European Academy of Optometry and Optics

Web-Seminar
Wednesday, 13 November 2024
18:30 – 20:30 CET

Dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
The Fielmann Academy Ploen Castle has been synonymous with high-quality training and education in optics and optometry in Germany. With the Fielmann Academy Colloquia, we have established a tradition of scientific events that bring together specialists from different disciplines and promote interdisciplinary exchange, particularly between optometrists and ophthalmologists.
For the first time, this event will be held jointly with the European Academy of Optometry and Optics (EAOO) in English language. The EAOO aims to support and promote lifelong learning for optometrists, opticians, vision scientists and all those involved in eye care in Europe. Both organisations share the common goal of fostering international exchange on optometry and ophthalmology across professional boundaries. This conference covers one of the most pressing eye health problems of our time: Age related macular degeneration.
Top-notch presenters guarantee for cutting-edge information with high practical relevance. This promises to be an enlightening event that will bring your knowledge up to date.
The web seminar will take place online, allowing interactive participation through a Q&A session following the presentations. Participation is free of charge. If you have any questions in advance, please contact kolloquium@fielmann-akademie.com or admin@eaoo.info.

With best regards,
Prof. Dr. med. Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Hans-Juergen Grein , Head of Science Fielmann Academy Ploen Castle/University of Applied Sciences Luebeck
Rupal Lovell-Patel, B.Sc., President-Elect, EAOO

Update AMD
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of visual impairment in people over the age of 65. In view of demographic trends and increasing life expectancy, the care of this growing patient group represents one of the greatest challenges for all professions involved in eye care. The pathophysiology of AMD is complex and influenced by numerous factors. Research results show that genetic predispositions, oxidative damage and inflammatory processes play a decisive role in the development and progression of the disease.
A deeper understanding of these mechanisms is essential for the development of more effective therapies. The diagnosis of AMD has made considerable progress with the application of advanced imaging technologies.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables detailed visualisation of retinal structures and early detection of the disease. The evaluation of image data using artificial intelligence is also becoming increasingly important, allowing for the identification of a wide range of different eye diseases. While effective therapies for wet AMD have been available for years, the focus is now also shifting to drug treatments for the dry form of AMD.
Despite the advances in treatment, the care of patients with impaired vision remains essential. Special aids and rehabilitation measures are crucial to improve the quality of life for those affected.

• What anatomical and physiological changes occur in AMD?
• How can AMD be detected early and reliably?
• What role does artificial intelligence play in AMD diagnostics?
• Which treatment options are currently available?
• What does up-to-date low-vision care look like for AMD patients?

We will discuss these and other questions in a wellfounded manner.

Presentation Programme

18:30 Welcome
Prof. Dr. med. Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Hans-Jürgen Grein, MD Head of Science at the Fielmann Academy Ploen Castle / Luebeck University of Applied Sciences, Germany; Medical Optics Division
Prof. Dr. Daniela Nosch, M.Sc. clin. Optom, Institute of Optometry, Olten University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland; Educational Committee of the EAOO
Rupal Lovell-Patel, BSc (Hons), Academic Lead for Vision Sciences at the University Central Lancashire, UK; President of EAOO

18:45 The Macular Breakdown – Pathophysiology and Management of AMD
Prof. Dr. Marcel N. Menke, Chief Scientific Advisor, ocumeda AG, Riedt bei Erlen, Switzerland; Chief Physician and Clinic Director, Eye Clinic Cantonal Hospital Aarau, Switzerland

19:15 Diagnosing AMD – Can AI do the job?
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ursula Schmidt-Erfurth, MD Head of Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry; Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Director of OPTIMA Ophthalmic Image Analysis Laboratory

19:45 Effective Strategies for Safely Managing Patients with AMD – current approaches in Low Vision
Frank Wersich, Master Optician and Optometrist (HWK); Managing Director of Schrodin & Wersich Optik GmbH, Baden Baden, Germany

20:15 Concluding Discussion

Speakers:
Prof. Dr. med. Marcel N. Menke

Marcel Menke completed his medical studies at the Universities of Münster and Vienna, where he also received his doctorate in 2003. He then spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow in the Medical Retina Research Fellowship at the Schepens Retina Associates Foundation, Harvard Medical School, Boston. He trained as a specialist in ophthalmology at the University Hospital Leipzig and the University Hospital Zurich, where he passed his specialist examination in In 2012, he obtained the specialist title of ophthalmic surgery FMH. He gained experience as a senior consultant at the University Hospitals of Zurich and Bern. In Bern, he habilitated in ophthalmology and has held a titular professorship there since 2016. In 2014, he moved to the Cantonal Hospital of Arau as Head of Vitreoretinal Surgery, where he was appointed Chief Physician of the Eye Clinic in 2018. His clinical focus is on retina/vitreoretinal surgery, uveitis/ inflammatory eye diseases and cataract surgery. As Chief Scientific Advisor & Co-Founder of the company cumeda Riedt near Erlen TG, Switzerland, he is familiar with cooperative screening concepts in the collaboration between optometrists and ophthalmologists.

Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Ursula Schmidt-Erfurth

Ursula Schmidt-Erfurth is Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University Eye Hospital, Vienna, Austria, one of the largest academic institutions in ophthalmology in Europe. She completed her medical training at the Ludwig Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany, and began a career as a research fellow at Harvard Medical School, Boston, where she pioneered in the development of photodynamic therapy. Professor Schmidt-Erfurth’s clinical activities include both surgical and medical retina. Her scientific research focuses on the development of novel diagnostic techniques, e.g., retinal imaging and novel treatment strategies such as intravitreal phar￾macotherapy. She has founded the Vienna Study Center (VSC), which serves as the principal investigator site for multi-center clinical trials, and the Vienna Reading Center (VRC), an institution for digital retinal imaging performing image analysis for clinical trials connected with over 400 clinical centers worldwide. In 2013, she founded the OPTIMA project, an interdisciplinary laboratory including computer scientists, physicists and retina experts introducing artificial intelligence into ophthalmic image analysis. She is an editor for several international
ophthalmology journals and also a member of important international societies for retina research and has received a number of scientific awards for her research work.

Frank Wersich, Master Optician, Optometrist (HWK)

Frank Wersich is the managing director of three optical stores in Baden-Baden with a dedicated Low Vision department. He is a certified master optician and optometrist. Additionally, he serves as a member of the examination board of the German Central Association of Opticians and Optometrists (ZVA) and as a specialist lecturer for Low Vision training at the Scientific Association of Opticians and Optometrists (WVAO). For over ten years, he has also been a certified Low Vision consultant. In addition to publishing articles in the field of
Low Vision, he works as an in-house coach for optometric specialization and Low Vision concepts.

Registration
Participation in the web seminar is free of charge. After registering, you will receive an e-mail with the access data for the web seminar. You can use this link to access the virtual conference room (via Zoom) on 13 November 2024, from approx. 18:20 CET. CPD points have been applied for at the GOC.

Online registration (please click)

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