December 9, 2024
Attendees gathered in Markham/Greater Toronto for THE Myopia Meeting.
MARKHAM, Ontario, Canada – On Sunday, December 8, leaders in the eye care field gathered here for THE Myopia Meeting. The event featured four hours of COPE-approved continuing education courses interspersed with clinical reviews from some of the most influential companies and practitioners in the myopia management space. Organized by Review of Myopia Management, THE Myopia Meeting was sponsored by leaders in the field of myopia management, including HOYA Vision Care, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Visioneering Technologies Inc. (VTI), Ocumetra, and Precision Technology Services.
The Ins and Outs of Myopia Management
Following a brief introduction from the meeting’s chair, Review of Myopia Management’s Chief Medical Editor Dwight Akerman, OD, MBA, FAAO, FBCLA, FIACLE, the meeting kicked off with Debbie Jones, BSc(Hons), FCOptom, FAAO, who presented: “Myopia Management: When to Start, How to Evaluate Success, and When to Stop.”
Dr. Jones began her presentation by explaining the importance of initiating myopia management treatment, including the widespread prevalence of the disease and the long-term eye health risks associated with each 1.00D increase.
From there, Dr. Jones defined which patients are classified as myopes and pre-myopes, and the benefits of explaining the importance of myopia management treatment to all pediatric patients. She explained that practitioners need to know how to identify which patients are most at risk of developing myopia and high myopia, as well as the key risk factors to look for: parental myopia, low outdoor time, and high amounts of near work and screen time. “We know outdoor time can delay the onset of myopia,” she said, “and children who spend more time on near work are more at risk.”
The lecture then transitioned to how practitioners can determine the success of their myopia management efforts with patients. Dr. Jones explained that the primary goal of myopia management treatment is to slow down axial elongation and myopic refractive error. “You really don’t have much of an option now. If you’re practicing myopia control, you really need to monitor axial length,” she said.
In her CE presentation, Dr. Debbie Jones discussed when practitioners should start and stop myopia management treatment.
While each patient is likely to respond differently to different treatment, Dr. Jones shared the latest clinical findings for each of the primary myopia management treatment methods — spectacle lenses, multifocal contact lenses, low-dose atropine, and orthokeratology. This helps give practitioners a benchmark of what to look for when evaluating the success of their chosen treatment method.
At the end of the session, Dr. Jones shared some of the common reasons ECPs might decide to stop myopia management treatment. Her list included: stable myopia, patient compliance, financial considerations, vision symptoms, and patient preferences.
Dr. Jones concluded by expressing the importance of making myopia management the standard of care and emphasizing the benefits these treatments can bring to patients.
All About Myopia Control Spectacles
Following Dr. Jones, Vishakha Thakrar, OD, FAAO, FSLS, presented to attendees, “Myopia Control Glasses: The Game Changer in Myopia Management.”
With several spectacle options available to practitioners in Canada, Dr. Thakrar started her presentation by breaking down the different lenses, including: DIMS (Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments), HALT (Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target), and DOT (Diffusion Optics Technology). She also mentioned to be wary of the fact that some patients are finding lenses from other sources such as the myopic peripheral defocus lens (MPDL) that’s available at Walmart in Canada. To counteract this, she said, “What we have started to implement in practice is to write the brand name on the prescription.” Also, “The better myopic care we can give will keep them in-office.”
Dr. Thakrar broke down all things myopia control spectacle lenses in her CE lecture.
Dr. Thakrar shared the latest clinical findings of each of these lenses with attendees, explaining the differences in how they work and what practitioners can expect in terms of slowing myopia progression. She also explained how practitioners can determine which spectacle lens would best suit which patients, as there are several factors that come into play when making this choice — the patient’s age, the practitioner’s clinical experience with each lens, an analysis of efficacy and rebound data, and patient retention with each lens.
Then, Dr. Thakrar transitioned into some practical clinical tips to helps practitioners when prescribing myopia management spectacles. While many patients and parents might be used to glasses, education is required to ensure the glasses are centered properly to achieve the myopia management effect, and that patients are wearing them all day for optimal success. Dr. Thakrar explained that it’s not uncommon for these glasses to require frequent adjustments, and patients should be seen every six months to get updated axial length and refractive error measurements.
Additionally, Dr. Thakrar discussed other areas that could create some patient or parent pushback, such as the myopia management spectacle lens designs and the cost of the lenses. These lenses do look different from traditional spectacle lenses, and it’s important to provide proper education to patients and their parents, letting them see and evaluate the lenses before fitting them. When it comes to cost, Dr. Thakrar encouraged attendees to approach the conversation from a practical standpoint, emphasizing the long-term benefits of these kinds of treatments, as well as the different payment plan options companies set up for these lenses.
The Business of Myopia Control
Wes McCann, OD, MBA, was the next presenter to take the stage, sharing a presentation with attendees entitled “The Business of Myopia Control.”
Dr. McCann started his lecture with a modern definition of myopia management, and he then dove right into discussing strategies for the successful implementation of myopia management. The first portion of the session was all about the myopia management assessment; this included information on everything from what tests to include in the exam, what to charge for it, and how to make these conversations easier with parents. Dr. McCann explained that cost is a key factor here, and ECPs need to consider their own overhead costs for each test before setting a price for their patients. Before moving on from this portion, Dr. McCann shared the importance of creating a standard myopia management protocol for your office, as well as a full breakdown of how the initial assessment should run.
Dr. Wes McCann gave attendees practical tips on the business side of myopia management.
From there, Dr. McCann got into the communication tools and materials that can help make adoption of myopia management easier. He explained that when doctors give parents educational materials to take home, it’s important to consider how that parent is going to digest that information and what outside factors could influence their reactions and ultimate decision. Dr. McCann explained that ECPs need to prepare to handle parent objections to myopia management, and it’s their job to express the value in these treatments, the long-term risks associated with untreated myopia, and your concerns as the doctor treating their child.
Dr. McCann also shared several resources that he uses to help educate parents, whether that’s in the exam lane, in direct email marketing materials, or throughout his office. He explained that emails give him more freedom to dive deeper into topics without feeling limited by time, and they allow him to explain things thoroughly. Emails also serve as a frequent touchpoint with patients and give him the opportunity to introduce new treatment options.
New Developments in Myopia Management
For the final presentation of the day, Dr. Akerman shared “New Developments in Myopia Management.” This session included everything practitioners need to know about the latest and greatest in myopia management, including: the widespread global prevalence, long-term eye health complications, risk factors for developing myopia and high myopia, treatment options, centile charts, ending myopia treatment, and the benefits of early intervention.
Event chair, Dr. Dwight Akerman introduced the speakers as well as presented about the most recent developments in myopia management.
Throughout his presentation, Dr. Akerman also emphasized the lifestyle factors that can impact all patients, whether they’re pre-myopic or myopic. He explained that spending adequate time outdoors can be protective against the onset of myopia, and recommending at least two hours of outdoor time each day can be incredibly beneficial for long-term eye health. Additionally, Dr. Akerman explained that while near work and screen time are unavoidable for many children, taking visual breaks every 20 to 30 minutes to look out the window for 20 to 30 seconds can also be helpful.
Spending time outdoors for the recommended 90-120 minutes per day helps delay onset. “The total amount of time is really important, but it doesn’t have to be all at the same time.” This all contributes to quality of life. “Vision-related quality of life is a lot better when you’re a minus two than when you are a minus 10,” he said.
Dr. Akerman explained that myopia management offers opportunities for practitioners. There are questions regarding who to treat, when to start treatment, what treatment to choose, and when to stop treatment. He went on to address each of these points in his presentation, giving attendees tangible clinical advice to utilize in their practices.
Clinical Reviews
Throughout the day, clinical reviews were presented by event sponsors Johnson & Johnson Vision, HOYA Vision Care, and Visioneering Technologies Inc. (VTI).
 |
 |
In between CE courses, attendees had the opportunity to talk with event sponsors about the latest in myopia management. Hoya (left) and VTI (right).
In addition to her CE presentation, Dr. Thakrar also presented on behalf of Johnson & Johnson Vision. The presentation focused on the case study of a 6-year-old patient named Sara who had her first eye exam in 2017 with no vision complaints. At the time, the patient’s cycloplegic refraction showed low levels of myopia, and after education on myopia management, the parents declined any type of treatment, and the child returned six months later. Over the next two years, the patient’s prescription went from -0.50D to -2.00D, and the parents continued to decline myopia management. By 2019, Sara’s annual exam showed a prescription of -4.25D, and her parents agreed to myopia spectacles. After six months of wear, Sara’s prescription increased to -4.75D, and she continued wearing the spectacles for another six months. At that visit, Sara’s prescription increased to -5.25D in each eye, and she then switched modalities to contact lenses. However, after one month of wear, Sara was complaining of blurry vision, at which point she switched treatments again to the ACUVUE Abiliti 1-day contact lenses. Six months after prescription, Sara reported good vision, and her prescription was stable at -5.25D in one eye and increased to -5.50D in the other eye, indicating the success of the treatment.
Next up, Meenal Agarwal, OD, HBSc, presented on behalf of HOYA Vision Care. Dr. Agarwal began her presentation by discussing the six years of data and the eight-year abstract on the HOYA MiYOSMART spectacle lenses. The data shows sustained myopia management efficacy with no rebound effects, with an average slowdown of myopia progression by 60%. Moreover, the findings indicate that the myopia control benefits are sustained over six years, and patients typically have less than -1.00D of average cumulative progression over six years. Dr. Agarwal wrapped up her presentation by discussing the important findings ECPs can share with parents when prescribing MiYOSMART, including that the lenses are available in photochromic and polarized options.
 |
 |
The education carried over from the lecture halls into the event hallway, where attendees learned from leaders in the field. Precision Technology Services (left) and Johnson & Johnson Vision (right).
The final clinical review was presented by Douglas Benoit, OD, FAAO, on behalf of VTI. During his presentation, Dr. Benoit broke down the design of the NaturalVue Enhanced Multifocal Advanced, a center-distance lens that delivers 8.00D of relative plus power at 6 mm. In the NaturalVue Multifocal, the Neurofocus Optics technology generates a high magnitude of myopic defocus that is gentle in intensity. It also has a long and narrow extended depth of focus (EDOF) channel that can reduce accommodative demand and address accommodative dysfunctions. From there, Dr. Benoit shared one of the other perks of the NaturalVue Multifocal — the ability to correct up to 2.00D of astigmatism. He explained that the astigmatic eye has two focal points, and with the EDOF channel, both meridians can be in focus at the same time. To round things out, Dr. Benoit shared insights about VTI’s NaturalVue Quickstart Calculator, which is a new tool to help ECPs determine the starting power in the lenses for each individual patient. The presentation ended with some take-home tips for ECPs to make the education process easier with patients and their parents.
THE Myopia Meeting Conference Speakers and Sponsors Share Event Highlights
To get more insight into the field of myopia management from the leading experts in the field, Review of Myopia Management went straight to the source. Listen to the short interview clips below with speakers and sponsors of THE Myopia Meeting to learn more about the latest myopia management topics:
Wes McCann, OD, MBA, “The Business of Myopia Control.”
Debbie Jones, BSc(Hons), FCOptom, FAAO, “Myopia Management: When to Start, How to Evaluate Success, and When to Stop.”
Vishakha Thakrar, OD, FAAO, FSLS, “Myopia Control Glasses: The Game Changer in Myopia Management.”
Douglas Benoit, OD, FAAO, VTI
Corinna McElduff, Ocumetra
Valerie Chu, HOYA Vision Care
Elsa Lee, Johnson & Johnson Vision
