Welcome to the glaucoma issue!

Compiled here are practical tips from a few of the articles that appear in this issue of Optometric Management.

Look for specific medical history if you suspect glaucoma

→ As part of a systematic approach to distinguish between a glaucoma diagnosis or a “masquerader,” Dr. Hamza Shah recommends a thorough review of a patient’s medical history. For example, patients who have previously had conditions such as hypotension, sleep apnea, Raynaud’s syndrome, and Flammer syndrome are at a higher risk for low-tension glaucoma. — Distinguish glaucoma from a masquerader, P.14

Try prism readers for moderate/binocular vision loss

→ If a glaucoma patient is interested in spectacles to compensate for vision loss, and their vision loss is moderate and binocular, prism readers can be a good option for them, writes Dr. Richard J. Shuldiner. The prism readers (plus lenses from 4.00 D to 8.00 D with base in prism) will still require the patient to hold material close to their face, which patients should be made aware of. — Low vision spectacles for glaucoma patients, P.24

Rely on sales data when purchasing frames

→ Pay attention to your optical’s sales data when deciding what frames to buy, writes Dr. Jessilin Quint. Once her optical had about 6 months of sales data (taken from a combination of the practice’s EHR and staff-conducted performance evaluations), it was able to analyze which frames were selling and which ones weren’t. “Having optical sales data combined with feedback from our opticians gave us the information we needed to start better managing our inventory,” Dr. Quint says. — Optimizing frame inventory, P.26

Look up potential hires on social media

→ Dr. Patricia Fulmer suggests after selecting the most promising applications for a job opening, that you look them up on social media to get a better idea of how they present themselves. “If you see behaviors or appearances you don’t like here, there’s a good chance you will see some of these trickle into the workplace,” she writes. — Research job interview candidates, P.32