Month: January 2013

Reducing Tablet Device Eyestrain

Posted in Clinical Practice, Practice ManagementLeave a comment

Greg Hopkins, OD

Tablet computers have certainly become more ubiquitous and extremely popular with consumers. At present writing, 12% of US Households own a tablet device or eReader. Naturally, along with the increase in tablet device usage, eye care practitioners are poised to handle an increase in complaints of eyestrain from their patients.

Apple’s iPad is the #1 selling tablet at this time, and along with their computers and iPhones, the iPad has a reverse contrast option that can be quickly configured by going into the general settings for the device. I’ve enabled an option which allows me to triple-press the home button on my iPad to instantly reverse the contrast on the screen. It’s much easier on the eyes, and great for producing less light when reading in bed. Our Low Vision patients may especially benefit from our awareness off these built-in features and ability to suggest that they utilize them.

Links – References – More Information:

WSJ Screens & Eyestrain: http://on.wsj.com/qVhkov

USA Today Tablet Stats: http://usat.ly/qPpf7J

iPad Accessibility Guide: http://bit.ly/pJSBXg

OOA Conference Participation – February 2013

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OOA will be present at these events in February:

Reading Recovery Conference

Greater Columbus Convention Center
Columbus, OH
February 2-5, 2013
At the National Reading Recovery Conference the emphasis will be on the importance of vision to learning. “The annual National Reading Recovery & K-6 Classroom Literacy Conference offers high-quality professional development from the nation’s leading early literacy experts. More than 100 sessions focus on literacy instruction and quality children’s literature.”

Central Ohio Association of School Nurses

Columbus, OH
February 12, 2013
Dr. Michael Earley will speak on: goals and limitations of vision screenings; visual conditions targeted by current screenings; binocular vision issues that can interfere with school readiness; additional screening tests for detection of these binocular conditions; common visual health conditions that present to school nurse; current research on brain development associated with reading acquisition; and the role accurate visual processing plays in allowing cortical development to occur.

Ohio Middle Level Association Conference

Kalahari Resort
Sandusky, OH
February 21-22, 2013
The Realeyes Middle School “What’s Your Eye-Q” curriculum will be featured. Realeyes educates students about how the eyes and visual system work, the importance of vision to learning, and the importance of eye health and safety.

ODH – Regional Head Start Conference

Cincinnati Marriott
Cincinnati, OH
February 28, 2013
The importance of comprehensive eye care during the preschool years and the Realeyes preschool curriculum “Sammy Safe Eyes” will be featured.

Akron iSee Project

Posted in Benevolency, Children'sLeave a comment

The Ohio Optometric Foundation partnered with Akron Children’s Hospital and Akron Public Schools to offer free eye exams and glasses to 75 students on January 29-30 at Akron East High School. In addition to East, students seen were from Bridges, Seiberling Elementary, Robinson, Forest Hill, Roswell Kent Middle School, and Barber.

“Recognizing the link between health and academics is essential,” said Michele Wilmoth, nurse manager of school health services at Akron Children’s Hospital. “If students cannot see clearly they cannot learn. Akron Children’s Hospital and Akron Public Schools want every child to reach their full academic potential.”

The non-profit Ohio Optometric Foundation began the iSee (In School Eye Exam) program, in 2008, and volunteer optometrists have examined more than 650 students in 10 school districts across the state. The two-day project is coordinated with the school nurse, whose screenings identify children with vision problems and financial need.

“Many students do not follow up with the school nurse’s recommendation to see an eye doctor,” said Dr. Tracey Needham of Toledo who coordinates the event for the Foundation along with Dr. Cheryl Archer of Lima. “These children are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to learning and succeeding in school. The iSee program brings the eye examinations and eyewear directly to the students and by doing so promotes the importance eye care.”

Akron area optometrists, Dr. Rose Dickerhoof, Dr. Drusilla Grant, Dr. Katie Greiner, Dr. Sheri Miller, Dr. Tim Miller, Dr. Bruce Manning, Dr. Don Murphy, Dr. Larry Roth, Dr. Scott Sedlacek and Dr. Lisa Testa volunteered at the event.  Classic Optical Laboratories of Youngstown donated frames and lenses. Latham and Phillips provided the necessary equipment.

Click here to read the Akron Beacon Journal article.

Brand-New Facility for EastWest 2013

Posted in Conferences, EastWest1 Comment

Medical Mart Exterior

EastWest Eye Conference 2013 will be in it’s new home: the newly-constructed Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center in downtown Cleveland.  This state-of-the-art facility, promoted as a center for healthcare innovation, medical education, and commerce, offers an exhilarating, high-tech environment guaranteed to provide you with an unparalleled learning experience – sure to impress EastWest attendees.

Save The Date – October 3-6, 2013 – http://www.eastwesteye.org

8Exhibit Hall6Junior Ballroom with outdoor event space

5View from 3rd Floor of Medical Mart

An Evolving Health Reform Landscape – Part 1 of 4

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by Mark A. Ridenour of the Ridenour Group, Consultant to the Ohio Optometric Association

Change in delivery and payment systems within healthcare today seems to be ever-present and accelerating.  Some of this pace is dictated by deadlines within the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but much is fueled by a broad recognition of the urgent need for fundamental improvements in how health care is accessed, delivered and financed.  The results to date speak for themselves.  As all players strive to position themselves for tomorrow’s environment, multiple transformations can make it all very confusing.  This blog series will identify the current status of several impactful transitions now underway and why you should care.

Most modifications in healthcare delivery systems are associated with changes in reimbursement.  A common phrase used to describe the shift in payment systems is “from volume to value”.  This speaks to the efforts to move from rewarding providers for the number of services performed via a typical fee-for-service form of payment, toward one which rewards outcomes.  This can take many forms including pay-for-performance bonuses based on patient quality markers, to the avoidance of emergency room visits in a population, to a more direct shift of financial risk to the provider via bundled payments or capitation.  A generalization of this trend would be a greater investment in primary/preventive care with the expectation of improved health, and the avoidance or delay of some of the costs of illness care.  These types of payment system changes are embedded in all the delivery system transformations taking place across the country.

“An Evolving Health Reform Landscape” is a four-part series.

InfantSEE Announces Award

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InfantSee

Seeing babies before one year of age and keeping Ohio’s InfantSEE program front-of-mind for parents and others involved with babies are major efforts of Ohio InfantSEE volunteers. Receiving a report that their baby has a well-functioning visual system is a wonderful assurance for a parent. InfantSEE providers also have the privilege to see those who need extra testing, remediation of an eye disease or spectacles that will affect the baby’s quality of life.

The OOA has created an award to honor the Ohio doctor who submits the most InfantSEE on-line reports from January 1 through August 31, 2013. The on-line reports may be accessed at http://www.infantsee.org. Every time you complete an InfantSEE assessment, submit a report online. Even though Ohio leads the nation in doctors participating and infant exams, our goal is to reward the doctor who gives the most to this public health service. Thank you to all InfantSEE doctors for, as Urban Meyer would say, “Making the great State of Ohio proud!” Visit www.InfantSEE.org to sign up to become an InfantSEE volunteer, to make sure your listing is correct, to access on-line reporting forms or for other information about InfantSEE.

Rick Cornett Receives H. Ward Ewalt Medal

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Richard Cornett (Rick), executive director of the Ohio Optometric Association (OOA), received the College’s H. Ward Ewalt Medal last week during a surprise presentation at an on-campus OOA function attended by faculty, staff, and students. The medal recognizes Rick’s exceptional service to the College and the profession of optometry. He is the 10th recipient of the medal in the award’s history.

Dr. Ewalt was the first graduate from The Ohio State University optometry program to serve as President of the American Optometric Association (AOA). Dr. Ewalt was also instrumental in helping optometry to be recognized by the National Commission on Accrediting. He helped form the AOA’s Accreditation Council on Optometric Education and served as its first chair. Dr. Ewalt was also the first optometric consultant to the surgeon general of the U.S. Army. In recognition of these accomplishments, this medal was struck in his name to recognize dedicated service to the profession of optometry. Dr. Ewalt, himself, was the medal’s first recipient in 1991.

Third-Party Bulletin Update

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This is the second of a series of updates from the OOA Third Party Committee. For future reference, these updates are archived in the “members only” section of http://www.OOA.org.

LEGISLATION
The 130th Ohio General Assembly began January 2, 2013 and promises to be full of legislative initiatives that have significance to optometry. Examples:

  1. Health Simplification Act update
  2. Truth in Advertising
  3. Telemedicine
  4. Governor Kasich’s proposed 2014-15 Ohio budget
  5. Health Insurance Exchange – Navigator Bill

Please generously support OOPAC… suggestion is a minimum of $20/month. You can donate online at http://bit.ly/XIrMvX
Or mail a personal check to OOPAC, P.O. Box 6036, Worthington, OH 43085

DMEPOS
There has been confusion about the requirement for some entities to purchase a “surety bond” if they provide durable medical equipment. Dr. Brownlow consults with the OOA and it is his opinion that ODs do NOT have to purchase the surety bond if they are filling prescriptions for their own patients. However, if you are filling prescriptions for outside patients, you should purchase the surety bond.
Do not confuse the surety bond with the “re-enrollment” fee of $515 which you need to pay every 3 years.

2013 PQRS MEASURES FOR ALL PROVIDERS
Please contact the OOA if you would like a copy of this chart.

AETNA AND EYEMED
The OOA has confirmed that EyeMed is administering routine vision for Aetna. You must be an established member of the Aetna commercial plan to continue seeing patients for medical eyecare. In most situations the vision coverage does not affect the ability to provide medical eye care. You do have choice in including the EyeMed benefit.

Dr. Rod Snow, Chair, Dr. Nathan Bjork, Dr. Rob Engel, Dr. Lee Favede, Dr. Heath Gilbert, Dr. Larry Gill, Dr. Steve Hansen, Dr. Jay Henry, Dr. Mark Horvath, Dr. Jason Miller, Dr. Pete Mogyordy, Dr. Michael Ringel, Dr. Bill Rudy, Dr. Dave Shilling, Dr. Steve Shroder, Dr. Ted Smiley, Dr. Brent Swartz

Why Realeyes Is Important

Posted in Children's, Realeyes1 Comment

During the past 12 school years, the Realeyes curriculum has been presented by over 500 optometrists and staff to more than 600,000 students in 17,000 classrooms in Ohio. The goal is to educate students (and along the way, parents, teachers, school officials and others) about the importance of taking care of their eyes and the role vision plays in education. Through the thousands of pre- and post-tests that have been returned, students who have participated in Realeyes reveal that their knowledge of eye and vision health has grown. Through the 9,000 teacher evaluations that have been collected, the average rating for the Realeyes presentations is 4.8 out of 5.0. Many stories are told of
students receiving vision correction, understanding the importance of vision to learning, taking better care of
their eyes, and wearing their glasses as a result of the Realeyes presentation.

If you would like to become a Realeyes presenter, please contact the OOA. Preparation includes a two-hour training to review the four curricula and the corresponding scripts. Realeyes is a powerful advocacy message about vision, and presenters interact with students, teachers, school nurses, and principals in their community. The best part is that everything needed for a Realeyes presentation is provided by the OOA.