The American Optometric Association (AOA) and Vision Service Plan (VSP) issued a joint statement confirming that both organizations are committed to expanded access to eye care, and to holding the President and Congressional leaders to their promise, made at the outset of the national debate over health care reform legislation, to ensure that Americans who want to keep their existing coverage and doctor in place will be able to do so.
     Both organizations recognize that, with Congress still considering various bills, it is difficult to predict the overall and long-term effect of health care legislation on doctors of optometry and the patients they serve. However, both VSP and AOA recognize the importance of including provider non-discrimination provisions that will safeguard patient access to optometric care in any health care bill. VSP and AOA have agreed to work together in the coming weeks in an effort to increase support in Congress for the Harkin Provider Non-Discrimination Amendment and the Ross Patient Access to Care Amendment. AOA and VSP leaders expect future meetings and telephone conference calls to be scheduled and held whenever necessary to discuss common interests.
     For further information on AOA's priority issues in health care reform, AOA members can review fact sheets and visit the AOA Online Legislative Action Center.

The California Optometric Association (COA) presents the Monterey Symposium each year. This educational event provides a more intimate setting for earning continuing education credits and meeting with vendors than other larger, more intensive conferences. This year's symposium, November 20-22, offers a combined 94 hours of continuing education, targeting optometrists, paraoptometrics, opticians, and professional staff. In addition to extensive educational opportunities, this symposium features a busy Exhibit Hall and social functions that lead to plenty of networking with colleagues.
     Though classes are filling fast, online registration is still available along with addition information at www.montereysymposium.com. 

Phase Forward, a provider of data management solutions for clinical trials and drug safety, announced a multi-year contract with Bausch & Lomb (B&L). The agreement calls for B&L to implement Phase Forward's InForm Global Trial Management (GTM) electronic data capture (EDC) solution, in all of its trials, including Surgical, Vision Care and Pharmaceuticals products.
     According to the company, B&L will be able to leverage Phase Forward's InForm GTM to view and act on clinical trial data earlier in the development cycle, and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness with which it manages study procedures and expenditures.
     "Bausch & Lomb is committed to the use of innovative technology to help develop the highest quality eye health products in the most efficient manner," said John W. Sheets, Jr., Corporate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Bausch & Lomb. "Clinical trials are a critical element of our product development engine, and Phase Forward's EDC solution brings a proven solution for automating and optimizing trial management."

Your practice thrives when your patients are healthy and happy-and ACUVUE® OASYS™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR® Plus can help you fulfill this goal, by providing exceptional comfort, vision, and health. It's a fact: more than 9 out of 10 patients stay in ACUVUE® OASYS™ Brand.¹ So when you fit your patients with ACUVUE® OASYS™, you're laying a solid foundation of patient commitment and satisfaction leading to practice growth.

$100 rebate for new wearers!
Good when patients get an eye exam and purchase 8 boxes of ACUVUE® OASYS™ (spherical product only). Visit www.jnjvisioncare.com/rebates.htm for more details.

1. Data on file.
ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses are indicated for vision correction. As with any contact lens, eye problems, including corneal ulcers, can develop. Some wearers may experience mild irritation, itching or discomfort. Lenses should not be prescribed if patients have any eye infection, or experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems. Consult the package insert for complete information. Complete information is also available from VISTAKON®, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., by calling 1-800-843-2020 or by visiting jnjvisioncare.com.
HYDRACLEAR® Plus is our brand name for the next generation of our proprietary technology that allows us to use a higher volume of a moisture rich wetting agent in a state of the art formulation. This creates a more wettable, ultra smooth contact lens, especially for challenging environments that make eyes feel dry.
ACUVUE®, ACUVUE® OASYS™, HYDRACLEAR®, and VISTAKON® are trademarks of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
© Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. 2009.

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Prevent Blindness America (PBA) recently released a summary report of a five-year cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This report, entitled Prevent Blindness America: Working to Advance Public Health, Vision and Eye Care in the U.S., summarizes key efforts of the first stage of this public-private partnership. The report can be viewed at www.preventblindness.net/CDC_summary.
     In 2005 the CDC, under its Vision Health Initiative, entered a collaborative partnership with PBA to address vision loss and related eye diseases. From this joint effort, more effective public health programs have been created to address vision and eye health needs across the country as well as to establish an ongoing infrastructure of prevention functions that will continue to have a substantial impact on the nation's vision and eye health in the future. 
     Due to the success of the partnership, in 2008 the CDC entered into a new agreement with PBA to fund the non-profit organization's National Vision Preservation Initiative, an effort to develop an integrative approach to eye health promotion and vision loss prevention. The new 3-year cooperative agreement, which includes an approximate $3 million grant to PBA, involves several participating organizations: Duke Clinical Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, New York State Department of Health, Prevent Blindness North Carolina, Prevent Blindness Ohio and Prevent Blindness Tri-State.

The Contact Lens Spectrum 2009 calendar, which mailed with the November 2008 issue, highlights an interesting and challenging contact lens case each month. The November case report, Successful Lens Wear in the Presence of Granular Corneal Dystrophy, follows the case of a patient with granular corneal dystrophy, who had undergone penetrating keratoplasty in both eyes and was now complaining of vision issues and other problems with the GP lenses she had worn since then. To view the details of the case, visit www.clspectrum.com/photocalendar.asp?month=November.
     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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LensAlert announced that an additional patent pertaining to LensAlert's contact lens and case reminder timers has been allowed and will issue from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This will be the fifth patent issued to LensAlert inventors for their unique design. 
     John O'Hara, LensAlert inventor and President, commented, "LensAlert Reminder Timers give contact lens wearers an easy to use tool so that they will never forget when to replace their contact lenses and dirty lens cases ever again. This new patent significantly strengthens our intellectual property assets and gives us additional security as our products continue to grow in the marketplace."
     For more information on LensAlert Reminder Timers, visit www.lensalert.com.

Plan now to attend the Global Specialty Lens Symposium in January 2010. With an expert international faculty and a CE-accredited agenda, the 2010 GSLS will include insightful presentations by experts in the field, hands-on demonstrations of cutting-edge products as well as scientific papers and posters. Look for more detailed information in future issues of Contact Lens Spectrum and online at www.GSLSymposium.com.
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This study aimed to investigate intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements taken using the dynamic contour tonometer (DCT) and the non-contact tonometer (NCT) in subjects with keratoconus.
     Intraocular pressure was measured in 20 keratoconus subjects and 20 age-matched control subjects using the DCT and NCT instruments. Central and off-centre measures were taken with the DCT in order to highlight any systematic errors associated with corneal biomechanical factors. Measures of anterior and posterior corneal topography and thickness were also taken in each subject.
     No significant difference was found between the central and off-centre DCT IOP readings for the keratoconus subjects and age-matched controls (p > 0.05). The average DCT IOP was 14.2 +/- 1.4 mmHg in the keratoconus subjects and 14.2 +/- 1.6 mmHg in the controls. However, the average NCT readings differed significantly (p < 0.001) between the keratoconus subjects (9.2 +/- 1.5 mmHg) and the controls (12.9 +/- 2.4 mmHg). Intraocular pressure measurements taken with the DCT showed no significant (p > 0.05) correlation with the severity of keratoconus as determined through measures of corneal topography and thickness. Equivalent IOP measurements taken with the NCT correlated significantly with certain measures of corneal curvature and thickness in the keratoconus population. The difference between DCT and NCT IOP was strongly correlated with measures of corneal topography and thickness, with differences increasing in more advanced keratoconus.
     The researchers concluded that the measurements obtained with the DCT do not appear to be dependent upon corneal factors, unlike those taken with the NCT. The presence or severity of keratoconus was not correlated with DCT IOP values.
Read SA, Collins MJ. Intraocular pressure in keratoconus. Acta Ophthalmol 2009.

In its weekly update, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now reporting widespread H1N1 activity in 46 of 50 states. Further, mortality due to influenza and pneumonia has been above threshold epidemic levels for three consecutive weeks. I don't often comment on non-contact lens topics, but as health care providers, I feel it is critically important that we play a role in the fight against the H1N1. Certainly the roll out of the vaccination has been slower than we would have liked, but the CDC offers other helpful guidance for influenza planning within medical offices that is worth looking at (http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/10steps.htm). Make sure your office is as safe as possible - your patients will appreciate you for it.
Jason J. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, FAAO 

This month at www.siliconehydrogels.org: adverse events with daily wear of silicone hydrogels, SEALs with extended wear, controlling case contamination, contact lens complications, and part two of our AAO 2008 synopsis.