Panel members from CooperVision’s Best Practices Roundtable at Optometry’s Meeting.

  
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Recent best practice honorees and student award recipients weighed in on hot topics relevant to the optical industry and profession on Wednesday during a roundtable discussion hosted by CooperVision at Optometry’s Meeting here. Topics selected by the honorees and discussed included new and emerging technologies, contact lenses and myopia management, according to CooperVision. Back in March, as reported by VMAIL, CooperVision announced its 2024 Best Practices honorees and student award recipients. The initiative—now in its ninth year—honors innovative U.S. eyecare practices who are committed to advancing the profession and providing exceptional patient care, while the student component enables standout third-year optometry students to learn directly from the best of the best, the company said.

Best practices honoree panelists for the roundtable included Dr. Patrick Wellik, Apply Valley Eye Care; Dr. Samantha Hornberger, Bright Family Eye Care; Dr. Ashley McFerron, Canby Eyecare; Dr. Tyler Barney, Eagle Vision; Dr. Melissa McCulley, McCulley Optix Gallery; Dr. Mark Schaeffer, MyEyeDr.; Dr. Robert Africano, North Carolina Primary Vision Care Associates; Dr. Cynthia Huang, Optometric Center for Family Vision Care & Vision Therapy; Dr. Carole Hong, Optometric Center for Family Vision Care & Vision Therapy; Dr. Selena Chan, Pacific Rims Optometry; and Dr. Chandler Mann, Stone Oak Vision Source.
 
Best practices student scholarship recipients who participated in the roundtable discussion were Alice Kim, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry; Kendra Kim, State University of New York College of Optometry; and Meagan Seufert, Pacific University College of Optometry.

The discussion began with technology, with artificial intelligence (AI) taking center stage. The group shared its excitement and hesitations about AI and what would need to happen moving forward to encourage implementation. The adoption of Neurolens technology was also discussed with several panelists offering that they had already invested in the technology. “Any technology has to improve patient care and efficiency and also offer a return on investment,” said Dr. Hornberger.

The discussion around contact lenses revolved around the importance of educating patients about their choices while reminding fellow practitioners that there is money to be made in offering contact lenses to patients. “I don’t think (offering contact lenses) is special at all,” said Dr. Huang. “It should just be a part of your practice.”

The roundtable discussion closed with myopia management, where once again patient education (parents) was seen as critical in promoting treatment from an early age. “The best treatment is any treatment,” offered Dr. Schaeffer. “And make sure the patients have the information they need.”

“We go patient by patient and let them guide us with what they are most comfortable with,” added Dr. Mann.