EDM - Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Eye Deserve More?
A: Eye Deserve More is a multi-faceted national campaign to take a stand that every American deserves in-person comprehensive care from an AOA doctor of optometry as part of their eye health and overall health and wellbeing. Learn more about the campaign and see our results to date.
Q: What’s the point of the campaign?
A: Eye Deserve More helps people understand the critical role doctors of optometry play as a primary healthcare provider to keep our eyes and whole body healthy. Even those with perfect vision should see a doctor of optometry in person annually. Through comprehensive exams, we can detect 270+ serious health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases, and cancers and identify personalized prevention plans – something that cannot be done virtually or through an app.
Q: When does it begin/when did it begin?
A: The Eye Deserve More campaign officially launched in April of 2021. In 2022-2024, the campaign has focused on prioritizing eye health while gaming or on screens.
Q: How will Eye Deserve More evolve in 2024?
A: Launching in late January, the next phase of Eye Deserve More is reaching a population that spends extended hours on screens and may feel too busy to seek the care they deserve: those in the workplace.
The activation includes releasing a research report in partnership with Deloitte Economics on the costs of unmanaged screentime. The report will highlight the impact of unmanaged screentime and how scheduling an in-person comprehensive eye exam with an AOA doctor can prevent further costs to an individual’s healthcare, productivity and well-being.
Q: What are the key findings from the AOA & Deloitte report?
A: The report found that over 100 million working age Americans spend more than seven hours of their day in front of screens, resulting in an estimated $73 billion in health system, productivity, and wellbeing costs in 2023. Regular visits to an optometrist could potentially deliver up to $61 billion in benefits to individuals, government, and society per year from improved productivity and wellbeing.
Q: How can I get involved in the campaign?
A: There are several ways to get involved with the Eye Deserve More campaign, including:
- Eye Deserve More Toolkit : Use the toolkit located in the “Campaign resources” section of this page to access customizable creative materials to add to your 2024 public relations and communications efforts.
- Share on Social : Share campaign creative and information on eye health and vision care on your social channels! The AOA provides a monthly social media calendar with social posts, images and customizable content that coincides with AOA’s own activities. Be sure to also follow AOA on social media and engage with us!
- Doctor-Patient stories : Eye Deserve More is always looking for powerful stories from patients whose lives have been positively impacted by the expert eye health and vision care AOA doctors
- Optometry’s Meeting opportunities: Join the AOA and AOSA at Optometry’s Meeting and support Eye Deserve More onsite.
Blink Land
Q: What is Blink Land?
A: Blink Land is a single-player mobile game teaches people about eye health as it relates to screen time. After rolling a dice, hero character “Blink” will lead players around a game board, stopping along the way to play minigames, master trivia and learn tips and tricks to adopt healthy habits while playing video games. The game encourages players to use them while playing – all while being a fun and engaging way to learn about eye health.
Q: Why did AOA create Blink Land?
A: The American Optometric Association developed Blink Land to meet gamers where they are – within a game and educate them on healthy habits for their eyes. The game provides tangible actions to help people with their eye health and encourages in-person exams with an AOA doctor of optometry.
Q: Where is Blink Land available?
A: Blink Land is a free mobile app available for download in the Apple and Google Play app stores.