With Brexit, practitioners may think that ECOO has little relevance to today’s UK optical market, yet nothing could be further from the truth. ECOO fights on behalf of Europe’s optical professionals on cross border issues such as standards, taxation and medical devices that have far-reaching financial and professional implications for us all.
It is largely because of ECOO for example that fluorescein has remained available for use in the fitting of contact lenses. This is an active campaign that was reported at the congress and is still an area of concern. It isn’t so much that it being classed as a medicine will prevent opticians (as opposed to optometrists) from using it, but that if paper strips have to be re-classified it will take years for that to happen and it is unlikely that any manufacturer will want to take it on.
ECOO represents the whole of Europe, so the UK will remain a member if and when the UK finally parts company with the EU. The British Standards UK manufacturers and opticians work to are already European Norms (EN) and this will not change. Neither, in the short term at least, will the substantial European supply chain into the UK optical sector.
Professional services
At each ECOO event there are a number of ‘country reports’ including of course the host nation. Ten million Czech people are served by 1,700 optical outlets, 3,500 opticians and 950 optometrists. Opticians cannot refract but along with lay people they do under a ‘guarantee’ clause that allows one optometrist to supervise many practices. Czech optometrists cannot see children, use diagnostic drugs, diagnose or make contact with the eye – that is left to the country’s 1,300 ophthalmologists.
The principle activity of the professional services committee session was a workshop on European VDU (visual display unit) legislation which is currently under review. Delegates shared the different approaches to vision screening adopted in the 20-odd countries in attendance.
Screening of European citizens ranges from seeing an ophthalmologist before starting a new job, to being screened by an optical assistant with an autorefractor within two years. Given the legislation seeks to protect the eyes and eyesight, and that screens are ubiquitous in almost every field of work, it is remarkable that it still exists at all. There is little evidence VDUs cause any harm, save for dry eye through reduced blink rates, and the Act does not provide for dry eye treatment, only special purpose spectacles.
Economic outlook
As part of the Public Affairs and Economics Committee delegates heard from the president of Eurom1, Oliver Fischbach, who delivered a fascinating presentation on global trends over the next 10 or so years. Eurom1 is a confederation of national manufacturing organisations including the FMO from the UK.
Increasing bureaucracy and costs
Before going on to his main presentation Fischbach outlined some of the challenges that Eurom1 is facing (and fighting) at the moment that could increase costs for suppliers, retailers and consumers of optical goods. Chief among these is UDI (unique device identification) which has been prompted by cases involving fatalities, injury and serious illness relating to faulty and fake medical devices such as breast implants.
It is hoped spectacle frames and lenses will be granted exemption from this legislation as they have been in the United States, however, it is by no means certain. If UDI happens it will dramatically disrupt the optical supply chain. Members of the FMO who question why they subscribe might think on.
Global trends
Fischbach then presented an outlook for the next five to 10 years of the factors most likely to impact optical businesses. Chief among these is the expansion of the older – good news for optical manufacturers with sales of progressive lenses expected to increase at 6% per annum.
Other trends are not good news for opticians. Online retail is expected to increase by 14%, and online eye examinations are expected to grow dramatically.
A surprising trend is that insurance companies are not interested in ensuring drivers have a good standard of vision. They prefer to invest in driverless vehicles so consumers can keep ‘driving’ after becoming visually impaired, and of course keep paying their insurance premiums for longer.
Delegates were informed that the motor manufacturers have been able to get round the problem of who dies when a fatal accident is unavoidable and the vehicle must choose whether it is the ‘driver’ or a pedestrian. Chillingly legislators are happy if the algorithm decides who will die on a random basis! Expect driverless high end German cars within five to 10 years.
Digitalisation will affect all parts of the value chain in optics. 3D printing will be key to further personalisation, and is already evidenced in products like Hoya’s Yuniku where scanning technology is used to create 3D fitted, 3D printed frames. Also, 3D printing will be key to producing complex and out of range lenses.
Emerging technology
Eurom1 also keeps watch on emerging technologies around the world that are likely to impact the optical market. They are worth checking online. Chicago based Opternative has featured in Optician before, but its PC and smart phone based sight test has recently been given partial FDA approval in America.
Other sight tests available online include VisionTest@Home which is cooperating with 1-800 Contacts to offer a sight test and prescription validated by an optometrist for two years. EyeQue personal vision tracker accurately determines your sphere, cylinder and axis.
Other technologies are not just designed to be used at home, but there is no saying they will not be used by new entrants to the optical market who are not opticians or optometrists. Chinese Top Plus and Top Glasses display a virtual frame on the clients face, either online or instore, and accurately centre the lenses, even progressives, using video technology. Bellus 3D scans 500,000 points on the face using standard camera and smart phone technology. Simple Contacts in the US delivers an online eye exam and direct contact lens ordering.
Other technology is being showcased in the Bikini concept store in Berlin where trends and new innovative technologies are tested. Adidas is already using total body scan technology to make personalised bespoke fitting sweat shirts within 20 minutes. 3D printed shoes are now a reality.
In Latvia university researchers can determine the refractive index of the eye using retinal reflex. In Cambridge the Viewi is being developed to utilise a headset, phone app and Bluetooth to diagnose glaucoma. Hoya surgical optics have a headset that converts light signals into a new image that effectively treats night blindness.
The retail threat
Fischbach outlined a number of companies from around the world who were considered to be a threat to the traditional optical retail set up that predominates in most countries. He detailed a number of online, hybrid (bricks and clicks), shop-in-shop, and so called omni-channel retailers including companies that manufacture and supply direct to the public while also owning retailers to extract every cent of profit from the supply chain.
Delegates were encouraged to go online for ideas and a view of the future happening today. Kypers, Northweek, izipizi (who sell ready readers and plano glasses with blue protect lenses), Warby Parker, VIU, Visilab, Apollo, Muller, and somewhat surprisingly Boots, were all considered to be doing something different that might represent a real and present danger to the status quo, or a business model to be emulated and improved upon. It is said the only constant in life is change, and the next decade will be no different it seems, only faster.
Good practice online
After learning about the future, delegates were later brought back to the present, and split into workshop groups to ask what would constitute good online practices for consumers and eye care professionals.
A room full of professionals was always going to take a protectionist view point that did not yield any startling feedback, however, the way healthcare is moving is either fascinating or frightening depending on your point of view, as witnessed by the results of the EU public consultation on transformation of health and care in the digital single market.
Consumers consider online healthcare consultations, answered in real time, to be as good as the real thing. In other words, they are happy to have online eye examinations and dispensing providing there is a real person to chat with should they need help. They expect opticians, whether online or in person to be able to solve their problems, adopt safe procedures and act with integrity – a view that is shared by eye care professionals. However, professionals may not be mindful that consumers have additional requirements of online services:
- Easy to compare prices for equivalent products and services.
- Easy to access from different devices.
- Simple and convenient to use.
High street opticians have always been easy to access, simple to use and conveniently located with increasingly convenient trading hours, however, comparing prices is difficult even for people with simple requirements.
CET you in Croatia?
The ECOO conference ended with the General Assembly, discussing optical politics relating to Europe, collaboration and engagement with other European organisations such as the European Federation Against Blindness (EFAB), and the progress being made on the European Diploma in Optometry and the European Certificate in Optics.
It closed by announcing its next meeting will be in conjunction with the European Academy of Optometry and Optics in the stunning Croatian resort of Pula where UK delegates can enjoy a CET weekend with a difference and get a whole year’s worth of points for less than the value of the optometrist CET grant including flights. Where would you rather be on May 11 to 13, 2018?