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My RO
Topics
Everywhere you look, you see news about a dreary economy. You’re pinching every penny, and you’re trying to make ends that seem further and further away still meet. To top it off, your practice is showing some signs of age—faded paint, dingy lights, and, is that point-of-purchase (POP) display from the summer collection three years ago? You might think that now is not the best time to allot funds for an office redesign—and you’re right. Now is not the time for a full-scale, top-to-bottom overhaul of everything in your practice. Instead, set a budget and a list of priorities, and you’ll see your attitude—and your staff’s—brighten almost as much as your freshly painted walls.
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I know I’m in the minority when I tell other O.D.s that I like working at Wal-Mart. I’m not crazy. Hear me out. Previous articles in Review of Optometry have focused on optometrists who were in corporate optometry but yearned for private practice. I have nothing against private practice. I’m merely suggesting that optometry students and practitioners should question whether solo private practice is the best and only option for them. In other words, choose what’s right for you. For me, for now, that’s inside “the largest retailer in the world.”
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I will never forget the mother who used to get upset every time her son or daughter had an increase in myopic prescription. She always became tense during the refractive part of the examination. As I finished the refraction, she always wanted to know the findings. And, to her dismay, her son or daughter’s prescription usually increased. After a moment of silent anguish, accompanied with facial expressions of pain, she asked, “Is there anything you can do to stop the progression?” The answer, until very recently, was no.
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When it comes to ophthalmic lenses, it’s no surprise that you influence your patients’ decisions. The “power of the white coat” (even if you don’t actually wear one) is pretty pervasive in an optometric practice. But, there’s a proper way to use this influence—and a fine line between “recommending” and “selling” that can seem very blurry at times. Here’s how to make sure that you form the professional opinion that most benefits your patients and that you present lens options to them properly.
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During the last 30 years, optometrists have made great strides in understanding systemic disease. Optometry school coursework now emphasizes the importance of systemic correlations with ocular pathology. Early efforts in this realm were widely concentrated on hypertension and diabetes; however, the focus has since been expanded to cover a full range of systemic illness. Now, we offer a more comprehensive level of care and can interact with both general practitioners and specialists on our patients’ behalf. These interactions require that we not only communicate in terms that are understood by the medical specialist, but also clearly understand the information the specialist provides us. Most importantly, the benefit to our patients is much richer if there is open communication among specialists.
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Comanagement of patient care involves a multitude of issues best resolved prior to the delivery of care. The decision to comanage a patient’s care must be borne out of mutual respect and appreciation by each doctor of the other’s skill level and patient rapport. The joint decision/agreement by an optometrist and an ophthalmologist to share the care of patients must be clearly defined to avoid confusion and the loss of patient confidence in either doctor. Clinical, philosophical and ethical considerations will dictate the form of your comanagement agreement. The agreement between a patient and his/her optometrist requires full disclosure of clinical responsibilities, an expected timetable of necessary care and the consent of the patient.
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A 39-year-old white male, “H.L.,” presented to clinic with a known history of glaucoma. His chief complaint was intermittent, shooting pain in both eyes. These episodes only lasted one or two seconds and occurred approximately once every two weeks.
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Even in the absence of eye disease, our vision will worsen as we age.
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About one-fifth of children with sensorineural hearing loss also have ocular disorders , according to a report in the February issue of Archives of OtolaryngologyHead Neck Surgery .
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Optometry and the eye-care industry overall are faring better than most industries because patient demand is only partially affected by the economy.
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Comanagement involves numerous issues including clinical, philosophical and ethical decisions that should be considered and resolved prior to the delivery of care.
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I enrolled in optometry school because I enjoy working with people and want to help them see better.
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Comanagement, or shared care of a surgical patient, is a legal and ethical practice.
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Q: I have a patient whose dermatologist has prescribed a steroid cream for use on the face and eyelids.
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An 8-year-old Hispanic female presented for an ocular evaluation following referral from her pediatrician.
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Dont ask, dont tell is what fellow practitioners tell us when discussing how often they see ocular surface disease (OSD) in their glaucoma patients.
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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex, multifactorial disease with a poorly understood underlying etiology.
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Dry Eye Silicone Plug The Soft Plug Flow Control silicone plug, by Oasis Medical, is intended for partial occlusion with limited tear drainage.
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History A 45-year-old black female presented for a routine eye examination.
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A 34-year-old black female presented with symptoms of bilateral redness of seven days duration.
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