Over the years, it has become a little easier for Ashley Tucker, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Diplomate, ABO, of Bellaire Family Eye Care in Houston, Texas, have conversations with her patients and her colleagues in eye care about myopia management. “When I started practicing 15 years ago, I rarely had the conversation about myopia in children. It just wasn’t really a big deal,” she reflects. “Now it is a massive topic. When I see a child, I almost expect them to be myopic.” This shift in perspective highlights the growing awareness of myopia as a public health issue.
Several programs that raise awareness on a national and international scale contribute to that. The World Council of Vision CooperVision Myopia Management Navigator program is one example. This collaboration focuses on the three pillars: mitigation, measurement and management. Dr. Tucker is a program ambassador, giving her another platform to address the growing concern of myopia among children and adolescents.
At Bellaire Family Eye Care, where Dr. Tucker is one of six optometrists, nearly half the patient population is children. “We’re a family practice, and we see a lot of kids,” she explains. “It’s just worked out that way.” This unique demographic allows her to play a crucial role in shaping the future of her young patients’ visual health.
NAVIGATOR AMBASSADOR
As an ambassador for the Navigator program, Dr. Tucker emphasizes the importance of providing practitioners with the tools and resources they need to effectively manage myopia. “The Navigator program is designed to help optometrists understand the complexities of myopia management and provide them with a structured approach to care,” she states. This initiative aims to equip practitioners with evidence-based strategies to address myopia, ensuring that they can offer the best possible care to their patients.
Additionally, that includes adapting to the changing conversations with patients. Parents are increasingly coming into her practice with knowledge about myopia management, making discussions easier. “Every year we get more and more parents asking about myopia management,” Dr. Tucker notes. “That makes it a whole lot easier when they have some sort of idea that there is something that can be done other than just single vision glasses or contacts.”
Dr. Tucker recognizes that many parents may not fully understand the implications of myopia, especially if they did not experience severe myopia themselves. But parents, whose young ones’ prescriptions in youth are already at the parents’ level understand that their child’s myopia progression is likely to surpass theirs. “Most parents want what is best for their kids.”
PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE
Certainly, her passion for working with children drives her commitment to myopia management. “I love having a child who comes in with blurry vision. When we put any sort of correction on their eyes, you see the smile on their face. That warms my heart,” Dr. Tucker shares. “What I really love is being able to say that I can manage this. I can protect this. I can really play a role in this child’s future.”
As a mother herself, Dr. Tucker feels a personal connection to her work. “Now that I have my own kids, it’s personal,” she says. “Their dad is a -4.0D; I am a -1D. So more than likely, they’re both going to become myopic. It’s a personal challenge to keep them as low as possible, and I can use them as an example for my other patients.”
Through her role as an ambassador for the Navigator program, Dr. Tucker is not only transforming her practice but also contributing to the broader conversation about myopia management. The program aims to create a global network of practitioners who are committed to addressing myopia and improving patient outcomes. “The Navigator program is about collaboration and sharing best practices,” she explains. “It’s about creating a community of practitioners who are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of their patients.”
She wants to help ensure that practitioners can access the knowledge and resources they need to manage this growing public health concern effectively. She is grateful for the increasing number of resources and platforms that can help.
LEARN MORE
Visit the Myopia Navigator program here.
