College funding of NICER project enables development of new app to evaluate myopia risk

Research from the Northern Ireland Childhood Errors of Refraction (NICER) study on myopia - funded over 10 years by the College and Ulster University - has led to the creation of a new app for clinicians. The Predicting Myopia Onset and Progression Risk Indicator (PreMO) app supports clinicians with valuable insights and tools to:

• predict children at risk of short-sightedness
• monitor progression (with or without interventions to manage myopia)
• store clinical data
• generate patient-friendly reports
• support further research into myopia.

These reports serve as aids to facilitate conversations around myopia risk management, encourage lifestyle choices that minimise the risk of myopia and explain available treatments.

With childhood myopia on the rise, this collaborative effort will bring us one step closer to addressing the global myopia challenge. It’s a great example of how the College's research funding can lead to direct, practical benefits for our members and their patients.

The PreMO app is now available free for eye care clinicians.