Public perception matters in ophthalmic political issues

CHICAGO — The public is the newest ally in ophthalmologists’ battle to limit optometric scope of practice, according to H. Dunbar Hoskins, MD.

Speaking here at the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s annual meeting, Dr. Hoskins said a recent survey by the National Consumers League showed that “people are confused about who is doing eye care.”

“(The survey showed) that people want to know who is doing (surgery), and they do care who does what to them,” he said during the meeting’s opening session. “The battle continues and everyone must participate.”

In her address during the opening session, outgoing AAO President Susan H. Day, MD, said that the issue of maintaining patients’ trust is perhaps the most important facing ophthalmologists today.

While this is impossible to quantify, “we are in an age of increasing accountability” as the public begins to question and notice ophthalmologists’ relationships with industry, she said.

“We must understand that these things matter whether we want to believe it or not,” Dr. Day said. “The public has a knack for judging our trustworthiness.”

Randolph L. Johnston, MD, OCS, the AAO’s senior secretary for advocacy, agreed that the public is starting to take notice of the AAO’s national Surgery by Surgeons campaign. He thanked the Academy’s coalition partners, including the state, subspecialty and local ophthalmology societies for their “generous contributions to the ophthalmologic surgical scope fund.”

The campaign seeks to bar optometrists from performing laser surgery and prescribing certain drugs, both of which are viewed by the AAO as the domain of ophthalmologists only.

Dr. Johnston specifically acknowledged James Rohack, MD, the American Medical Association’s immediate past chairman, and Philip Shettle, MD, president of the American Osteopathic Association, who also is an ophthalmologist, for their support of the Surgery by Surgeons campaign.

Aside from the scope-of-practice battle, Dr. Hoskins noted that the issue of reimbursement “remains our jobs (Nos.) 1, 2 and 3” in Washington.

He called on ophthalmologists to contact their representatives in Congress to cancel a proposed fee cut of 20% to 30% that is currently under consideration in the House of Representatives. He said ophthalmologists deserve a fee increase in light of rising costs.

“Simply cutting this to a net zero increase is not an effective solution,” Dr. Hoskins said.