2004 MEETINGS | Currents Meetings - 2006

 2004 - CHINA

IACLE Intensive Training, Cina - May 2004

IACLE conducted an Intensive Educators Training Program at Donghua University in Shanghai from 10-14 May.  The program was organised and led by Sonja Cronjé, IACLE Director of Education and Qu Xiaomei, IACLE China Coordinator. We are very grateful to IACLE members John Hsiao (from Taiwan) and Pauline Cho (from Hong Kong) who kindly volunteered their time to assist with the meeting.

Nearly 40 hours of education were delivered, including lectures, hands-on workshops, discussion sessions, videos and knowledge evaluations. All lectures and workshop materials were provided in both English and Chinese, covering aspects of both soft and RGP contact lens fitting. Click here for the full meeting program.

As usual, the IACLE Sponsors were very supportive, and donated contact lenses and/or solutions to be used in the workshops.  Several industry representatives also participated in the program.

Feedback from the attendees indicates that this was an appropriate agenda, and that the topics were useful, relevant and well presented. The balance between basic and more advanced topics was also well received. Click here for the Meeting survey report.

A knowledge evaluation exercise was conducted both before and upon completion of the program, and the results indicate that the meeting had a positive impact on the CL knowledge level of the delegates in all categories.

The overall mean percentage score of the attendees also increased from 64% (before) to 81% (after). Click here for further meeting knowledge evaluation results.

  2004 - INDIA

IACLE Provided Continuing Education in India - March

An IACLE Special Symposium in Contact Lenses was held at Sri Sankardev Nethralaya supported by a special grant from B&L India. Forty practitioners attended the two day program held March 26-27, 2004. Dr. Magdalene Damaris (FIACLE) and IACLE Coordinator for India, Ms. Lakshmi Shinde delivered lectures in Spherical Contact Lens Fitting, Wear Modalities, Presbyopia and Practice Management among other topics. The product lectures were delivered by Mr. Neeraj Dabral, Professional Head of the sponsoring company, Bausch & Lomb. Hands-on sessions were also conducted on both days following didactic lectures. This is one of multiple programs IACLE will present in an ongoing continuing education emphasis sponsored by B&L for Indian contact lens practitioners over the coming year.

Funded through a special educational grant, the program titled "Advanced Contact Lens Education Program" has been presented in New Delhi (Rajendra Prasad Center for Ophthalmic Sciences), Guwahati (Sri Sankardev Nathralaya) and Mumbai (Lotus College of Optometry) in August.

Led by Lakshmi Shinde, Fellows of IACLE (FIACLEs), with assistance from IACLE Secretariat, developed and presented the most current information in contact lens education. The program includes such topics as SCL spherical and toric fitting, disposables, SCL complications and practice management.

  2004 - SOUTH KOREA

On March 13, 2004 an IACLE Korean Educator's Meeting was held at the Seoul Health College. IACLE educators and industry sponsors attended the meeting bringing the meeting participation to near 30 delegates. The meeting prompted enthusiasm in contact lens educators in Korea to work more actively to improve education and participate in IACLE projects. The following outcomes were reported following meeting discussions:

· More Student Trial Examinations would be held
· Increase the number of Industry (Product Information) Days at the schools
· All IACLE members will be encouraged to sit for the 2004 Accreditation Examination
· Bimonthly Korean newsletters would be initiated
· An internet discussion group for Korean IACLE members would be organized

Korean National Coordinator, Lakshmi Shinde also forged new relationships with key Ophthalmologists during her attendance to the Korean Ophthalmology Society Meeting on March 14, 2004 where she provided information about IACLE strategies, directions, and goals.

 2004 - EUROPE

The annual IACLE Europe Update meeting was held at the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) meeting in May where the open forum amongst industry representatives and members is used to set priorities and strategies for the region.

In February an educator meeting was held for our members from Spain at the Madrid School of Optometry. IACLE Country Representative Carme Seres worked with the IACLE Secretariat and other European members to develop and present the program covering such topics as "Extended Wear vs Refractive Surgery", "How to Teach Toric Contact Lens Fitting", "Keratoconus" and "Slit Lamp Biomicroscopy".

The meeting was presented in Spanish with all IACLE members in Spain and IACLE industry sponsors invited to attend. Results show:
· 68% Strongly Agree and 32% Agree that the lecture topics were relevant to teaching and clinical needs.
· 68% Strongly Agree and 32% Agree responded that the information was presented in a ways that was relevant and easy to understand.
· 53% Strongly Agree and 47% Agree that the information presented would be useful in teaching.
· 53% Strongly Agree and 47% Agree that the information presented will be useful in clinical application.

Feedback from the attendees was very encouraging: "It was an extremely interesting meeting, well organized, and useful. It should be repeated often." Thanks go out to Carmen Seres Reves, a Fellow of IACLE from Spain, who took the initiative to organize and lead the meeting.

At the 34th Congress of ECLSO in Hungary, Budapest, Judith Morris presented a lecture on Presbyopia in the scientific program and provided an overview of IACLE activities in the education program of the meeting. This was also the opportunity for Judith to meet with key regional industry representatives to discuss further plans for IACLE Europe.

Several FIACLEs and IACLE members (A Lopez-Alemany, JM Gonzalez- Meijome, J Gonzalez-Perez, C Saona Santos, J Gonzalez-Cavada and M Baertschi) were instrumental in the organisation of the 1 st International Conference of Optometry Meeting at the University of Minho in Portugal. With speakers from the UK, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal, the conference attracted 380 attendees.

  2004 - LATIN AMERICA

Two Latin American members (Guillermo Carrillo, Peru and Julio Torres, Mexico) were selected to attend the AOCLE Annual Meeting at SCCO in California. This was a great opportunity for them to be exposed to North American educators in order to exchange ideas and gain new knowledge.

On October 8, 2004 an IACLE Latin America Update was held in conjunction with the FEDOPTO Congress in Cartagena, Colombia. Percy Lazon and Vice President Desmond Fonn hosted the meeting for 31 educators and seven industry representatives. Attendees participated in an open forum discussion covering such topics as clinical experience for students, industry seminars and workshops, donation of lenses and contact lens care products to be used by the schools, as well as practitioner education and public awareness.

IACLE was well represented in the scientific program of the FEDOPTO congress, with FIACLEs presenting 12 lectures on a range of topics. Vice President Desmond Fonn presented the Key Note lecture titled: "Contact Lenses Now and in the Future".

  2004 - NORTH AMERICA

Previous Meeting Reports - 2003

India Special Symposium: Advance Contact Lens Education Program - August 2003

IACLE Philippines Industry Practitioner Program Program - March 2003

Previous Meeting Reports - 2001

Intensive Training Program In China - November 2001

IACLE India Educator Meeting - October 2001

Industry Meeting held at BCLA Meeting in Brighton, UK - May 2001

IACLE Educators and Industry Meetings held in Shanghai, China and Taipei, Taiwan - June 2001

Feedback from the Educators Meeting in New Delhi, India - April 2001

National Educators Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - April 2001

National Educators Meeting in New Delhi, India - April 2001

Egypt Trip Report - 2001

Continuing Education in Latin America - 2001

Previous Meeting Reports - 2000

Meeting of the European Educators - October 2000

World Congress 2000 The Report - PDF 1800KB