Saturday, 7 August 2010

Taliban Kill Non-Combatant Optometrist

Optometrist Tom Little, who had been providing vision care in Afghanistan since the 1970s through vision clinics and hospitals, and nine other members of his team were shot to death by the Taliban for “spying” and “spreading” Christianty.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 6:22 PM EDT
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Medicare Cuts and Advantages to Vary
Topic: Insurance
"For the 11 million people signed up for Medicare Advantage plans, their future with the popular program may depend on where they live.

"To help finance health reform, Congress cut $136 billion over 10 years from the program, in which private insurers provide Medicare health plans for seniors. The private plans, which are paid a flat fee from the government for each enrollee were a likely target: They cost the government much more per beneficiary, on average, than does traditional Medicare, according to Medicare’s advisory commission." That's the start of an article developed by Florida Health News and Kaiser Health News.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 8:31 AM EDT
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Congress Help! They Can't See!!!!
Topic: Eye Care
The Mercury News reported earlier today that California opthamologist have asked for an investigation into the practices of a Veteran's Administration hospital where 23 glaucoma patients had an unreasonable loss of vision.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 8:26 AM EDT
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Friday, 6 August 2010

Hi-Fashion Eyewear Highway Danger?
Topic: Optical
In the reader's comment secion in reaction to an article about the new highway safety regulations, a "Dr. Howard" wrote the New York Times: "High fashion sunglasses and prescription glasses with wide temples interfere with the normal tracking by the eye to detect peripheral image movement. By impairing or restricting a your eyes ability to detect movement, you may be unable to detect and avoid side impacts, cross traffic at intersections, someone stepping off the curb at intersections or from between parked cars. Pedestrians can walk into undetected automobiles when crossing streets for the same reason....There are no Federal guidelines about eyeglass frame temple widths. California Department of Motor Vehicle Laws prohibit temples with 1/2 inch or wider being worn while driving." Read the good doctor's entire comment.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 6:10 AM EDT
Updated: Friday, 6 August 2010 6:11 AM EDT
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Livestrong Gets $5 Million from Oakley to Fight Cancer
Topic: Optical--Sort Of
Being new to blogging about optics, we missed a story several weeks ago. Apparently Oakley raised more than $5 million for Lance Armstrong's non-profit, cancer-fighting Livestrong. Oakley donates $20 to Livestrong with the sale of prescription frames or sunglasses from its Oakley Livestrong line.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 4:37 AM EDT
Updated: Friday, 6 August 2010 4:52 AM EDT
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Thursday, 5 August 2010

CL Prediction Comes True
Topic: Contact Lenses
MDLinx.com reported: "Scleral and corneal rigid lenses represented 100 per cent of the contact lens market immediately prior to the invention of soft lenses in the mid–1960s. In the United Kingdom today, rigid lenses comprise 2 per cent of all new lens fits. Low rates of rigid lens fitting are also apparent in 27 other countries which have recently been surveyed. Thus, the 1998 prediction of the author that rigid lenses –also referred to as 'rigid gas permeable' (RGP) lenses or 'gas permeable' lenses–would be obsolete by the year 2010 has essentially turned out to be correct."

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 10:20 PM EDT
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OAA Helps to Postpone ID-Theft Regs
Topic: Optical--Sort Of

At the request of members of Congress, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is delaying enforcement of the "Red Flags" Rule until December 31, 2010, for FTC regulated financial institutions/creditors, which includes companies that issue health insurance (even vision care insurance). The rule therefore could affect opticians. OAA is working to have opticians exempted from this rule as long as they employ fewer than 20 employees. This delay represents the second time the optical community has successfully postponed the enforcement of this rule.

The rule, stemming from the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, is aimed at developing regulations to address the risk of identity theft. The resulting rule requires all such entities that have "covered accounts" to develop and implement written identity theft prevention programs, also known as red flag programs.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 9:13 PM EDT
Updated: Friday, 6 August 2010 4:42 AM EDT
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Summit on Importance of Eye Care for Children's Education
Early this morning (so early it was almost yesterday), Vision Monday reported the American Optometric Association ( AOA), with support from Hoya Vision Care, will host a national conference called the “School Readiness Summit–Focus on Vision' in Washington, DC, on April 11-12, 2011. Read more.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 7:29 AM EDT
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Biking for Vision Care
Topic: Optical--Sort Of

Recently OptometryToday.com pictured Actress Camilla Power wearing a t-shirt promoting the Fight for Sight Eye Cycle. The shirt, which has an image of a healthy retina, "celebrates" Eye Cycle team, actor Lloyd Hutchison, jewellery designer Alex Monroe, and scientist John Greenwood. The three have "completed a gruelling Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle ride in aid of the eye research charity. Professor Greenwood is a researcher at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. All proceeds from the sale of the t-shirt will benefit fundraising for Fight for Sight." The t-shirt retails for about 10 pounds sterling or about $16 U.S.

Last year, FS gave more than $20 million in grants to some 3000 researchers.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 7:03 AM EDT
Updated: Thursday, 5 August 2010 7:14 AM EDT
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Where's My GPS? Oh, Yeah, I'm Wearing Them
Topic: Optical--Sort Of
Techland.com reports: "The Nakajima Laboratory at the University of Electro-Communications in Japan has developed a prototype pair of GPS-enabled glasses that use LED lights built into the frame to keep you moving in the right direction." Read more: http://techland.com/2010/08/03/wherein-japan-stuffs-a-gps-system-into-a-pair-of-eyeglasses/#ixzz0vjA0e2aM

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 6:49 AM EDT
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Giving Back for Vision Care
Topic: Eye Care
The company 141 Eyewear offers a unique pitch for its line of eyewear: Buy a pair and it will donate a pair to someone in need. And it creates a nice movie with a great musical overlay.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 6:43 AM EDT
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How Important Is Your CL Solution?
Topic: Contact Lenses
Will it become a story in a national newspaper? Then you and your CL solution are not up there (wherever there is) with the likes of Jessica Alba whose purchase of CL solution was considered a major news story by Britian's Daily Mail.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 6:03 AM EDT
Updated: Thursday, 5 August 2010 7:16 AM EDT
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New Approval Process for CLs by FDA
Topic: Contact Lenses

The Food and Drug Admiinistration (FDA) is changing the 510(k) approval proceses for medical devices, which includes contact lenses. In the past these products have cleared the FDA without the benefit of clinical trials, which critics say leads to unsafe devices. Producers say that the system works, so leave it alone.Read more...

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 5:55 AM EDT
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Woman Takes on Insurance Company and Saves Her Sight
Topic: Eye Care
"When Aetna denied her coverage for a surgery [implanted lenses] she and her doctor believed would correct her severe nearsightedness, the Jacksonville woman waged a 16-month fight to get the decision overturned. Along the way, she learned a couple of lessons." That's the story that the Florida Union-Times reported on its website this morning. Read the rest.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 5:47 AM EDT
Updated: Thursday, 5 August 2010 7:09 AM EDT
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Wednesday, 4 August 2010

Bill Nye The Science Guy Goes Optical
Topic: Eye Care
The blogger GeekDad from Wired.com offers this: "Bill Nye (of “the Science Guy” fame) has teamed up with VSP to teach us about eye health. In these VSP EyeFiles videos, he talks about various eye health myths and other information, all while sitting in a laboratory full of bubbling things, microscopes and other science paraphernalia." Read More http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/07/bill-nye-the-eye-health-guy/#ixzz0vdXdJmnt. It's worth watching. You might want to recommend the site to your customers.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 7:46 AM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, 4 August 2010 7:52 AM EDT
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Literacy = Quality Eye Care, and Philly's Eagles Promoting It
Topic: Eye Care
The website New Health Dialogue recently noted: "Eye care is one key to promoting literacy. Potts noted that schools may screen children -- but there’s no follow up, no way of making sure they can afford glasses. For instance, about 60 percent of kids in the Philadelphia area who were identified with vision problems through screening, were not receiving further eye care. Hard to read or learn math if you can’t see. (The Philadelphia Eagles took this on as a cause, providing eye care and glasses.) Often a suspected “learning disability” or 'behavioral problem' can have untreated medical roots and long-lasting consequences."

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 7:35 AM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, 4 August 2010 7:38 AM EDT
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Better Compliance, Better Vision
Topic: Contact Lenses
We missed mentioning this report because it was released a month before the blog recently started. Here it is from CIBA Vision: "A report published in the journal Optometry & Vision Science demonstrated that patients who replaced their silicone hydrogel (SH) contact lenses according to the manufacturer recommended replacement frequency (MRRF) experienced better comfort and vision at the end of the day than non-compliant patients.The analysis was part of a larger study sponsored by CIBA Vision, which was developed to investigate contact lens replacement schedule compliance."

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 6:53 AM EDT
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Tuesday, 3 August 2010

QB Wears Protective Eyewear to Practice
Topic: Safety Eyewear
"Peyton Manning showed up for Tuesday morning's practice wearing a dark visor under his facemask as protection for his irritated eyes," according to a story from the Victoria Advocate.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 9:44 PM EDT
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B&L Promotes Kids Vision Care and Contests
Topic: Contact Lenses

Just in time for back-to-school, Bausch + Lomb is teaming up with award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden to raise awareness of vision care with parents and kids. Studies reportedly show that kids with glasses sometimes choose not to wear them, which negatively affects their performance in school.

The company noted that the Contact Lenses in Pediatrics (CLIP) Study, conducted at Ohio State University College of Optometry, New England College of Optometry, and University of Houston College of Optometry, showed that 68 percent of children and 65 percent of teens reported improved performance in activities after wearing contact lenses.

The company also is running a contest, "Seeing Eye to Eye," which asks parents with kids between the ages of 10 and 19 to submit a story of 200 words or less along with a photo by Aug. 27. The grand prize winners will receive a $5,000 scholarship and the opportunity to attend the American Music Awards on Nov. 21. For details go to www.facebook.com/soflens. In addition the company is offering a back-to-school promotion for its SofLens disposables.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 9:42 PM EDT
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Funny Optical Commercial
Topic: Optical

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 8:55 AM EDT
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