NEW YORK—“Telehealth & Eyecare: Challenge & Opportunity” will be explored in a two-hour symposium to be held at Vision Expo West. The event, which features five ODs involved in various aspects of telehealth in their practices and businesses, is slated for Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas. To register go to www.reviewob.com/future. The event is part of an ongoing series “The Future of Optometry” sponsored by Essilor and produced by Review of Optometric Business www.ReviewOB.com (ROB), a Jobson Optical Group publication and resource.

Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD, ROB’s professional editor, will present an overview of telehealth as it is being incorporated into medicine and wellness, and he will underscore opportunities and concerns for eyecare professionals. In addition, he will present findings from a recent telehealth survey conducted by Jobson Optical Research in which ODs revealed perceptions and concerns about telehealth. The survey findings also measure areas where telehealth is being incorporated into optometric services.

Larry Macapagal, OD, director of Optometry for Southern California Permanente Medical Group, will present a keynote talk on how telehealth is proactively utilized in a wide variety of ways within the Kaiser Permanente system. Under this initiative, patients are actively engaged with a number of telehealth tools that expand access to care and promote wellness.

A panel of ODs then will discuss opportunities and concerns with telehealth in their own practices. The panel includes: Linda Chous, OD, who practices at The Glasses Menagerie, a pediatric practice in Minneapolis, and who also serves as chief eyecare officer for UnitedHealthcare; David Geffen, OD, FAAO, who is director of Optometric and Refractive Services for Gordon Schanzlin New Vision Institute TLC, a co-managed surgically focused practice in San Diego; and Tim Petito, OD, FAAO, who practices at Petito Eyecare in St. Petersburg, Fla., and is also director of Professional Relations at Marco Ophthalmics.