The World Council of Optometry (WCO) and Alcon Dry Eye Wheel, a practical tool that helps with the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease, is now available in French. Created by Professors Jennifer Craig, Lyndon Jones, and James Wolffsohn, the wheel is an easy-to-use, interactive mechanism that brings together the three pillars of dry eye mitigation, measurement, and management.

It is now accessible to the French-speaking optometry community at no cost via the WCO website at https://dryeye.worldcouncilofoptometry.info/interactive-dry-eye-wheel/. Translation was provided in collaboration with Association des Optométristes de France (AOF).

This launch supports World Optometry Week (March 17 – 23) and this year’s theme of “Eyes to the Future: Optometry Improving Global Wellness.”

WCO and Alcon developed the joint education initiative to raise optometrists’ understanding of dry eye and provide resources on practical management. Dry eye disease is a chronic, painful condition impacting about 1.4 billion people worldwide.¹  Increased reports of dry eye align with notable factors such as increasing use of technology, environmental triggers, and an aging population.²  

As noted in the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society Dry Eye Workshop Epidemiology Report II (TFOS DEWS II), one study in France reported a relatively high prevalence of symptomatic dry eye at 39.2%, indicating a higher prevalence of dry eye compared to many other regions studied.³  A study also cited in the TFOS DEWS II shows that one in four Canadians reportedly suffer from symptoms of dry eye.⁴  A meta-analysis conducted in 2020 shows the prevalence of dry eye disease in Africa, another part of the world with multiple French speaking countries, to be as high as 42%.⁵ 

“As one of the top five most widely spoken languages in the world including in Quebec, France, and several countries in Africa, we’re proud to now offer this free and easily accessible tool in French to eye care practitioners,” said Dr. Sandra S. Block, O.D., M.Ed., MPH, FAAO, FCOVD, president of the World Council of Optometry. “Dry eye disease is a global epidemic that impacts people of all ages and backgrounds. WCO extends a special thanks to Alcon for its ongoing support of this initiative as we continue our mission of educating the optometry community about this disease.”

The tool is also available in English and Spanish.

To use the Dry Eye Wheel in French and discover other dry eye disease resources on the WCO website, visit: https://dryeye.worldcouncilofoptometry.info/interactive-dry-eye-wheel/

¹  MarketScope (2020) 2020 Dry Eye Products Market Report. A Global Analysis for 2019 to 2025. October 2020.

²  Stapleton F, Alves M, Bunya VY, Jalbert I, Lekhanont K et al. (2017) TFOS DEWS II Epidemiology Report. Ocul Surf 15 (3): 334-365.

³  Malet F, Le Goff M, Colin J, Schweitzer C, Delyfer MN, Korobelnik JF, et al. Dry eye disease in French elderly subjects: the Alienor Study. Acta Ophthalmol 2014;92(6):e429–e436.

⁴  Doughty MJ, Fonn D, Richter D, Simpson T, Caffery B, Gordon K. A patient questionnaire approach to estimating the prevalence of dry eye symptoms in patients presenting to optometric practices across Canada. Optom Vis Sci 1997;74:624–631.

⁵  Akowuah, P. K., & Kobia-Acquah, E. (2020). Prevalence of Dry Eye Disease in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry, 97(12), 1089–1098.

Click HERE for the press release.

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