ICO Notes:
Action Plan for Prevention of Visual Loss
Dear ICO Members and Friends,
As 2008 draws to a close, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your participation in and enthusiasm for International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) activities. We have done so much to move forward this year, including a very successful World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC) in Hong Kong, additional collaboration with supranational societies and members, efforts to increase the quality of and access to ophthalmic education, and even a new name (ICO) for our organization.
We are gaining momentum and I am proud to be associated with such a dedicated group. We will keep working toward the prevention of avoidable visual loss throughout the world. But before we look forward to the important plans of 2009, I would like to wish you and your family health, happiness and peace during December celebrations and in the New Year.
A few quick reminders and reports:
1. WHO Executive Board Meeting
This January, the Executive Board of the WHO will consider an action plan for the prevention of blindness and visual impairment. This document and its consideration is the next critical step in what has been a three-year effort to increase support for prevention of visual loss around the world.
The ICO is asking society leaders and members to support adoption of the action plan. We have sent a formal request to those of you in countries represented on the Executive Board to contact your representing Board member to urge them to support adoption of the plan.
The full text of the action plan is available on the ICO website: http://www.icoph.org/pdf/WHOActionPlan.pdf. I would appreciate any effort you can make to communicate the importance of this action plan to your WHO country representatives.
2. ICO Meetings at the 2008 AAO Annual Conference
November 8 was a productive day of meetings for the ICO at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, and I thank those of you who were able to attend. A full schedule of updates and discussions included meetings of the ICO Officers and Strategic Planning Committee, the Board and Advisory Committee, an informal meeting of ICO members, and an Industry Liaison meeting. The day was capped off with an informational meeting for industry on the 2010 WOC in Berlin.
A highlight of the day was a report and discussion on "Developing Regional Ophthalmic Training Centers" at the informal meeting of the leaders of ICO Member societies. A few of the leading experts on the development of regional training centers made brief presentations on their importance, as well as how to make them effective and self-sustaining.
The ICO reported on our support for regional training centers and we also had descriptions and discussion on other training centers. We hope this meeting will stimulate support for current centers and help to establish new centers. A full report is available in the December ICO Leader Letter: http://www.icoph.org/news/leader0812.html.
3. International Classification of Diseases-11 (ICD-11)
The WHO is in the process of developing the next iteration of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The effort is extremely complex and is expected to take multiple years. Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) are being created for major subsets of classification, including ophthalmology. The ICO has formed a multinational Task Force on ICD-11 co-chaired by Dr. Satoshi Kashii of Japan and Dr. August Colenbrander of the United States and is establishing a TAG.
The ICO is very focused on ensuring appropriate coding, as this is likely to affect both disease classification as well as diagnostic and therapeutic coding. It requires technical knowledge and coding skill and the committee is working to aggressively represent ophthalmology's interests.
4. 2009 ICO Dues: We Appreciate Your Payment
ICO Treasurer Yasuo Tano, MD recently sent a request for 2009 dues payments to ICO members via email. We are pleased that we can now accept credit card payments (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover) through the online payment form on our website: www.icoph.org/payment/payment.php.
We will also continue to accept payment by check or wire transfer. We hope that the option to pay by credit card will make the process quick and easy.
Along with the dues request, we sent highlights of ICO initiatives and activities - the ICO Update 2008. The update is also available on our website: http://www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOUpdate2008.pdf. Please read it and I encourage you to share it with your members and colleagues. ICO membership support has enabled us to become increasingly active in our efforts to raise the level of eye care worldwide.
We would appreciate payment by this year's deadline - January 15, 2009. Please contact mailto:treasurer@icoph.org if you did not receive the dues request, if you would like to update your society's contact information, or if you have any questions about the 2009 ICO dues.
With warm regards,
Bruce Spivey, MD, MS, MEd
President, International Council of Ophthalmology
945 Green Street
San Francisco, CA, 94133, USA
Fax: (1-415) 409-8403
bruce@spivey.org
www.icoph.org
