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 has changed since our launch in 1986. Here are reflections from EB editorial advisory board member and 2020 EB Game Changer, Eric White, OD, of Complete Family Vision Care Optometry in San Diego, California:
“How wild that it is 40 years! There has been tremendous change in that time. Forty years ago, we hid frames in closed cabinets near the back of the office and only opened them to sell glasses. Now, our optical it is a proud part of our office that is widely shown and displayed. In most offices, the optical accounts for 60% of the revenue.
“Styles have changed as well. The designs of frames and lenses have made wearing glasses a statement instead of a curse (think black horned-rim glasses!), and now wearables are getting better; the launch of the Apple glasses next year will take it to a whole new level. Contact lenses have also changed from 40 years ago. We went from having annual replacement lenses to dailies becoming so popular.
“With technology and specialty lenses, we are able to help people we have never been able to help before. For example, myopia management is helping stop the progression of myopia with many options.
“I feel the biggest change came with the computer age: 40 years ago, most of us had paper scheduling and paper charts. Now the sky's the limit. My favorite is how the computer age has changed the way we practice. It is common now to have an OCT, Optomap, peripheral fields computers, autorefractors, axial length measurements, and corneal topographers. These devices truly have helped us to be better clinicians and doctors. The future with AI will only get better. It has been an exciting 40 years, but look out for the next 40!”