EyeCon 2023 empowers clinical engagement in a relaxed setting

The dual tracks for optometry and ophthalmology foster greater communication among eye care professionals about the latest technology, best practices, and patient care. The conference will take place December 1 and 2, 2023, at the Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa in Fort Myers, Florida. (Adobe Stock / Charles)

In December, The Optometry Times EyeCon® 2023 will gather the nation’s leading eye care professionals to share new data and practical strategies that clinicians can apply in their practices. The dual tracks for optometry and ophthalmology foster greater communication among eye care professionals about the latest technology, best practices, and patient care.

The conference will take place December 1 and 2, 2023, at the Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa in Fort Myers, Florida. Cochair Oluwatosin U. Smith, MD, from Glaucoma Associates of Texas in Dallas recently spoke with Group Editorial Director Sheryl Stevenson about how attendees will benefit from this year’s EyeCon 2023.

To register for or learn more about The Optometry Times EyeCon 2023, visit here.

Note: This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity and length.

Sheryl Stevenson: What excites you about this year’s EyeCon meeting?

Oluwatosin U. Smith, MD: I’m excited about [the] meeting, not only because it’s our third year…but also because of the amazing topics we have lined up for our ophthalmologists. It’s exciting to hear all the new things that we have in our different specialties [and] to be able to gather in a general ophthalmology setting and hear what’s going on in everybody else’s world. I’m excited for that, to have that opportunity to hear what other colleagues are doing.

Stevenson: Will there be sessions on comanagement?

Smith: We will have a set time on the first day of the meeting when we will have joint sessions. More and more groups have [a] combination of ophthalmology and optometry in their practices. Optometry colleagues refer [patients to] us for cataract surgery but they see patients with macular degeneration. With all the new things we have available for those patients, it will be exciting to talk about that.

Myopia is becoming more and more relevant and finally, we have ways of addressing that. As people [become] older, glaucoma is becoming something that everybody has to help [with]. Whether you’re in general ophthalmology or optometry, there’s plenty for us to take care of.

Stevenson: Will there be a discussion about technology that helps patients monitor their eye health at home?

Smith:One of those topics that we will be dealing with is home monitoring of patients, the ability for patients to monitor their own disease entities. It’s exciting to see that there is some technology out there that has been approved for use. There are several things that are in development as well. We might get to that place where some of that care has to be provided virtually to a certain extent, but patients [will] be able to have a more all-encompassing monitoring of their disease rather than intermittent visits to the doctor’s office to have a pressure check, a visual field check, or a macula scan. It’s so exciting…the age that we live in now.

Stevenson: How is EyeCon 2023 unique from other conferences?

Smith: EyeCon provides that opportunity to catch up with CME [continuing medical education]. It’s also in sunny Florida! It allows us to get away from our routines, take some time out in December [to be] somewhere that’s warmer than where we will typically be, and learn about the new things available to us. It will also allow [us] to catch up with all the updates in ophthalmology that will improve or enhance the care that [we] provide.

Stevenson: Anything else to add?

Smith: For those who are not sure about what they’re going to be doing on December 1 and 2, plan to join us in Florida. Bring your family because it’s a great opportunity for them to be out there enjoying the sunny Florida weather on the beach while the rest of us learn for a couple of hours. Most of all, plan to join us so that we can all enjoy a time of engaging in conversation about what we do every day. It might be a great time to…look at the products available and decide what…to add to your practice as the year ends.