Finalist
Save Sight Years (SSY) - A medical education programme developed by glaucoma specialists for glaucoma specialists
Summary of work
The Save Sight Years (SSY) programme was developed with Professor Anders Heijl as part of Allergan’s commitment to support ophthalmologists in caring for their patients.
Professor Heijl is a leading glaucoma specialist. He is chief ophthalmological adviser to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, and leads the group of experts producing a systematic literature review on the diagnosis and treatment of open-angle glaucoma for the Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care. Professor Heijl has authored over 200 scientific publications.
Based on Professor Heijl’s concept of saving sight years, the objective of the SSY programme was to communicate the importance of early glaucoma treatment for patient quality of life and to encourage best practice – more frequent monitoring, regular calculation of rate of progression and tailored treatment.
The SSY programme also aimed to highlight the patient’s perspective to physicians – the effect of glaucoma on their daily life and how reduced vision affects their activities – while encouraging changes to clinical practice. SSY brings together video patient case studies, lectures and workshops for local delivery by leading glaucoma specialists.
In 2011, more than 7000 general ophthalmologists across Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific were trained using the SSY programme.
Executive summary as submitted
Judges’ comments
"The Save Sight Years medical education programme was a targeted educational campaign with a clearly defined audience and objectives that delivered demonstrable change in attitudes when it came to lowering intraocular pressure."
