BCOVS 2026 Highlights Myopia Risk Models, Hydroxychloroquine Data and Care Home Glaucoma Monitoring

The British Congress of Optometry and Vision Science (14–15 September, Cardiff University) gathered over 120 professionals to present research insights. Hannah Noor reported that combining parental myopia status with polygenic risk scores offers the most informative myopia prediction, though absolute performance remains modest. Turki Almaslokh presented data on hydroxychloroquine users in Wales, noting a majority are female, aged 40–70, and located in deprived areas; while retinopathy prevalence is under 1%, half have other eye conditions requiring multidisciplinary monitoring. Dr Peter Jones outlined a three-year project led by Shreena Patel exploring feasible glaucoma monitoring in care homes, addressing challenges such as high non-attendance rates and £250 per appointment costs for hospital-based services.