As summer approaches, the new term of the Finnish Association of Vision and Eyecare (Näe ry) has gotten off to a strong start, and we have a number of exciting projects on the table. Inspired by the example set by the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, I would like to highlight three priorities from my agenda that also play a central role in Näe ry’s action plan.
There has recently been considerable discussion in Finland about healthcare costs and how we can achieve more with fewer resources—particularly in the future, as an aging population increases the demand for services and places further pressure on costs. Simply put, we need to generate greater impact for every euro spent.
In eye care, we already have effective tools that simply need to be fully utilized. Eye care services should be more clearly integrated into primary healthcare in Finland, in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). Finnish optometry practices provide a broad, comprehensive, and easily accessible network of vision care services. Why is this not being utilized more effectively as part of primary care?
When basic services are easily accessible, they can be used at the right time. Early detection of changes in eye health improves treatment outcomes and reduces the need for more invasive interventions later on.
Secondly, the number of optometrists in Finland holding master’s degrees is growing, and I believe it would be both natural and justified for professionals with this level of education to be granted limited prescribing rights—similar to those granted to nurses.
After all, an optometrist is often the first point of contact when a person experiences vision or eye-related problems. It would be both logical and cost-effective for society if common eye infections, allergic eye conditions, and similar issues could be treated by an optometrist during the initial visit. At present, this is not possible, which, in my view, results in avoidable costs for the healthcare system.
As a third point, I would like to highlight the ongoing development of the NÄE Optometry Days concept to better serve the entire field. I encourage all professionals to share their expectations and ideas for the event. My goal is to develop the training days into—no more and no less than—an event that attracts the entire field and strengthens our sense of community; in other words, one that no one wants to miss.
With these thoughts in mind, let us look forward to a summer that is growing warmer day by day. Let us enjoy the sun and continue working together to make Finnish society even more effective. Have a great start to the summer!
Henri Vuorinen
The chair person of the board
Finnish Association of Vision and Eyecare
