Get world-leading expert advice on dry eyes

Booking has opened for The World Council of Optometry (WCO) webinar on dry eye disease on 31 January.

Led by Professor James Wolffsohn (shown far right), with professors Jennifer Craig (left) and Lyndon Jones, it will explore the signs and symptoms of dry eye and how to confirm a diagnosis. The professors are set to share evidence-based, practical methods for adopting measurement techniques, available without spending extra on instruments. The event includes an interactive live chat. Register here.

Professor Wolffsohn, head of the school of optometry at Aston University, UK, said, “The main thing that I want viewers of this webinar to take away is how important it is to get involved in mitigating, measuring, and managing dry eye. Twenty to 30 percent of your patients likely suffer from dry eye. You can offer them so much relief and improve their quality of life by understanding what they’re experiencing, making a clear diagnosis, and delivering really simple treatment.”

The Dry Eye Spotlight 2: Measurement webinar will be independently presented in three time zones:

Tuesday 31 January

• 5pm GMT

• 5pm HKT/SST

• 6pm CET

• 6pm PST.

The first webinar in the series, on mitigation, is available here. Led by Professor Craig, head of the ocular surface laboratory at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, it focuses on understanding the prevalence and etiology of dry eye, associated risk factors, and how to triage patients presenting with symptoms. The website also features tools and resources based on the three main pillars of mitigation, measurement, and management that eye care professionals can use right away.

WCO and eye care specialists Alcon joined forces to develop dry eye disease education and deliver resources on practical management. About 1.4 billion people are affected by dry eye symptoms worldwide, due to factors such as increasing use of technology, environmental triggers, and an aging population. The education initiative brings together world-renowned experts to share the latest dry eye disease data and science with the entire optometric community.

The January 31 presentation will be available after the event at dryeye.worldcouncilofoptometry.info. Registration will open later for further webinars in the series.

• 7 March: management

• 9 May: dry eye wheel tool.