BUSINESS

  BEST OF ODs ON FACEBOOK

A CLINICAL AND COMPELLING RESOURCE

VISION LOSS, CODING AND TWO ENTERTAINING REQUESTS

ALAN GLAZIER, O.D.

I’M PARTICULARLY proud of the clinical posts on “ODs on Facebook,” as they’ve become a great resource. Vivid photos and videos of common and rare conditions are shared and discussed regularly. The best cases are easily searchable with the hashtag #TFT (“tales from the trenches”), which isolates the content to only clinical cases.

Another feature of “ODs on Facebook” is the ability to upload documents. Specifically, the group has accumulated quite a reference through the hundreds of forms and “how to” documents that members have uploaded through the years.

Along with all the clinical and practice management information, “ODs on Facebook” members share compelling, entertaining, funny, surprising, shocking and sometimes upsetting patient encounters. One of my favorite features of this is the “Top 10 Things Patients Do to Annoy Me” thread. Search it in the group, or join to share information on your own patient encounters.

Piggy-backing on this discussion of clinical posts, the sharing of documents and comical experiences, here’s a look at some recent popular threads.

A FLOATER AND BLINDNESS

One member of “ODs on Facebook” posted that a 79-year-old female patient presented to her practice saying she saw a floater that “looked like a turtle and then a bear” before losing vision in the top half of her left eye. This post received 85 likes and 13 comments.

A patient presenting with a retinal arterial macroaneurysm said she saw a floater that “looked like a turtle and then a bear.”

It turns out the patient had a retinal arterial macroaneurysm. Past history revealed hospitalization two weeks prior for a blood clot in one of her coronary arteries. Her O.D. referred her to a retinal specialist, who treated the patient with pneumatic retinopexy.

Another member of the Facebook group posted that a 60-year-old new patient arrived at his practice complaining of complete vision loss in his left eye while making himself dinner. It turns out he stopped taking his heart medications for six months, due to financial issues. This post recieved 80 likes and 39 comments.

ICD-10 SUPPORT

In an effort to ease the anxiety surrounding ICD-10 implementation, one member of “ODs on Facebook” uploaded the final version of an ICD-10 fee bill. This post received 185 likes and 50 comments.

ENTERTAINING ENCOUNTERS

One member of “ODs on Facebook” posted that a new patient presented without her glasses, had no recollection of her prescription and asked, “Has my vision changed since my last exam?”

The O.D.’s thoughts: “Ummm. I’m good, but I’m not that good.” This post received 162 likes and 31 comments.

Another member of the group posted that a retailer contacted him to ask him to call one of his patients and explain “what an add is,” as his patient ordered a progressive lens with AR, but is not presbyopic. The doctor’s reply: “I suggested that (the retailer) have one of their opticians call the patient.” This post received 81 likes and 29 comments. OM

DR. GLAZIER is founder of Shady Grove Eye and Vision Care, a five-doctor medical-model practice in the Rockville, Md. suburbs of Washington DC. He is an author, inventor, industry consultant and frequent lecturer on ocular disease and Internet marketing. He can be reached at aglazier@youreyesite.com. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @EyeInfo or PM him on Facebook.