The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 and its Merit Based Incentive Payments System are here to stay for the foreseeable future and are likely to significantly impact reimbursement for ophthalmologists as part of a shift away from traditional fee for service medicine. In this changing landscape, eye care practitioners need to understand the basics of the system, such as reporting requirements, and begin to consider new models of care.
My classmate in medical school, Eric, only became a medical student because his father insisted. Eric wasn’t happy about this until he discovered he loved ophthalmology. He went on to perform brilliantly as a resident and built an extremely successful and fulfilling practice. Eric’s story is not unique.
Ophthalmologists must take an active role in preventing impaired colleagues from hurting patients, according to Terri Pickering, MD.
Research aiming to elucidate the underlying factors for oxidative damage to the trabecular meshwork in glaucoma has led to studies of alterations in gene expression that may ultimately guide the development of genetic therapy for glaucoma, said Carla J. Siegfried, MD, recipient of the 2018 Shaffer Prize for Innovative Glaucoma Research.
One laboratory is at work on new devices that use visual stimuli to prompt retinal ganglion cells to regenerate, while two other researchers describe techniques through which virtual reality might diagnose the disease more accurately than standard automated perimetry.
Research aiming to elucidate the underlying factors for oxidative damage to the trabecular meshwork in glaucoma has led to studies of alterations in gene expression that may ultimately guide the development of genetic therapy for glaucoma, said Carla J. Siegfried, MD, recipient of the 2018 Shaffer Prize for Innovative Glaucoma Research.
Mark Silverberg, MD, shares the results of a study published in JAAPOS that the correction of Amblyopia correction could lead to an increased reading speed and efficiency in school-aged kids.
I have an idea. The idea is based upon what seems to be an almost-universally accepted belief that before there should be widespread use of surgical or medical therapies to treat patients with diseases, those therapies should first be vetted in controlled clinical trials involving a limited sample of the afflicted population.
A review of glaucoma drugs in various clinical study phases reveals that at least seven new glaucoma drugs were in trials and two others were approved by the FDA in 2017. Many drugs that have progressed the most act on prostaglandin receptors, though some combine this with other mechanisms of action.
Ophthalmology Times is pleased to announce Melina I. Morkin, MD, and Pedram Hamrah, MD, FACS, of New England Eye Center/Tufts Medical Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, as the third-place winner of the 2017 Resident Writer’s Award Program, sponsored by Allergan. Their entry is featured here.
Blogger Donna Suter draws from personal experience and provides four tips on maintaining the needs of your practice in an evolving business climate.
The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery’s (ASCRS) Executive Committee announced that Stephen H. “Steve” Speares will serve as the society’s next executive director, according to a prepared statement.
Dr. Mali discusses how the Quarterly Questions program assesses fundamental (“walking around”) knowledge needed in the everyday practice of ophthalmology (40 questions annually), as well as the application of information from five journal articles (10 questions annually).
The Intelligent Research in Sight (IRIS) Registry-a comprehensive eye disease registry developed by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)-has far surpassed early estimates for physician participation, according to William L. Rich III, MD, FACS.
Tomographic imaging gives surgeons a fuller view of the eye, making it easier to detect early signs of keratoconus.
A micro-interventional device that uses a nitinol filament can dissect any grade cataract without causing capsular stress.
One approach that is sometimes recommended to give honest feedback is to deliver it between two positive comments. This is known as the “compliment sandwich.” While some advocates of this approach still assert its value, it is largely out of favor and is often ridiculed.
Customized corneal crosslinking for keratoconus focuses the treatment on the weak area of the cornea.
In a study with 10 patients, persistent infectious keratitis was successfully treated with CXL and riboflavin.
When considering the Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis as the evidence-based procedure of choice for managing cornea graft failure, superior visual outcomes must be weighed against greater risk of sight-threatening complications.
Clinicians evaluated the refractive, pachymetric, topometric, and visual rehabilitation changes with the Athens Protocol applied in patients with keratoconus. Joanna Kontari, MD, highlights some of the research findings and implications.
Ophthalmology Times is pleased to announce Igor I. Bussel, MD, MS, MHA, and Deepinder K. Dhaliwal, MD (faculty sponsor), of the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh/UPMC Eye Center, Pittsburgh, as the second-place winner of the 2017 Resident Writer’s Award Program, sponsored by Allergan. Their entry is featured here.
Dr. Francesco Oddone, Head of the Glaucoma Research Unit at Bietti Foundation, Rome, speaks about the most interesting features of COMPASS, the unique automatic perimeter combined with a scanning ophthalmoscope, able to provide retinal threshold sensitivity as well as confocal images of the retina.
David Lin, MD, Medical Director Pacific Laser Eye Centre in Vancouver, Canada, shares his experiences with SCHWIND SmartSurfACE treatment and how this procedure completely transformed the way of the clinic performing laser surgery.
Prof. Michael Knorz, Founder & CEO, FreeVis LASIK Group, Germany, tells the reasons why he bought a new SCHWIND AMARIS laser system in 2017.
.png "Optometry Times"){kind=logo}
