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Promote conversation with your patients to optimize care
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It is that time of year again – the time when we look back upon the year gone by, take stock of our accomplishments and missed opportunities, and profess to be better in the New Year. It is true of our personal lives as well as in our professional pursuits. While we all strive to be better, the degree to which we succeed is influenced by many variables – both intrinsic and extrinsic. This is especially true professionally as today’s optometric practice is impacted by so many external forces. Undoubtedly, health care reform, insurers and Internet retailers will all have something to say about how we practice optometry in 2013. So, just how do we become better optometrists without being distracted by these extrinsic forces? The answer may well lie in the Choosing Wisely campaign.
The Choosing Wisely campaign is an initiative launched by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation in 2012. In conjunction with the American College of Physicians and Consumer Reports, ABIM partnered with nine nationally recognized medical specialty societies to promote conversation between health care providers and patients. The conversations would be designed to help patients make better decisions in selecting care that is evidence-based, truly necessary, not duplicative in nature and with minimal risks. Each society was challenged to provide guidelines for five controversies within their area of expertise.
For instance, the American Academy of Family Physicians’ five topics included guidelines for imaging in lower back pain, antibiotic use in acute sinusitis, performing EKGs during routine physicals, ordering DEXA scans and the role of Pap smears in gynecologic care. Another 10 specialty societies – including the American Academy of Ophthalmology – are expected to release their guidelines in 2013. So, what does this have to do with us? Everything.
Michael D. DePaolis
A very tangible way to improve patient care – and ensure practice sustainability – involves developing your own Choosing Wisely campaign. Certainly, we have our share of controversies. Is there an optimal replacement frequency for contact lenses? When are omega-3s beneficial in managing dry eye? How often should glaucoma patients have a visual field or optical coherence tomography? When are lutein/zeaxanthin supplements indicated for at-risk macular patients? Are over-the-counter reading glasses an appropriate substitute for prescription eye wear?
While we know there are no simple answers here, we also recognize the value of patient education. Starting the conversation – and individualizing your recommendations – with each and every patient is a critical first step toward optimizing care. While some of these conversations will not immediately impact practice revenue, they will definitely help patients in managing their finite health care resources. Perhaps, most importantly, they will result in healthier, happier and more loyal patients.
From all of us here at Primary Care Optometry News, best wishes for a happy, healthy and productive new year.