I am honored for the opportunity to conduct the 64th Annual Meeting of the Ergophthalmological Society of Japan on December 10, 2022 at Kitasato University, Sagamihara Campus, and between Saturday, December 24, 2022 and Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at the Virtual Site on Demand. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the directors and members of the Ergophthalmological Society of Japan, and to the people of Kitasato University for giving me this precious opportunity.

　The Ergophthalmological Society of Japan has a long history and is a practical academic society that encompasses a wide range of fields, from eye-related disaster prevention and safety and health to ophthalmic medicine and improvement of the visual environment, and it is a forum where various participants related to these fields intersect. The purpose of the 64th conference is to create a collective knowledge of “Work Acceleration,” and the theme is “Work Accelerators.”

　In recent years, people have been advocating for reforms in the way they work to prevent overworking and to achieve a better work-life balance. However, many people still profess that they cannot reduce their workload. I imagine that there are many workplaces that operate with a small number of employees. In a questionnaire-based study conducted at a lecture for medical staff, many respondents said that the time for the medical staff to perform the eye examination was too short and psychologically demanding because of the small number of staff attending a large number of patients. Moreover, even under such challenging conditions, high accuracy, careful communication with patients, consensus building, and substantial paperwork are required, which can easily exhaust the body and mind, making it difficult to enjoy work, improve, and explore one's own way of working.

　Against this backdrop, technologies have evolved wonderfully, and in order to achieve further development during the COVID-19 pandemic, the keywords digital transformation (DX)*1, digital twin (DigitalTwin)*2 and Metaverse*3 have become trends in the society. Further, professionals are using these new technologies and have independently accumulated a vast amount of know-how over the years to quickly adapt their work to these changes.

　During this conference, I would like to cover many abstracts and technologies associated with the acceleration of work, and create a collective knowledge base with the participants. I believe that the acceleration of work with accuracy and care will not only improve the quality of vision care for patients but will also bring you greater relaxation and happiness by making your work more enjoyable, and provide an answer to the question: what is your own work? With this in mind, we have included the word “accelerator” in our theme. We have also expanded the interpretation of this theme to include areas related to ophthalmology and vision as “accelerators of collaboration”. “Acceleration of work” leads to “safety,” “productivity,” “development,” and “smooth communication.” I hope that this conference will serve as a catalyst for further awareness of “work acceleration.”

　A special lecture will be given by Dr. Katsunori Okajima (Professor, Faculty of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University) on the relationship between new technologies and work, and how they can be applied in the future. In the symposium, we are planning to hold lectures on the “acceleration” of surgeries, examinations, and communication, conducted by experts from the front lines of medicine.

　Further, this year's conference will be held in a so-called hybrid format, with a physical venue accommodating a limited number of attendees and a web venue to flexibly respond to the new coronavirus wave, as well as special web-only sessions. In the web venue, using the most advanced computer graphics technology, we will be able to create web content that will free you from the many restrictions of traditional conference attendance, allowing you to relax and watch what you want to see, on your own time.

　Finally, I would like to ask for your guidance and encouragement as we diligently prepare for this conference, to help make it a vessel of the collective wisdom of “Accelerating Work” and to better serve to you.

 

Sincerely,

 

​

Takushi Kawamorita, C.O., Ph.D.

Chairman

The 64th Annual Meeting of the Ergophthalmological Society of Japan

Kitasato University

 

 

*1 Digital Transformation (DX): The penetration of information technology to improve people's lives in all aspects.

*2 Digital Twin: A technology that reproduces a large amount of data collected from the real world on a computer like a twin.

*3 Metaverse: A three-dimensional virtual space built in a computer network that is different from the real world and its services.