Bringing the future of practice to life at 100% Optical 2020

Event director of 100% Optical, Nathan Garnett, told OT that when the show returns to ExCeL London on 25–27 January, visitors will be able to take advantage of the newly transformed Future Practice Hub.

“New and improved for 2020, the Future Practice Hub will bring to life the future of optical practice on the show floor,” he explained.

The space will feature three clinical rooms that provide a journey through the practice. This includes a consulting room, diagnostic suite and dispensing area.

“In each area, tailored CET content will be delivered through discussion and hands-on skills workshops,” Mr Garnett shared, adding: The hub will also benefit from a seminar space facilitating thought-provoking education across all three days on contemporary areas of practice offering participants valuable insight and a vision for the future.”

An evolving industry

Mr Garnett shared that a key objective of 100% Optical has always been for visitors to leave the show more positive and more knowledgeable than when they entered, regardless of what stage of their career they are at.

“The industry is constantly evolving with changing consumer buying habits, the integration of NHS services into the High Street and new technologies and products opening up new revenue streams,” he said. “100% Optical will offer advice in all aspects of running a practice and prepare businesses to take advantage of these changes,” he added.

The AOP will once again design and deliver the education programme at 100% Optical. Highlighting the partnership between 100% Optical and the AOP, Mr Garnett said: “With key topics in 2020 covering myopia, making the most of social media, glaucoma and dry eye, our partnership with the AOP ensures that the education at the show is of a world class standard.”

100% Optical will offer advice in all aspects of running a practice and prepare businesses to take advantage of these changes

CET focus

Lecturer in optometry at the University of Manchester, Dr Fiona Cruickshank, will co-present a peer discussion workshop focused on childhood myopia with researcher at Aston University, Katie Franklin. Dr Cruickshank speaks to OT about what delegates can expect: 

What is the focus of your presentation?

This session is a peer discussion workshop, in which scenarios of childhood myopia development, onset and progression typical of those which may present to the optometrist in practice will be given for consideration. The workshop aims to aid the optometrist in giving evidence-based tailored advice to such patients and assist their decision-making in selecting and recommending myopia intervention strategies based on a child’s individual clinical and risk factors. Cases will be underpinned by the latest research and management guidelines.

What we understand about myopia and how to manage it is rapidly expanding, but there remain obvious gaps

How will the management of myopes change in the future?

What we understand about myopia and how to manage it is rapidly expanding, but there remain obvious gaps. Much research is underway on various interventions, including novel medications, spectacle lenses and contact lens designs, so I expect new management modalities will become available in the very near future, alongside the refinement of existing interventions.

I also picture that how we approach intervention may change, for example beginning to use treatments in combination or adopting strategies where the intervention prescribed to a child changes over time based on factors such as response, risk factors or age.

I expect the implementation of myopia management in practice to become more widespread, supported by new tools for assessment and monitoring; for example, algorithms identifying which children are most at risk. As such, optometrists will have to stay up to date on developments as evidence is revealed and new options emerge.