• DON’T AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH

Switching contact lens materials and solutions might buy contact lens wearers who have DED another few hours a day or a few years in their lenses, but, eventually, they will drop out as the disease continues to progress.
(Switching Mindsets, p.20)

• INQUIRE ABOUT PATIENT’S DESIRE TO QUIT

If the patient says he or she would like to quit smoking, ask the patient what he or she has tried, how long the patient was able to cease smoking and what led him or her to give up. Then reply in the affirmative to his or her efforts, and educate the patient on how, specifically, he or she could be successful.
(Help Patients Quit Smoking, p.24)

• KNOW YOUR ROLE IN FUCHS’ CORNEAL DYSTROPHY

In mild cases of FCD, we can manage symptoms by prescribing hypertonic ointment and solution (sodium chloride eye drops). In more advanced cases that have painful bullae, we can prescribe conservative topical NSAIDs and bandage contact lenses to manage pain until bullae resolve, However, as FCD progresses and vision is compromised, some form of corneal transplant and, thus, a referral, may be required. (Cornea, p.26)

• EDUCATE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF DILATED RETINAL EXAMS

The American Diabetes Association position statement on diabetic retinopathy includes the recommendation that all patients who have Type 1 diabetes undergo a dilated retinal exam within five years after the onset of diabetes, all Type 2 patients have one at the time of diagnosis, and pregnant women with diabetes undergo a dilated retinal examination in the first trimester and, subsequently, every trimester after.
(Retina, p.28)

• MONITOR THE BLEB

The postoperative complications of subconjunctival MIGS procedures are hypotony and the possible need for bleb needling. As such, we, as optometrists, must monitor the bleb, and refer the patient back to the surgeon if bleb needling is needed.
(Glaucoma, p.32)

• EMPHASIZE UNIQUE FEATURES

“Custom” is the key word when describing custom soft toric multifocal options to your presbyopic patients who have astigmatism. Let your patient know, “these lenses are customized for your specific cornea and visual demands. They usually require some fine-tuning during the fitting process.” This also will help set patients’ expectations.
(Contact Lens, p.34)

• TRAIN YOUR STAFF TO ADDRESS ONLINE EYE EXAM QUESTIONS

“Why can’t I get one of those online eye exams?”

A well-trained staff should be able to correctly answer this question: “An online refraction produces a spectacle prescription, but does not examine the health of your eyes, such as whether you have age-related macular degeneration. Dr.____ doesn’t want anything to get missed.”
(CEO Checklist, p.40)

• GIVE DIRECTION TO EMPLOYEES

Employees who perform best are the ones who know what is expected of them and have been trained to perform their responsibilities. Don’t leave the day to chance — give specific direction on what you want completed on a daily basis. Generally, what you ask for is what you get!
(Personnel, p.46)

• EVALUATE YOUR NEEDS

I really liked the idea of a scribe in theory, but in practice, it didn’t work for my office. What worked for me was to utilize my EHR and prepare staff. Scribes are a great addition for many, but you may just be your own best note taker.
(Merchandising, p.47) OM