Telemedicine, Innovations in Ophthalmology, Inclusive Leadership Among Topics to Be Covered at AAO 2022

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) will be hosting its annual conference in Chicago, Illinois, from Friday, September 30 through Monday, October 3.

Sessions will be offered both in person and on demand, with live broadcasts also provided. The sessions will focus on various topics within the ophthalmology field, including addressing inclusivity in leadership, the future of telemedicine, and worldwide innovations.

The 4-day conference will also include sessions presenting new findings in glaucoma, cataract, and cornea research.

One highlight from the agenda is a symposium on new innovations in ophthalmology worldwide. The symposium, which will be in person, broadcasted live, and on demand, is cosponsored by the American Medical Association Ophthalmology Section Council. Speakers include James L. Madara, MD, and Grayson W. Armstrong, MD, who will talk about the future of medicine and optimizing telemedicine for eye care, respectively.

“We’ll also have cutting edge topics on retinal disease, and also [Lloyd B. Williams, MD, PhD, who] travels internationally, mostly to Africa, to deal with indigent and ophthalmic care in third-world countries,” symposium cochair Ravi D. Goel, MD, said in an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care^®. “So ‘Innovations in Ophthalmology From Around the World’ is a must-visit event.”

A symposium on inclusivity in leadership in the ophthalmology field, entitled “Inclusive Leadership: Enhancing Delivery of Patient Care,” will also take place at AAO. The session, which Goel is also cochairing, will include 6 speakers to talk about what inclusive leadership means and how to cultivate that leadership in private practices.

“Our session on inclusive leadership brings together leaders from health care systems, ophthalmology departments, and private practices who will hopefully give our colleagues tools so that they can help to promote more inclusive leadership across ophthalmology and across health care,” Goel said.

Sessions at AAO 2022 will also focus on innovations and updates in glaucoma care. A session titled “Elevating Glaucoma Research Through Diversity” will focus on the benefits of broadening workforce diversity to improve the scope of research and potentially contribute to new ideas to address equity issues in glaucoma care.

Insights on how to manage patients with cataracts will also get a spotlight at this conference, as the agenda includes symposia titled “Managing Pediatric Cataract Patients: The Whole Story” and “Ophthalmic Premier League: A Team Symposium on Managing Cataract Complications.” These sessions will cover the role that intraocular lenses, glaucoma, access to care, and devices have on cataract care in both the pediatric and general populations.

The opening session of the conference on Friday will feature a lecture from author Scott Turow and the closing session will come on Monday afternoon with historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. Goodwin will be talking about her book Leadership in Turbulent Times.