Happy New Year. Like most of you, I never imagined we would still be in the midst of the pandemic nor that there would be more than one variant. We, at Ophthalmic Professional, hope that the holidays were a time for you to recharge. You are to be commended for continuing to work under trying circumstances: In addition to the typical challenges we face during the course of the day, staff shortages in every department seems to have been the most stressful result of the past 20 months.

Starting off the New Year is Glaucoma Awareness Month. Many public service campaigns during the month of January remind us all of the importance of glaucoma care. You can do your part simply by asking your patients if their siblings or adult children have been checked for the disease. Family history and ethnicities are risk factors for the “Thief of Sight.” Asking a simple question may help save someone’s vision. Promotional materials for Glaucoma Awareness Month are available from both the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the National Eye Institute websites.

Glaucoma: From testing to patient compliance

Fittingly, the focus of this issue of OP is glaucoma. Our cover story, which begins on p. 8, explains how the doctors and staff of The Eye Centers of Racine and Kenosha communicate the importance of compliance to their patients. The article about minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) written by Xiongfei Liu, MD (see p.14) bridges the gap between the education provided by the practice prior to the surgery and the postop care.

Our coverage of glaucoma would not be complete without articles on prescription drops and visual field testing. Amanda Waggoner, COMT, provides tips for making the automated test more efficient without sacrificing reliability (see p. 20). And Dr. Christine Larsen breaks down the therapeutic options and how the techs at Minnesota Eye Consultants explain the differences to their patients (see p.24).

As always, we value your suggestions and comments. One thing I have heard from several of our readers is they share their issues with newer technicians to provide them with a better understanding of eye care. So, please think about sharing; in fact, you can encourage your co-workers to get their own subscription to OP at bit.ly/OPsubscription .

We wish you all a happy and healthy 2022! OP