Blindness is Not Inevitable – World Sight Day 2018

Today is World Sight Day – an awareness day dedicated to drawing attention to vision health issues. Maintaining vision function is a key aspect of healthy ageing as it can enable people to keep doing what they value as long as possible.  Older age is often associated with vision loss; however, many age-related and other eye conditions are preventable and treatable.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema are prime examples of preventable and treatable eye conditions. DR is the most feared complication associated with diabetes – however, when detected early, there are effective treatments available to preserve sight so that individuals can continue managing their diabetes and participating actively in society.   

Recent IFA Initiatives: DR Barometer European Advocacy Workshop

The recent DR Barometer European Advocacy Workshop (14-15 September 2018 in Milan, Italy) attracted world-class clinicians, educators and patient groups from twelve countries across Europe to discuss how to improve screening and diagnosis; treatment goals and recent advances in treatment; the impact of an ageing population associated with diabetes-related vision loss; the value of patient education and empowerment; achieving patient-centred care; and moving forward with a multi-disciplinary approach, for improved patient outcomes.

Three Communities of Practice (i.e. patient education and empowerment, guidelines and protocols and coordinate care) served as the foci for attendees to devise solutions that addressed real-life issues around diabetic retinopathy faced by patients and / or health care professionals. In a modified Dragons Den approach where ideas were ‘pitched’ and voted upon, nine key initiatives competed for the honour of the most impactful, realistic and scalable. Visit this link to view the plenary and pitch presentations.

Want to learn more about the DR Barometer Program?

For the first time ever, disciplines from across the health care community and civil society are at the one table agreeing on the problem and making an investment to transform words into collective action for the improvement of patient outcomes in diabetic-related eye complications. The IFA and its partners are committed to helping transform the winning initiatives into a real-life solution. A unified approach will deliver never before seen outcomes that can be implemented in real-life to enact change in policy and practice.

Join the DR Barometer Community of Practice today – a growing multidisciplinary network of thought leaders and organizations who are working together to address gaps in Patient Education and Empowerment, Guidelines and Protocols for Healthcare Professionals, and Coordinated Care.