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NEW YORK—Myopia is not a new vision condition, but the growing awareness of the eye health risks associated with this common ophthalmic disorder, especially among eye-care professionals, is a somewhat contemporary phenomenon. Indeed, myopia is the most common ophthalmic condition in the world, with an estimated 34 percent of the world’s population, or roughly 2.62 billion people, affected by this condition, according to recent research. This increasing awareness, while beneficial to global eye health and vision, of course, also has begun to open up fresh practice-building opportunities for ODs.

A specialty such as myopia management—or any of the myriad of other areas of care that ECPs are exploring today—can open up or even deepen relationships with patients and families in a local or regional practice area. Patients often will drive hours for care that they find goes above and beyond.

“Myopia management is white space,” said Dwight Akerman, OD, FAAO, chief medical editor of Review of Myopia Management. “To date, most eyecare professionals have not incorporated myopia management into their practices to any significant extent, primarily due to a lack of knowledge about how to integrate pediatric myopia management into a primary care optometric practice.”

Myopia management represents an enormous opportunity for optometry, a health care profession that is appropriately positioned with clinical skills, staffing structure and professional organization and support to define and deliver the highest standards of care. To better understand how individual ODs are working to build a myopia management specialty in their practices, Vision Monday talked to a few doctors who have a range of different experience in this specialty area. Their stories are presented here, as part of VM’s February cover story feature.