EyeWorld Asia-Pacific June 2021 Issue

T he Alcon Experience Academy (AEA) was launched in 2018 as a way to provide ophthalmology training and educational resources to eyecare professionals who wish to advance their learn- ing. As a continuous profes- sional online learning plat- form with a variety of tools, videos, and modules, AEA aims to globally educate while providing high-qual- ity and easily accessible content from leaders in the field. AEA serves as a one- stop non-branded global portal for healthcare profes- sionals to collaborate and participate in discussions and training opportunities. With the difficulties of 2020, AEA has faced sever- al opportunities within the realm of virtual and online content. Thus, the Steering Panel for Alcon Training and Education (SPATE) has been a key force for devel- oping and improving quality content while identifying unmet educational needs for ophthalmology profes- sionals around the world. The SPATE panel aligns on educational activities within AEA by reviewing existing global content for regional relevance, driving relevant educational content devel- opment, and recommending optimal dissemination for- mats as well as participating as faculty members within educational settings, includ- Helping people see the future of ophthalmology learning brilliantly ing the AEA Digital Discus- sion Series. AEA currently offers a variety of learning tools such as its Digital Learning Series (short vid- eos and animations), Digital Discussion Series (60-minute live broadcasts, short pre- sentations, and Q&A ses- sions), and Podcast Series (engaging discussions with topic experts). In 2019 and 2020, SPATE, through its sub-committees, initiated the creation of 81 educational modules for AEA and promoted these modules as part of the Dig- ital Learning Series through social media. Additional- ly, with 37 original videos presented in English, SPATE increased reach by translat- ing these videos to seven other languages including Spanish, Chinese, Korean, “Improving Success with Toric IOLs” and “Ocular Surface - Getting Ready for Cataract Surgery.” These are now available on demand on the site. Finally, the AEA has partnered with Dr. Ben LaHood to create The Sec- ond Look Podcast series which are easily accessible on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRa- dio, and Stitcher. As virtual meetings and conferences have taken the front seat in terms of educational offer- ings the past year, webinar fatigue has become a con- cern and alternative ways of disseminating developed content are necessary. The Second Look has produced 10 episodes to date and engages with highly re- garded ophthalmologists from around the world by discussing hot topics within CH VIEWS REGISTRATIONS *AEA registrations and views in APAC including Japan and China Asia Pacific – Alcon Experience Academy Growth Japanese, and Russian. With the Digital Discussion Series, SPATE created a series of live broadcasts through the AEA website around topics addressing unmet educa- tional needs in respective re- gions. Twelve live broadcasts were made available for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. These broadcasts, which have become available globally, are delivered in an engaging manner involving members of SPATE. In the past, these live discussion sessions have been held in Singapore, Taipei, Surat, and Seoul with topics including “Multifocal IOLs - Patient Journey” and “Pathways to Patient Satisfaction with Topography-Guided LASIK.” In 2020, the discussion sessions were still broadcast globally but were fully virtual in nature. Topics included