To celebrate our 40th year, Eyecare Business reached out to our board members and past #EBGameChangers for their thoughts on how eyewear and eye care have changed since our launch in 1986. Here are reflections from 2023 EB Game Changer, Jeffrey J. Walline, OD, PhD, dean of The Ohio State University College of Optometry:
“Over the last 4 decades, one of the most significant changes in eye care has been the emergence of evidence-based practice. In the 1980s, many clinical decisions were guided primarily by experience and tradition. Today, advances in vision science, clinical research, and outcomes assessment allow practitioners to make decisions based on a growing body of high-quality evidence. This has accelerated innovation in areas such as contact lenses, dry eye management, myopia control, ocular imaging, and disease detection, and has enabled providers to deliver more personalized and effective care than ever before.
“Academia has played a critical role in this evolution by strengthening the connection between discovery and patient care. As a result, today's eyecare professionals have access to diagnostic tools, therapeutic options, and educational resources that were unimaginable 40 years ago. The pace of change continues to accelerate, creating exciting opportunities to improve vision, eye health, and quality of life for patients around the world.”