NEW YORK—The rise of telehealth and a crescendo of patients' interest in staying healthy and learning more about their own wellness are the focus of the second of Vision Monday's new weekly video series, "Micro Chats on Macro Trends," that examines significant trends which are influencing the way healthcare providers and optical retailers are doing business today, while preparing for the “next normal.” The series features VM’s editorial director, Marge Axelrad and Andrew Karp, lens and technology editor. They discuss big ideas and trends from the 2020 VM Leadership Summit that continue to reverberate throughout optical and healthcare in 2021.

The 2020 shutdown brought on by the advent of the COVID19 pandemic was accompanied by a rise in patients and healthcare providers, including ECPs, communicating in new ways, via mobile consults and online or virtual care visits when physical trips to doctors were limited to emergent care needs. Patients' awareness and preferences for virtual care remains high for themselves and their families, note Karp and Axelrad. They also point to the momentum behind health and wellness priorities among patients who have been discovering new digital tools and proactive approaches to preventing chronic conditions. The second Micro Chat video #2 can be viewed here.

“A year into the pandemic, we’re still feeling its aftershocks,” said Axelrad. “The initial effects, which continue to impact us, have now become business realities. In our Micro Chats, we explore the ways in which eyecare providers, optical retailers and suppliers are connecting with patients and customers, creating a foundation for post-pandemic growth.”

At the end of each Micro Chat, Axelrad and Karp pose a different question to viewers. In today’s Micro Chat on telehealth and wellness they ask the following: Going forward how will ECPs balance in-person visits and remote consultations? Email us your answer at vmsummit@jobson.com.

In the first video in the series, titled Brick Learns to Click, Axelrad and Karp discussed the implications of the brick to click trend in today's healthcare environment and how boundaries between the physical and virtual worlds are blurring.

UpcomingMicro Chats will explore the following themes:

• Access to Care: The Social Determinants of Health

• Re-Establishing Trust in Healthcare

• Optometry’s Widening Scope

• The Retail-Healthcare Convergence

VM will post a new conversation each week. To watch the Micro Chats, visit the VM Leadership Summit site.