Industry News
IMI Publishes Editorial to Standardise Myopia Terminology Globally
The International Myopia Institute (IMI) has released a pivotal consensus editorial aimed at bringing global consistency to the language used in the diagnosis and treatment of myopia. Titled “Myopia Correction, Myopia Control, and Myopia Management: Definitions and Recommended Usage,” the editorial is now openly accessible in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS) and marks the official prelude to the much-anticipated 2025 IMI White Paper series.
As the global prevalence of myopia continues to rise, affecting millions of individuals across all age groups, the need for clear and standardised terminology has never been greater. According to IMI, misunderstandings over terms like "correction," "control," and "management" have led to communication challenges across clinical practice, research, and regulatory efforts.
Key definitions from the editorial include:
- Myopia Correction refers to optical devices or interventions (e.g., spectacles, contact lenses, refractive surgery) that restore best-corrected visual acuity, without any intended impact on slowing myopia progression.
- Myopia Control is a more targeted approach involving interventions specifically designed to slow myopia progression and axial elongation. It often includes treatment efficacy monitoring and carries specific regulatory significance in many countries.
- Myopia Management denotes a comprehensive, evidence-based care model, including risk assessment, timely correction, lifestyle recommendations, myopia control interventions, and ongoing monitoring, to prevent or reduce progression and manage long-term complications throughout life.
“We consulted a broad range of stakeholders and carefully defined these terms to support clarity between conventional correction and active intervention. Myopia management requires clinically supervised plans that address each patient’s risk factors and long-term eye health,” said Prof. Ian Flitcroft, lead author and IMI member. “Myopia correction techniques and control interventions are essential pieces of the overarching goal to manage myopia, which is a holistic, evidence-based approach incorporating lifestyle recommendations, risk assessments, and lifelong care of emerging complications.”
IMI is urging eye care professionals, researchers, educators, regulators, and industry leaders to adopt these definitions across all areas of practice, from clinical guidelines and educational programs to product labelling and regulatory frameworks.
The full editorial is available for free via IOVS and on the IMI website at myopiainstitute.org. Readers are encouraged to review and integrate the definitions into their work to promote consistency and advance global efforts in myopia management.
