As a constructive critic of National Eye Health Week (NEHW) in the past, it has been brilliant to see eye health messaging disseminated far and wide between September 23 and 29. Industry engagement was the highest it has been for a long, long time, with all the sector’s major stakeholders getting involved with initiatives, research and special care projects.
It’s a good job so many stakeholders did get involved, because research from NEHW organisers Eye Health UK released data that found 19 million (36%) adults in the UK have not had an eye test in the past two years. Industry engagement with NEHW and its values is just the first layer in engaging the public on increasing their understanding of maintaining healthy eyes. If the sector doesn’t go deeper with its messaging, the figure of 18% of over-65s that haven’t had an eye exam in the past two years is only going one way.
What was good to see this year during NEHW was the inclusion of other health conditions that, in the past, haven’t had much limelight in the eye health sector. Lack of awareness of menopause and its eye-related symptoms might not be surprising to some, but 38% of over 45-year-olds didn’t know blurred vision and dry eye could be a result of menopause. It’s a credit to Vision Express that it will roll out training to clinical staff so they can become menopause eye health advisors. This is good not just because it’s helpful for patients, but it’s this type of initiative that is likely to see patients talk about their visit to the optometrist among friends, spreading the wider benefits of eye exams beyond the Snellen chart.
Maybe the eye health sector should be a little more guerilla in its approach and target the awareness weeks of the health conditions that can be detected during an eye exam.
