Slowing the Increase in Myopia
Myopia is the Rodney Dangerfield* of vision conditions. Unlike glaucoma or macular degeneration, myopia isn’t ‘given respect’ because the majority of treatments don’t involve surgery. Most of the time, either eyeglasses or contact lenses do the trick. If a person is fed up with glasses or contact lenses, there’s vision correction surgery (e.g., LASIK). The […]
Low Vision & Depression
It is no secret that a greater number of people are experiencing low vision from conditions, such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts. While these conditions don’t lead to sudden vision loss, they do take their toll. In addition to reduction of mobility and difficulty with near work activities (e.g., reading) vision limiting conditions can […]
Corporate vs Independent Optometry
A great thing about optometry is that doctors have different career options. They can work in academia, at a corporate or privately owned practice as an employee, or as an independent practice owner. Since most optometrists work in some type of practice, this blog entry will focus on working as a corporate employee versus being […]
Stem Cell Secretions & Restoration of Sight
Studies are taking place around the world on the use of stem cells to treat many conditions and diseases. In particular, they are being studied as a treatment for restoring vision. Stem cells have the potential to protect the optic nerve from damage and slow vision loss, as well as possibly replace ocular tissue that […]
Calling Dr. Internet
The Internet is good for many things. From finding a movie that you can’t remember the title of to helping elementary school students do research for their reports, search engines put information at a person’s fingertips. The Internet can also help people understand more about certain health conditions, such as cancer or diabetes. People are […]
Make Sure Patients Choose You, Not An App
Smartphone apps are so cool. There’s an app for ICD9/10 codes. There’s an app for contact lens calculations. There’s an app that can turn your smartphone into an ophthalmoscope! There’s also an app that will allow people to have their eyes examined for refractive error. This is where apps stop looking so cool. While having […]
Rephrase the Jargon for Greater Comprehension
Recently, we were approached by a doctor at the 2016 American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) conference with a request to create a model that would explain the causes of dry eye, as well as how it is diagnosed and treated. You can learn more about the model here. Of course, the medical […]
The Good Ol’ Days Weren’t Always Good
“When I was starting out…” “Back then, we did things differently. For example…” “We didn’t have (insert tech device here) in the 19 (insert decade here) and we got the job done just fine.” Who hasn’t heard statements like those many times over the course of a lifetime? It’s enough to make you think that […]
Keep an Eye on the Business
Today, many doctors are experiencing practice consolidation as smaller practices merge with larger ones. Despite this trend, there are still many optometry practices with single owners and only one or two doctors on staff. For the private practice owner focused on growing and thriving in today’s competitive market, taking advantage of new ideas in medicine, […]
A Computer Doesn’t Give Out Lollipops
If you are an eye care professional, by now you have probably heard of Opternative.com, which offers a vision exam to correct refractive error via computer and smartphone. A person signs up, takes the exam and a doctor reviews the findings. Within 24 hours, the patient is notified that the prescription is available. He or […]