(PRESS RELEASE) CHARENTON-LE-PONT, FR — To honor this year’s Presbyopia Awareness Month, the World Council of Optometry (WCO) in partnership with EssilorLuxottica announced the release of the global standard of care for presbyopia and the aging eye. The aim of this resolution is to set a benchmark through evidence-based resources that center on the eyecare practitioner’s attention towards the three pillars of mitigating, measuring, and managing presbyopia.
The resolution defines the evidence-based standard of care as comprising of three main components that all eyecare practitioners should embrace towards addressing presbyopia:
- Mitigation — eyecare practitioners educating pre-presbyopes, during regular eye examinations on presbyopia and the aging eye and encouraging them to have regular eye examinations to determine signs & symptoms, correction options and importance of referrals and co-management
- Measurement — eyecare practitioners evaluating the status of a patient during regular comprehensive vision and eye health examinations, using both subjective and objective techniques
- Management — eyecare practitioners addressing patients’ needs of today by correcting presbyopia and the aging eye, offering relevant interventions (e.g., contact lenses, spectacles, pharmaceuticals, surgical) to meet the individual visual and lifestyle and vision needs, for improved quality of life and better eye health today and into the future
It also advises eyecare practitioners to incorporate the standard of care for presbyopia and the aging eye within its practice that shifts from not only correcting vision but includes public education and early and frequent discussions that explain:
- What presbyopia is, including signs and symptoms to look for and associated factors relating to the aging eye
- Lifestyle factors that may impact presbyopia and the aging eye
- The corrective measures that can be used to manage presbyopia and address the aging eye
- Promote the use of health educational materials within practices that highlights the issue of presbyopia and the aging eye
WCO president Dr. Sandra Block said, “Presbyopia and the process of growing older is a topic that we at the World Council of Optometry are thrilled to highlight in our efforts with EssilorLuxottica. We believe that eyecare should be a part of our patients’ lives from birth through old age. Taking time to address presbyopia by emphasizing to our patients that they have options that suit their lifestyle and needs, while at the same time ensuring proper care for the health of their eyes as they grow older is a perfect goal for our partnership.”
“We look forward to working together with WCO to provide more evidence-based resources through this collaboration,” said Olga Prenat, Head of Medical and Professional Affairs at EssilorLuxottica.
All eyecare practitioners are encouraged to read the full global standard resolution of care for presbyopia and the aging eye here.