Kongsberg Vision Meeting Abstracts 2025

Abstract

Kongsberg Vision Meeting 2025 was held for the 17^th time at the University of South-Eastern Norway in Kongsberg on October 20–21. The two-day event focused on clinical optometry and vision research, attracting more than 100 practicing optometrists, 60 final-year optometry students, and several commercial exhibitors, creating a dynamic arena for sharing knowledge and networking.

Keynote speakers included Jan Johannson (Karolinska Institute, Sweden), Hanne-Mari Schiøtz Thorud (University of South-Eastern Norway, Norway), Erik Roberstad (Interoptikk Holt, Norway), and Eike Wehling (University of Bergen, Norway). The program addressed vision problems following acquired brain damage, the expanding role and scope of optometrists in independent prescribing, and clinical approaches to headache management. A dedicated session showcased a decade of SNOW research on children’s vision in Norway. Practical skills and applied research were central, with workshops on neurorehabilitation, tear duct irrigation, and binocular vision in schoolchildren. Two panel discussions addressed the evolving role of Norwegian optometrists as independent prescribers, and the importance of using diagnostic drops in vision examination in children and adolescents.

The Scandinavian program was curated by Vibeke Sundling, Bente Monica Aakre, Rigmor C. Baraas, and Helle K. Falkenberg. Abstracts from invited and contributed talks are presented in the order they were given. The meeting reinforced the need for clinical innovation, evidence-based practice, and interdisciplinary collaboration to strengthen primary eye care services.