Back in the Saddle Again

Live meetings are back, which is just plain awesome! Don’t get us wrong—we all found ways to adapt virtually throughout the pandemic, but being with friends and colleagues in person again just doesn’t compare.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) annual meeting (a.k.a. Optometry’s Meeting), took place in person in Denver in June, along with a virtual component. The meeting was jam-packed with excitement and did not disappoint. It was great seeing old friends, meeting new ones, receiving live education, working on optometry’s business at the AOA House of Delegates and volunteer meetings, going maskless (optional) … we could go on and on. Your Modern Optometry team was there in full force, getting to know you, our readers, but also getting feedback on how we can take this publication to the next level. You have been great about providing us with feedback, so please, keep it coming!

This issue of MOD is near and dear to our hearts, with its cover focus on ocular surface disease (OSD). As you know, dry eye, blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction, and ocular allergy represent huge opportunities for optometry to address unmet needs. Many of our patients walk around with these conditions, whether symptomatic or not, and a good number of them don’t even know it! These patients may not realize that symptoms such as blurred or fluctuating vision are the most common complaints associated with dry eye. Or they may have significant meibomian gland dropout that has never been tested or detected.

This is where we come in to meet this need. These quick yes-or-no questions taken from the 2014 Dry Eye Summit still apply today, and asking them can help you to find patients with hidden OSD.¹

• Do your eyes feel dry?
• Do you feel the need to use eye drops?
• Do you have red eyes?
• Does your vision change of fluctuate throughout the day?

Patients who answer “yes” to any of these questions are in need of further evaluation. Other options for identifying patients with dry eye include the use of patient questionnaires, such as the Ocular Surface Disease Index or the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness, or the use of meibography to identify abnormal structures. We could write about OSD all day, but we’d rather you read the OSD cover focus articles in this issue by Tracy Doll, OD, FAAO; Scott Hauswirth, OD, FAAO; Richard L. Maharaj, OD, FAAO; Craig Thomas, OD; and Walter O. Whitley, OD, MBA, FAAO. In their articles, they discuss systemic comorbidities and dry eye, give timely clinical pearls on neuropathic pain, describe tailored therapy for patients with dry eye, and talk about the management of dry eye flares.

In addition, the articles in our subfocus address issues from physician burnout to clinic efficiency to finding your path toward a fulfilling career in optometry. These and other key articles in this issue aim to keep you at the top of your game and help you to provide optimal care for your patients. We hope they serve you well.