TIPS, TRENDS & NEWS YOU CAN USE

Lessons From the Practice: Never Assume

A 70-year-old female presented for a cataract evaluation six years ago with complaints of decreased vision at night and a desire to improve her vision.

Examination revealed visually significant cataracts and an otherwise healthy ocular structure. I educated the patient on her cataracts, the cataract surgery procedure and what to expect after her surgery. (Notice anything missing?) At follow-up after a successful surgery, the patient asked, “Why didn’t you discuss all the different IOL options that I could have considered for my surgery?”

It was a fair question, but not easy to answer. The truth is, I had assumed she would be happy with her glasses and a monofocal IOL implant.

The lesson. Technology in eye care is at an all-time high. This includes contact lenses, spectacle lenses, IOLs and diagnostic technology. It is our obligation as our patients’ eye care providers to have detailed discussions with them about these technologies and not make assumptions on whether a patient wants or can afford the technology. Patients appreciate it when they are given all the options, as it makes them part of the decision-making process. ■

-Justin Schweitzer, O.D., F.A.A.O., Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Dry Eye Experts to Meet With Congress

On July 11, a panel of dry eye disease (DED) experts will participate in a Congressional briefing to discuss the impact of the TFOS DEWS II Report and, therefore, the need for continued funding, according to the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) and the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR), co-hosts of the meeting.

Jennifer Craig, BSc (Hons) MSc, Ph.D. MCOptom, F.A.A.O. F.B.C.L.A. F.C.C.L.S.A., of TFOS, says DED is now described with an element of passion and a sense of hope for patients by clinicians, due, in part to the Report.

“We [AEVR] not only want to expand awareness of dry eye and its implications as a growing public health issue, but also to educate about NEI-funded research into dry eye, as just one example of the importance of Congress adequately funding the NEI specifically, as well as NIH generally,” says James Jorkasky, of the AEVR. ■

UV AWARENESS TIP: A VISIBLE COMPARISON

→ AS THIS MONTH is UV Safety Month, we asked “Optical” columnist Dave Ziegler, O.D., for a tip on how to best educate patients on the importance of UV protection, so they’ll understand the importance of sunwear.

Dr. Ziegler tells younger patients to compare the effects of UV on their skin to that of their grandparents, who typically didn’t wear sunscreen. “[I explain] those aging effects that are so clearly visible on the skin are occurring inside the eye too, causing changes like cataracts and pterygium,” he says. ■

Pro Athletes Promote Eye Care

Top tennis pro Venus Williams and former pro boxer Laila Ali have partnered with Alcon and Think About Your Eyes, respectively.

Specifically, Ms. Williams will discuss how Alcon’s newest lubricant OTC eye drop, Systane Complete (indicated as a first-line treatment option for evaporative, aqueous-deficient or mixed DED), has helped her achieve relief from her dry eye disease (DED).

Ms. Ali will encourage parents to take their kids for an annual comprehensive eye exam. ■

AOA Seeks Proposed Accreditation Changes

In light of a proposed O.D. program at Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn. (the fourth new school recently proposed in the same part of the southeastern United States) and low pass rates for the national licensing exams (NBEO and ASCO), the AOA is pushing for proposed changes to the profession’s recognized institutional accreditation requirements. The purpose: to help ensure all optometry schools are held to the same accreditation standards, so that future doctors have the same competence, according to an AOA press release.

For example, the proposed changes would include these additional outcome measures to assess an optometry school’s performance: Graduation rate, National Board of Examiners in Optometry passage rates for all first-time takers and career placement (i.e. proportion of graduates employed, enrolled in a residency or pursuing further education in optometry or a related field).

For the full proposed changes, accepted by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education, visit https://bit.ly/2suEp86 . ■

O.D. Notebook

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