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Incoming ASCRS president calls for innovation in education, advocacy initiatives

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CHICAGO — The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery must sustain the momentum of its impact by introducing innovation to its education and advocacy efforts, said incoming president Bradford J. Shingleton, MD, at the Opening General Session of the ASCRS annual meeting here.

Vital to the education efforts of the ASCRS is the annual meeting, said Dr. Shingleton, which he described as "the most up-to-date resource under one roof for cataract and refractive surgery in the world."

However, "we are in a new age in electronic education," he said.

To keep up with the speed of the electronic revolution, the ASCRS is launching EyeSpaceMD, or ESMD, he said. The online resource will offer discussion groups, archives, videos, articles, podcasting and industry-supported information.

"With ESMD, every single user becomes an editor, shaping, determining and lending their knowledge and expertise to the education content," he said.

In terms of advocacy, Dr. Shingleton emphasized the deep effect upcoming Medicare reform will have on the anterior segment surgeon, calling the current reimbursement formulation a "time bomb."

But, "change is afoot," he said. "We must and have to be heard."

"We must be proponents of solutions, and we need to be bold in presenting them," he said.

Dr. Shingleton encouraged members to meet with representatives in their home congressional districts and to contact the ASCRS government relations office for any assistance needed.

"We must proactively and creatively assess how to best position cataract and refractive surgeons to deal with and impact development of [Medicare] reforms," he said. "We truly have a grand agenda with high expectations, and this is the way it should be."