Events

NAEVR Joins Fellow Sponsors in Identifying Priorities for the IOM Study Board

IOM Study sponsor representatives at the open session included, left to right: Iris Rush (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology), Lois Schoenbrun (American Academy of Optometry, David Cockrell, O.D. (American Optometric Association), James Jorkasky (NAEVR), Brian Hofland, Ph.D. (Research to Prevent Blindness), Jeff Todd (Prevent Blindness), Rebecca Hyder (American Academy of Ophthalmology), Mary Frances Cotch, Ph.D. (National Eye Institute), and Jinan Saaddine, M.D., M.P.H. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
IOM Study sponsor representatives at the open session included, left to right: Iris Rush (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology), Lois Schoenbrun (American Academy of Optometry, David Cockrell, O.D. (American Optometric Association), James Jorkasky (NAEVR), Brian Hofland, Ph.D. (Research to Prevent Blindness), Jeff Todd (Prevent Blindness), Rebecca Hyder (American Academy of Ophthalmology), Mary Frances Cotch, Ph.D. (National Eye Institute), and Jinan Saaddine, M.D., M.P.H. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

On May 19, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies held the first meeting of the advisory Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice for its study entitled Public Health Approaches to Reduce Vision Impairment and Promote Eye Health. During the open session, NAEVR joined fellow study sponsors, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Eye Institute (NEI), the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Academy of Optometry, the American Optometric Association, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Prevent Blindness and the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health, and Research to Prevent Blindness, in providing perspectives to the Board regarding the study’s Statement of Task, which includes:

  • Characterizing the Public Health Burden
  • Prevention and Care
  • Evidence-Based Health Promotion Interventions
  • Eye Health and Vision Loss as a Public Health Priority

In its comments, NAEVR acknowledged the weight that recommendations emerging from IOM studies hold with Congress. With respect to the current study, NAEVR stressed that:

  • It can bring legitimacy to vision community studies on the incidence and cost of vision disorders and define an endpoint that can drive federal policy and funding, for example, “What does this nation need to do to avoid the estimated $717 billion annual cost of vision disorders by year 2050.” (as developed by Prevent Blindness)

  • By defining public/private actions for early diagnosis and treatment-especially in at-risk populations-and identifying impediments to adoption of new diagnostics, therapies, and technologies, it can tie public health research to biomedical research and patient care.

  • It can develop a national roadmap with an identified, coordinated approach to saving sight and restoring vision.

The IOM Study advisory Board consists of the following members:

  • Chair: Steven Teutsch, M.D., M.P.H., (UCLA)
  • Sandra Block, O.D., M. Ed. (Illinois College of Optometry)
  • Anne Coleman, M.D., Ph.D. (Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA)
  • Kevin Frick, Ph.D. (The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School)
  • Karen Glanz, Ph.D., M.P.H. (University of Pennsylvania Perelman Medical School)
  • Lori Grover, O.D., Ph.D. (Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University)
  • Eve Higginbotham, M.D. (University of Pennsylvania Perelman Medical School)
  • Peter Jacobson, J.D., M.P.H. (University of Michigan)
  • Edwin Marshall, O.D., M.S., M.P.H. (Indiana University)
  • Christopher Maylahn, Dr.P.H., M.P.H. (New York State Department of Health)
  • Joyal Multheron, M.S., (Sagacity Group, LLC)
  • Sharon Terry, M.A. (Genetic Alliance)
  • Rohit Varma, M.D., M.P.H. (USC)
  • Heather Whitson, M.D., M.H.S. (Duke University)