According to Prevent Blindness America and the AmericanAcademy of Ophthalmology, over 2.5 million eye injuries occur in the U.S. each year. Of those injuries, about 50,000 people are left with some form of permanent vision loss. For eyecare practitioners, those are very sobering numbers considering that up to 90 percent of these injuries could be prevented with the right protective gear.

Since October is Eye Injury Prevention Month, we want to take this time to encourage practitioners to take some time to remind patients of the importance of wearing proper protective eyewear. From household tasks to sports and work, there are a number of eye injury hazards your patients may not be aware of, and it is up to you to help them understand what they can do to avoid unnecessary eye injuries and vision loss.

Nearly half of all eye injuries occur at home, according to Get Eye Smart, and approximately 125,000 of these injuries involve common household cleaners. Patients should be reminded to wear safety glasses, goggles or face shields that meet the appropriate safety standards to protect their eyes not only from chemical-related injuries, but also injuries that could result from using lawn maintenance equipment, power …

Ask any doctor who has been practicing for many years, and they’ll probably agree that educating patients on a particular diagnosis is one of the best things you can do to help them understand what’s going on with their body and to improve adherence to treatment plans or ongoing visits. At Optos, we not only believe in providing practitioners with the resources to educate their patients, but also to show a patient exactly what they see in an retina exam. One of those tools is our innovative and interactive 3D Wrap™ tool.

3D Wrap™ allows practitioners to give patients a virtual tour of their eye, showing them where the retina is located and providing the opportunity to explain other parts of the eye. This is done by creating an animated 3D Wrap™ sequence of an optomap image, displayed as a 3-dimensional graphic model of their eye. Other features 3D Wrap™ is able to simulate include the following:

– The patient’s iris color from capture settings – Refractive errors range from -10D to +5D, including the ability to demonstrate myopia and hyperopia through simulation of the shape of the model eye – Demonstrating how myopia and hyperopia affect the patient’s vision by …

We were pleased to see the ultra-widefield retinal images captured through optomap technology featured on the JAMA Ophthalmology Facebook page recently. According to a case study, the images were captured in the exam of a 25-year-old man who had experienced bilateral blurred vision for a few weeks.

An optomap exam helped reveal the cause of his blurred vision – acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopahty (APMPPE) in both eyes. Ultra-widefield (UWF™) imaging, as well as other exams, presented results characteristic of funduscopic findings. Images captured at both the initial and follow-up exams revealed three types of lesions on the patient’s eyes:

White on color photos, hypofluorescent early and isofluorescent late on fluorescein angiography (FA), as well as isoautofluorescent on fundus autofluorescence (FAF) – These lesions were primarily located anterior to the baseline, and diminished later on. White lesions on color photos, hypofluorescent early and staining late on FA, as well as hypoautofluorescent on FAF – These lesions eventually became atrophic. Pigmented lesions on color photos, hypofluorescent early and late on FA, as well as hyperautofluorescent on FAF – Initially, these lesions were located at the margins of the placoid lesions in the left eye, while occurring more centrally in …

We know it can be hard to capture an image of a patient’s retina because they aren’t able to sit still or hold a certain position. To make the retina evaluation easier for eye care professionals, we’re pleased to share some information about the latest feature available with our Daytona Ultra-widefield imaging device – AutoCapture.

As we’ve shared before, Daytona offers a number of practical benefits for practitioners who use UWF™ imaging capabilities, including state-of-the-art technology to help with practice differentiation and positioning, as well as a fast exam suitable for all ages. With the AutoCapture feature, practitioners can capture images automatically and hands-free. The system detects when a patient has reached an optimal position for imaging and initiates the UWF imaging process. The images captured in 0.4 seconds are then saved or discarded using the same steps currently used with Daytona devices.

Additionally, AutoCapture provides some significant improvements for scenarios in which the technician performing the exam prefers to physically guide the patient’s head into position for imaging. For instance, the technician will no longer need to release the patient’s head to tap the tablet in order to capture the image. AutoCapture also has a positive impact on …

Here at Optos, we strive to provide eyecare practitioners with a variety of resources to help them provide patients with the best quality care possible. With that in mind, our hope is to help eradicate unnecessary blindness all around the world. That’s why we’re supporters of observances that place an emphasis on the importance of eye health, like World Sight Day.

World Sight Day is October 10^th. The theme for this year’s observance is “Universal Eye Health,” which aligns with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) goal of increasing access to comprehensive eye exams and services by integrating them into other healthcare systems. The organization is encouraging eyecare practitioners to remind patients, as well as the general public, to “Get Your Eyes Tested,” offering the reminder that eye exams are the first step in diagnosing and treating nearly all eye conditions, as well as other systemic diseases.

In addition to encouraging eye exams, there are many agencies working hard to raise funds for those suffering from unnecessary blindness or vision issues caused by uncorrected refractive error through the World Sight Day Challenge. The challenge raises money for projects that offer trainings, create vision centers, and provide …

Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) and Coats’ disease, both pediatric retinal diseases that involve the peripheral retina, can be evaluated in the physician’s office using ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (UWFFA). As reported in Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, a retrospective review  of 8 patient cases confirmed the utility of UWFFA in targeting laser photocoagulation, administered in an outpatient setting without the use of anesthesia. Furthermore, as has been shown in adults, UWFFA revealed peripheral retinal pathology, that can be difficult or impossible to visualize with conventional imaging techniques. The investigators concluded that UWFFA is useful in identifying peripheral retinal pathologies in pediatric patients, guiding management, which may potentially reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment.

Kang KB, Wessel MW, Tong J, D’Amico DJ, Chan P. Ultra-widefield imaging for the management of pediatric retinal diseases. JPediatric Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2013. [Epub ahead of print]

Clinical Point-of-View

“The availability of Optos UWF imaging is helping us improve the diagnosis and management of pediatric retinal disease, in both babies and older children. With these systems we can now readily obtain non-contact, single-pass high resolution digital images of the macula and periphery in an outpatient setting without the use of anesthesia or intravenous fluorescein. Even with patients who would not be able to cooperate with conventional imaging techniques, UWF imaging permits the identification of pathology in the periphery we might otherwise …

A new resource for eyecare practitioners is in the works. As announced in a press release, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has started an initiative to “implement the nation’s first comprehensive eye disease patient database.” This effort is expected to create what David W. Parke II, M.D., CEO of the AAO calls “a fantastically powerful tool that will stimulate improved quality of eye care,” particularly for patients that have received medical or surgical care for issues causing vision loss.

The database, called the IRIS (Intelligent Research in Sight) Registry will be a central location for data collection and will provide ophthalmologists with a system that promotes practice innovation and achievement of clinical excellence. Some of the significant features of the IRIS Registry include the following:

Benchmark reports that are easy to read and help validate the quality of care a practitioner is providing, as well as areas in need of improvement Access to clinical data relevant to eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts, among others Automatic data collection via electronic health records

According to the AAO, these features will be instrumental in helping practitioners “develop a strategic plan for improving patient outcomes.”

William …

There are tens of thousands of eyecare practitioners out there. But as Barry Farkas, OD, FAAO in New York City recently reminded us in an interview with Optometric Minute, just because they are talented and smart doctors doesn’t necessarily mean they have a notably successful practice. In fact, he suggests many practices are stagnant, and therefore, suffer because they lack a key ingredient for success – a “quality of specialness.”

Dr. Farkas shares that a successful practice exudes this specialness to its patients, meaning that they are able to sense something different about the practice when they walk in the door. This quality of specialness makes patients feel comfortable and confident that they are receiving exceptional quality of care and service. Practices that go out of their way to offer something special provide patients with added benefits that not only enhance the experience but contribute to their continued or improved health.

Dr. Farkas also shares that a part of creating a quality of specialness is finding the right people to complete the practice’s staff. All staff members should have a patient-centered attitude, becoming an extension of the doctor in providing quality care and service. And Dr. Farkas also adds …

This study, published in Ophthalmic Surgery, Lasers and Imaging Retina, was conducted to evaluate the utility of ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (UWFFA) in children under 13. Theretrospective case series examined images from 16 patients (mean age 9.3 years) who were seen for a variety of pediatric retinal conditions, including uveitis, hereditary retinal dystrophies, retinal vascular diseases, trauma, infection, and tumors. In these patients, UWFFA revealed abnormal peripheral angiographic findings in 12 of the 16 subjects (75%). UWFFA imaging of the macula and periphery provided important information for documentation, diagnosis, and management.

Tsui I, Franco-Cardenas V, Hubschman JP, Schwartz SD. Pediatric retinal conditions imaged by ultra wide field fluorescein angiography. Ophthalmic Surgery, Lasers and Imaging Retina. 2013: 44: 59-67.

Universal design that is accessible for individuals with limited mobility continues to evolve in both the residential and commercial industries as advanced technologies and new design solutions continue to emerge. Optometry Today’s deputy editor Robina Moss recently shared, however, that some spaces still aren’t accessible enough for all.

Moss recounted a recent shopping experience with her mother, who uses a wheelchair. Some stores, she noted, were particularly difficult if not nearly impossible for them to navigate because displays were placed too closely together or aisles were simply too narrow. Point-of-sale displays, she said, were a major hurdle.

“I had to physically move several which blocked our path. With that in mind, it struck me that it is worth thinking about frame displays and store accessibility, as these factors could be costing practices additional business.”

We’d like to think that out of all places, doctors’ offices would be up-to-date on the latest universal design techniques, but as American Medical News reported earlier this year, this is unfortunately not the case. The article cites a report published in Annals of Internal Medicine revealing that up to 22 percent of medical and surgical practices indicated they couldn’t accommodate patients that …