The ICO, International Diabetes Federation, World Council of Optometry, and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness have released a joint Global Statement on Diabetes and Eye Health calling for urgent action from governments, medical associations, service providers, and patient organizations to:
You can support integrative care for diabetes and bring eye health to the frontline of diabetes care by circulating this statement to practitioners, policy leaders, and lawmakers in your region. Ensure that increasingly integrated and people-centered systems are put in place, so that all people with diabetes have access to vital sight-saving services.
The ICO, Cornea Society, and Global Alliance of Eye Bank Associations, encourage custodians (ophthalmologists, eye banks, ministries of health, clinical service providers, and non-governmental advocacy groups) to promote national sustainable self-sufficient practice and policy, in relation to quality and safety, procedure, procurement, processing, and equitable distribution of human Corneal Tissue (CT), through implementing ethical, affordable, and standardized legislation, policy, best practices and service.
The ICO position paper calls on societies and ophthalmologists around the world to support and advocate for the elimination of human suffering from errors related to eye surgery.
Consumer fireworks are widespread and available in many countries. Unfortunately, serious eye injuries related to use of consumer fireworks occur in countries where they are not banned. Even strict regulations on the purchase and use of fireworks do not prevent the high incidence of related eye injuries and the resulting visual impairment and blindness in some patients. The ICO endorses a global ban on consumer fireworks and encourages ICO Member Societies to advocate for legislation to ban consumer fireworks in their countries.
The quality of eye care training programs varies throughout the world. The reasons for this are many, but two important factors include the lack of national and international training standards and lack of external review of training program quality. Program accreditation is a process that requires standards of structure, process, achievement, self-assessment, and review by outside experts. The ICO believes that the process of accreditation for all levels of training programs (for example, training programs for residents, ophthalmic nurses, and ophthalmic allied health personnel) is essential to ensure the quality of training. Quality training programs ultimately result in professionals trained to give the best eye care.
The purpose of Continuing Medical Education (CME) is to keep physicians current in their practice as a lifelong learning commitment to their patients and society in general. CPD includes and extends the CME concept by embracing the necessary elements of “Good Medical Practice,” such as knowledge, skills and performance, safety and quality, communication, partnership and teamwork, and maintaining trust. The ICO recognizes and advocates for the necessity of CPD consistent with the good practices, as described in this position paper.
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