Clinical Pearls

Compliance With Medical Treatment

The more doctors explain to patients about why they need a particular medication, the more likely patients will be compliant. Patients are far less compliant when doctors don't explain why they should take a certain medicine and how the medicine works. Compliance is probably linearly proportional to the patient's understanding of how a medicine works and what can happen if they don't take it as prescribed.

— Kerry K. Assil, MD, Assil Eye Institute, Santa Monica, CA.

Assessment of Systemic Medications

As part of the patient assessment, be sure to ask for the patient's systemic medications. Does the patient keep a list of multiple medications? Does he or she understand why a drug was prescribed? When was the drug started? What are recent changes? Who prescribed the medication? Who's monitoring the patient's various drugs — oncologist, internist, family physician, other allied physicians or multiple practitioners? This is important for assessing the patient's health, level of compliance with medical therapy and possible visual needs for reading the drug labels.

— David W. Hansen, OD, FAAO (DipCL)

American Optometric Association

Optometry's Meeting
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Course #1004 3 pm – 5 pm

Redefining Quality of Vision: New
Technologies Influencing Vision Care
Lecturers: T. Kislan, OD
P. Karpecki, OD
W. Trattler, MD
T. Varnell, OD
Reception to follow: 5:00 – 6:30 pm
(Event is free to course attendees.)

Free Courses in the new Complete
Refractive Solution Theater
Thursday, June 25, 2009 Course #T133 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Challenging Cases in
Presbyopic IOL Surgery Lecturers: M. Bloomenstein, OD
D. Geffen, OD
J. Owen, OD, MBA

Friday, June 26, 2009
Course #T236 10:30 am – 11:30 am

Keeping Your Patients and Practice
Current in Refractive Surgery
Lecturer: J. Owen, OD, MBA
Sponsored by: AMO and TLC

Course #T237 12 noon – 1 pm

Advancements in Dry Eye: Pre- and Post-
Surgical Management
Lecturer: S. Morris, OD

Course #T238 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Contacts in 2009: Cutting Through the
Confusion
Lecturers: B. Gaddie, OD
S. Schatz, OD

Course #T239 3 pm – 4 pm

Redefining Customized Laser Vision
Correction
Lecturer: A. Morganstern, OD
Sponsored by: AMO and TLC

Course #T240 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Laser Vision Correction Today: New
Femtosecond Applications
Lecturer: P. Karpecki, OD

Saturday, June 27, 2009
Course #T334 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

New Technologies in Cataract Surgery
Lecturers: M. Bloomenstein, OD
J. Owen, OD, MBA

The e-mail version of this newsletter is available at: lwwvisioncare.com/emails/amo/newsletter05/issue14