In support of Bausch & Lomb's (B&L) national presbyopia awareness initiative, Dr. Rhonda Robinson of Ossip-Robinson Optometry in Indianapolis, Indiana, was interviewed for a special "Health Show" episode of The Martha Stewart Show, which aired on April 27, 2009. The episode focused on taking care of your body and health as you age and featured a variety of medical experts, including a gynecologist, gastroenterologist and cardiologist, as well as Dr. Robinson.
     Dr. Robinson's segment highlighted the importance of eye care at various stages of life and included information to help educate consumers on presbyopia. Dr. Robinson also discussed B&L's Multi-Focal contact lenses with All-Distance Optics.
     "There are roughly 75 million Baby Boomers in the United States alone, and most of them are, or will soon be, presbyopic," says Dr. Robinson. "Educating my patients and the public on presbyopia is extremely important to me as most people don't know that there are several different contact lens options available to them when it comes to this naturally-occurring condition."
     The segment featuring Dr. Robinson is currently archived online and may be viewed at: http://www.marthastewart.com/article/optometry-101?lnc=4ef2dc5bfca40110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=showarchive_tv_show-archive.  

More than 130 second-year students at the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) in Chicago put some newly learned patient communication techniques into practice while prescribing daily replacement contact lenses during an interactive workshop last month.
     The Personal Prescribing Workshop is offered to U.S. schools and colleges of optometry by Teague Training Group Inc., Huntington Beach, California, with support from contact lens manufacturers CIBA Vision Corporation and Vistakon, a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc. Renee Reeder, OD, FAAO, was on-site coordinator at ICO.
     The ICO class was the largest to date to participate in the Personal Prescribing Workshop, which focuses on communication and contact lens prescribing. Each workshop opens with a presentation by a practicing optometrist. At ICO, the facilitator was Thomas G. Quinn, OD, MS, FAAO, who shared the communication techniques he uses in his Athens, Ohio, practice. "Providing quality patient care hinges on understanding patients and their needs, then clearly communicating your recommendations for meeting those needs," says Dr. Quinn. "The Personal Prescribing Workshop provides practical tips on communicating with patients and an opportunity to practice them in a supportive environment. Students can use these pointers and see results right away."
     After Dr. Quinn's presentation, with additional guidance from 18 ICO faculty members, teams of three students took over the clinic's exam rooms to practice addressing patients' needs. The students took turns as doctor and patient, while a student observer graded their interactions. In a post-workshop questionnaire, most students reported their confidence levels more than doubled after this hands-on experience.

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Important Safety Information
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The Contact Lens Spectrum calendar, which mailed with the November 2008 issue, highlights an interesting and challenging contact lens case each month. The May case report discusses the management of a patient with dry eye symptoms over a period of a year and the patient's response to suggested treatment strategies. Perhaps the case will remind you of a similar patient in your own practice. To view the details of the case, visit www.clspectrum.com/photocalendar.asp?month=May.
     Visit the Contact Lens Spectrum case report page after the first of every month to review details and images from the latest case study. You can also view case studies from previous months in the archive at the bottom of the page.
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Myopia is a significant public health problem and its prevalence may be increasing over time. The main treatment options of single vision spectacle lenses, contact lenses, and refractive surgery do not slow the accompanying eye growth or retard the physiological changes associated with excessive axial elongation. High myopia is a predisposing factor for retinal detachment, myopic retinopathy, and glaucoma, contributing to loss of vision and blindness. The high prevalence of myopia and its prominence as a public health problem emphasize the importance of finding effective treatments that slow myopia progression and axial elongation. Treatments that have been investigated include various types of spectacle lenses and contact lenses, as well as pharmaceutical agents such as atropine and pirenzepine. The bulk of evidence from well-conducted studies shows that overall, most therapies for myopia have small treatment benefits that last for a relatively short period of time or have significant side effects. Some therapies may be more effective in subsets of myopic children. This review of treatment options for myopia emphasizes recent results from well-designed clinical studies and suggests possible future therapies.
Gwiazda J. Treatment Options for Myopia. Optom Vis Sci 2009.

Studies have shown that silicone hydrogel materials generally deposit less protein than many other contact lens materials (such as FDA Group 4 materials). Even though this deposition may be less, it may still have very important clinical relevance. For instance, it may be associated with reductions in outcomes such as visual quality or comfort. Thus, it is critical that we remain diligent in educating our patients in the proper care of their contact lenses.
Jason J. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, FAAO

This month at www.siliconehydrogels.org: the relationship between wettability and comfort; corneal ecstasia vs. corneal warpage; best lenses for aging eyes; and the effect of contact lens materials on physiology.