OPTICAL PRISM | IN FOCUS
Transforming Eye Health
Optometry director Naomi Barber discusses Specsavers approach to eye care
NAOMI BARBER ,
Director of Optometry at Specsavers Canada
Since qualifying as an optometrist in 2011 , Naomi Barber , Director of Optometry at Specsavers Canada , has subscribed to the philosophy that quality eye care should be simple , accessible , and convenient . As a forward-thinking optometrist , she ’ s been part of the team advocating for technology that empowers optometrists to provide patient-centric care and takes health outcomes to the next level .
Most recently , she ’ s been meeting with her peers to understand their perspective on clinical excellence . We had the opportunity to speak with Barber to learn more about her conversations and discuss advanced eye care , diagnostic technology , and what this all mean for Canadians .
What is Specsavers ’ approach
Q to eye care ?
Our approach is simple – we focus on effectively meeting the needs of our patients . Globally , we ’ re seeing that the pandemic , coupled with ageing populations , are leading to increasing demands on optometrists ' expertise and time . Patient experience and health outcomes depend on a variety of factors including cost , access to service , and diagnostic equipment availability .
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Our application of advanced technology aims to make quality optometry services more accessible and convenient . The result is patients who are more likely to engage in regular eye care and not just when they experience vision problems . This is important for preventative care which is what I ’ m thrilled we ’ re working towards .
How are you partnering
Q with optometrists in providing preventative healthcare ?
What inspires me is the clinical curiosity at Specsavers . This is rooted in the fact we are the world ’ s largest optometrist-led business . We revolve around how we can best support optometrists because it translates to higher standards of patient care . Optometrists in Canada hold qualifications that enable them to step into front line detection and referral with ease . We see this as an opportunity to advocate and drive a preventative approach to eye care here .
Why is it important to equip
Q your optometrists with the latest equipment and technology ?
For us , our commitment to clinical technology is beyond investment . It ’ s to ensure it benefits every patient and supports consistency and efficiency of care . We ’ ve measured the impact of introducing optical coherence tomography ( OCT ) as part of standard care for patients and can confirm it substantially increases optometrists ' ability to identify and monitor eye disease .
In Australia and New Zealand , we observed detection rates of glaucoma double , with most patients detected before their vision was severely impeded . OCT is enabling our optometrists to make confident clinical decisions on when to monitor and when to refer to ophthalmology . This is exciting for a condition that is under-diagnosed . It shows the value of equipping our optometrists with the right technology and making it openly accessible to all patients , which we aim to replicate in Canada .
What does transforming eye
Q health mean to Specsavers ?
We have an ultimate goal to transform eye health in a very real and measurable way . It means we must establish benchmarks for clinical care so we can chart our progress towards achieving better health outcomes . We take clinical excellence seriously , whether this is pioneering national public health initiatives or empowering independent optometrists to run their business effectively , it all matters to us . OP
16 OPTICAL PRISM | October 2021