By Dr. Lawrence Jones II

Father’s Day as part of Men’s Health (June) month, is a great reminder to tell the man in your life to go get those eyes checked.

The eye is a doorway to our health evaluation. An optometrist or an ophthalmologist can look into a person’s eye with an ophthalmoscope and the latest medical equipment to view the back of the eyes and detect veins, arteries, and nerves.

Either doctor can tell if a person has diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), glaucoma, cataracts, and other vision impairments that can lead to blindness. Finding a good doctor that you feel comfortable with is very important.

Optometrists and ophthalmologists often mention that catching and diagnosing certain eye conditions can lead to more favorable outcomes.

People who typically wear prescription glasses often have their eyes examined more than people who do not wear prescription glasses. Having eyes checked annually is not necessarily a goal for people with no prescription eyewear.

Unfortunately, later in life, the majority of people over 60 years old realize that their eye muscles have begun to weaken, and prescription eyeglasse

s are inevitable. I know that this may sound very simplistic; however, getting in the habit of having regular eye checkups and exams starting at least by the time person brings in their 40’s can provide significant benefit and health literacy in our eyes.

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor (physician)that trained in surgical sight and medical care. Ophthalmologists provide vision services, eye exams, entails correcting cataracts surgically and plastic surgery on eyelids. An optometrist, a doctor of optometry, provides vision services, eye exams, and eyeglass fitting.

Several commercial eyeglass chains provide an eye exam. I would encourage everyone who can take advantage of those eye examinations to do so sooner than later. The exam may catch something you were unaware of, such as having any of the illnesses or conditions that may be silent.

If you’re in that job or profession that requires spending a lot of time driving or in front of a computer screen, it would be good to get an eye exam and the right glasses fitted for you.

On a historical note, in 1838, David K. McDonogh, a 19-year-old slave from New Orleans, enrolled in the College of Physicians and Surgeons (later Columbia University Medical School). Dr. David McDonogh lived to 72 years of age and died in 1893. The McDonough Memorial Hospital opened on West 41st Street in New York City in 1898. Dr. McDonogh was the first African-American eye specialist.

References:

Irisvision(2022). A List of Best Eye Care Tips for Men .A List of Best Eye Care Tips for Men | IrisVision

Jones, A (October 15, 2020).Influential Black Ophthalmologists :A series of firsts: we explore the Black figures who shaped the field. Influential Black Ophthalmologists (theophthalmologist.com)

Koplin, R.S. (October 6, 2016). America’s First African-American Eye Specialist: David K. McDonogh, MD. America’s First African-American Eye Specialist: David K. McDonogh, MD – American Academy of Ophthalmology (aao.org)

Maryland Vision Institute (June 2022). Glaucoma Treatment | Glaucoma Specialist | Glaucoma Surgeon | Ophthalmologist | Prince Frederick MD | Annapolis MD (marylandvisioninstitute.com)

Maryland Vision Institute (June 2022).Cataract Surgery | Cataract Surgeon | Premium Cataract Lens | ORA | LenSx | IOL | Ophthalmologist | Eye Doctor | Hagerstown MD | Frederick MD | Hancock MD (marylandvisioninstitute.com)

Seltman, W. (October 27, 2020). Eye Doctors: Optometrists and Ophthalmologists. Eye Doctors: Optometrist vs Ophthalmologist vs Optician (webmd.com)

Tags: Health Care Communication

By Lawrence Jones, Ph.D.

Walmart (October 11, 2022) announces the Walmart Healthcare Research Institute SM (WHRI) launch. The institute aims to increase community access to healthcare research believed to be higher quality and more equitable. Dr. John Wigneswaran, Walmart’s Chief Medical Officer, expresses that Walmart is aware that customers are interested in participating in healthcare research. The aim is to also provide access to medical research by raising patient trust and engagement in their care.

Pifer (October 12, 2022) reports that the Company Walmart aims to improve diversity in clinical trials. The Company expresses that focusing on interventions and medications may help to make an impact in underrepresented communities. In addition, this newfound venture may become a valuable revenue stream for Walmart. Pifer adds that “according to Food and Drug Administration data, in 2020, 75% of trial participants were White, 11% were Hispanic, 8% were Black, and 6% were Asian.”

Also (Pifer,2022) adds that the FDA has said that improving diversity in clinical trials is a priority for the agency “since 20% of drugs respond differently across ethnic groups.” Unfortunately, many clinical trials generally do not represent the population at large. Diversity is essential to understand how efficiently new drugs work in various groups of people. The Walmart Healthcare Research Institute will be part of Walmart Health & Wellness. Its initial focus will be on chronic conditions, such as diabetes.

Walmart Health & Wellness won’t be running actual trials. Still, they will primarily help identify patients who may benefit from clinical trials based on their chronic conditions. DeFeudis (October 11, 2022) mentions that the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Wigneswaran, says, “Four thousand of our 5,000 locations are in underserved areas.” Walmart Healthcare Research Institute has several partners, including CTI Clinical Trial & Consulting Services and Laina Enterprises. This Company develops management systems for decentralized trials.

Walmart hopes to accomplish education and awareness around chronic conditions and treatments. Walmart launched a digital tool MyHealthJourneySM that lets patients take control of their data through easy access to their eligible medical records online in one place. With MyHealthJourneySM, patients receive reminders for care services and research opportunities to help them keep their health on track. The Narrative Matters!

References:

DeFeudis, N. (October 11, 2022)(Walmart buys into pharma research, following in footsteps of CVS and Walgreens – Endpoints News (endpts.com)

Filipek, D. (October 17, 2022). Healthcare News of Note: The Walmart Healthcare Research Institute could bring more diversity to medical research. Healthcare News of Note: The Walmart Healthcare Research Institute could bring more diversity to medical research (hfma.org)

Pifer, R. (October 12, 2022). Walmart steps into clinical trials, joining rivals Walgreens, CVS. Walmart steps into clinical trials, joining rivals Walgreens, CVS | Healthcare Dive

Walmart. (October 11, 2022). Walmart's Healthcare Research Institute Launches With Mission To Improve Care for Underserved Communities Through Research. Walmart's Healthcare Research Institute Launches With Mission To Improve Care for Underserved Communities Through Research

Tags: Clinical Trials