Each March, the American Optometric Association (AOA) and eye care practitioners around the world observe Save Your Vision Month. During this time, participating practitioners are encouraged to raise awareness for the importance of routine eye exams. This is also a great time to share what patients can do to maintain healthy vision throughout their life.

Helping patients save their vision and preventing unnecessary vision loss is an important part of Optos’ mission. Our mission began in the early 1990s when our founder Douglas Anderson’s then five-year-old son was diagnosed with blindness in one eye after a retinal detachment was detected far too late. Anderson’s son had been receiving regular exams, but he noticed these exams were especially uncomfortable for young children, making it nearly impossible for a practitioner to perform a thorough exam and be able to view the entire retina at once. Through this experience, Anderson set out to develop a retinal imaging product capable of producing an ultra-widefield (UWF) image of the retina that would comfortably accommodate patients of all ages and abilities.

Since the beginning Optos has introduced several UWF retinal imaging devices which incorporate our innovative optomap® technology and allows practitioners to see and …

In the past, we’ve shared a few strategies that can help a practice retain and attract new patients. As many practices take the earliest part of the year to make strategic growth plans, now’s the perfect time to start thinking about what you will do to show current patients you value their business.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology has some great suggestions for how you can attract the attention of current and potential patients. They include the following:

– Prove to patients and potential patients of your availability by making an effort to see new patients and referrals as soon as possible – preferably in the same week they contact you. – See your patients on time. If their appointment is scheduled for 10:30 am, do everything possible to ensure the appointment starts on time. When the appointment starts, break the ice by engaging in light conversation, but make sure you also leave plenty of room to address the patient’s questions and/or explain a diagnosis or new examination device. – Revamp your website so that it closely reflects your practice’s brochures and patient education materials. It should also provide sufficient information for individuals in the process of choosing an eye care …

A variety of health conditions can be detected through eye exams and ultra-widefield (UWF) retinal imaging. However, the results of a new study conducted by researchers at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta show that the earliest signs of autism may be detected by monitoring the eyes and watching for fixation  on certain objects.

As reported by Review of Optometry, researchers used equipment to track the movements of babies’ eyes as they watched videos of caregivers. These infants were followed from birth to age three and were divided into groups based on their likelihood of developing an autism spectrum disorder. Infants placed in the high-risk group were those with a sibling already diagnosed with autism, while the low-risk group included infants with no autistic siblings.

Researchers specifically took note of the amount of time each child “fixated on their caregiver’s eyes, mouth and body, as well as the non-human spaces in the images.” They found that by age three, most of the children placed in the high-risk group had received a clinical diagnosis. The eye-tracking data collected revealed that the infants later diagnosed with autism showed a “steady decline in how much they look at mom’s eyes,” lead author …

Everyone enjoys sunny days, especially those of us who have experienced a rather cold and snowy winter. Sunshine can boost our moods, and while most patients understand the importance of protecting their skin from the sun, as many as 94 percent of patients aren’t aware of the negative impact the sun’s UV rays can have on their eyes.

If the weather in your area is beginning to warm up, now’s the time to remind your patients about the ways sunlight can harm their eyes, especially if they don’t use proper protection. Whether during an exam or in your patient newsletters, below are some facts about the eyes and sun you should be sharing with your patients.

UV damage accumulates over time. In many instances, this damage is irreversible. The eyes are the only internal tissue that can be directly exposed to UV rays. Just because it’s cloudy doesn’t mean sunglasses aren’t necessary. According to an infographic shared by Essilor, 40 percent of UV exposure happens when you aren’t in full sunlight. Between 5 and 10 percent of skin cancer cases are found on the eyelids. Too much UV exposure can lead to a number of eye problems, such …

The 2014 World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC2014) will take place in Tokyo, Japan this year from April 2-6. Considered by 200,000 ophthalmologists around the world as THE event to attend, WOC2014 will feature world-renowned speakers and exhibitors showcasing the latest devices and technology in the ophthalmic industry.

As Optos is at the cutting edge of technology with our optomap® Ultra-widefield retinal imaging (UWF) devices, we are thrilled to be exhibiting and speaking at this event! We would like to invite everyone attending the event to stop by our booth, E-52, or attend our seminar to learn more about our technology. At our booth, we will be showing our 200Tx, Daytona, 200Dx, OCT, OptosChart ELITE and AP300 devices.

The seminar will offer insight into the importance of and growing role of UWF imaging in modern ophthalmology. Several international speakers will be sharing their experience and research using the latest UWF retinal imaging technology. This lunch seminar will take place on Friday, April 4 at 12:15 pm in room 24 at Imperial Hotel.

Make plans now to join us at WOC2014! We look forward to meeting you there and sharing more information on our optomap® UWF retinal imaging devices …

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have long been used by individuals looking to keep up with family and friends. But as we shared last year, these social sites can be a great tool for eye care practices as well. They can be used as a free marketing tool to share your expertise and demonstrate the customer service your practice is known for.  Pinterest is another social site that, according to Augustin L. Gonzalez, OD, can be used to market your practice in a unique way.

Dr. Gonzalez shared with Healio that because Pinterest is “primarily a visually driven medium,” eye care practices can use to their advantage in a number of ways. Some of his examples for ways Pinterest can be used to market a practice include the following:

– Show pictures of new frames and sunglasses, as well as new instruments and technologies you’ve brought into your practice. For instance, if you’ve recently purchased a Daytona® for your practice, post a picture of it and give your followers a short synopsis of what the device does. – Share testimonials, therapies your practice prescribes on a routine basis and patient success stories. – Showcase images of …

There are many medical conditions that require frequent and thorough exams. Patients with diabetes, for example, must be closely monitored by doctors to ensure they are using the proper amounts of insulin each day. However, as diabetics have an increased risk of developing eye diseases, it’s important to make sure your diabetic patients understand their risk and the need for routine eye exams.

Aside from the obvious risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, the American Optometric Association shares that diabetic patients face a risk that is 40 percent greater than those who do not have diabetes of developing glaucoma. They are 60 percent more likely of developing cataracts than individuals without diabetics. While diabetics may realize they face a greater risk of these conditions, what many aren’t aware of is that some signs and symptoms of these diseases are nearly invisible to them until the disease is in an advanced stage.

In order to catch diabetic eye diseases before they begin to cause irreparable damage, or prevent further damage from occurring, patients must understand the importance of comprehensive routine eye exams. Tina MacDonald, O.D. and Certified Diabetes Educator, says diabetic patients should have an exam at least once a …

Your patients are likely to understand the importance of adding certain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to their diets to help keep their bodies healthy. However, some may not realize the impact their diet has on the health of their eyes. But as All About Vision recently reported, the results of a new Swedish study revealed that adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet can help reduce the risk of cataracts in women.

The study, conducted by the Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institute, observed over 30,000 women above the age of 49 for almost seven years. They were specifically monitored for signs and symptoms of cataracts and were given a questionnaire so researchers could learn about their individual diets. Rather than singling out antioxidants like vitamins C and E and other nutrients like lycopene, researchers “used a measure of total antioxidant values in foods, which takes into account how nutrients work together.”

Researchers divided the women into five groups ranging from greatest antioxidant intake to least antioxidant intake. Women that took in the most antioxidants faced a risk of developing cataracts that was about 13 percent less than those with the lowest intake of …

As we’ve shared in many previous blog posts, Optos’ UWF retinal imaging technology can differentiate your practice from the rest, providing the “wow” factor patients are searching for. However, the “wow” factor isn’t the only thing to consider when determining if UWF retinal imaging is right for your practice.

Optometric Management once discussed the topic of UWF retinal imaging with doctors who were new to the technology, as well as those who adopted the technology early on. They shared the following factors to help determine if UWF retinal imaging was the right choice for their practice.

Dilation: Conventional technology requires a patient’s eyes be dilated in order to examine the retina, which patients see as an inconvenience. Others have difficulties continuing to look in a certain direction during the exam for reasons such as age or disability, which can cause exams to produce less than ideal results. All practitioners that spoke with Optometric Management reported that using optomap® with its nonmydriatic option to capture images of patients’ retinas produced better results in exams that were also quick and comfortable. Patient Education: Dr. David R. Frazee, a practitioner in Texas, says optomap® images help him better “explain how the …

We’ve previously shared that electronic health records can help improve the relationship you have with your patients, as well as the patient’s overall experience. In addition to the benefits electronic health records can provide in doctor-patient relationships, they can also help improve the workflow in your practice.

While transitioning to electronic health records, or EHRs, isn’t the easiest process to go through, Ophthalmology Business shares that carefully considering your practice’s workflow as you’re choosing and integrating an EHR system into your practice is a must. The article says that in order to avoid common issues that come along with EHR systems, such as turning your back to a patient while reviewing the records or entering new information, a practice should consider set up and staffing, among other points, to help improve the workflow when an EHR is implemented.

Set Up – The way your practice is set up can certainly affect your practice’s workflow. Ophthalmology Business suggests first looking at the exam lane to see what improvements should be made. Remove any items that shouldn’t be there and add what should be included to improve workflow, such as computers that will be easily accessible for inputting notes from …