-private partnership in OhioSEE has launched children’s vision into the spotlight. The earned media surrounding these programs creates greater awareness of the vital importance of children’s vision, as well as the gaps in access to care. Our hope is that every child in Ohio will be able to live up to their full potential and that poor vision or lack of care will never be an obstacle to their success. |
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Shane Foster, OD, FAAO is the owner of Capitol Eyes in Columbus, Ohio, Hocking Hills Eye Care in Logan, Ohio, and Athens Eye Care in Athens, Ohio, which was named one of CooperVision’s Best Practices. He is Past President of the Ohio Optometric Association and current President of the Ohio Optometric Foundation, which works to expand access to pediatric eye care for the children of Ohio. He was named OD of the Year by the Ohio Optometric Association in 2025. |
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