Opening Lines

RESEARCH BACKS THE BENEFITS OF SURGERY

Report: Quality-of-life improves with cataract removal procedure

By Bill Kekevian, Senior Associate Editor

▪ Researchers say patients have a 40% lower mortality rate after undergoing cataract surgery in a recent study published by the AAO. That’s just the latest in a run of new data about the procedure’s benefits.

The study, conducted by an Australian team, collects data from the Blue Mountains Eye Study. A total of 354 individuals, 49 years and older and diagnosed with cataract-related vision impairment, were assessed between 1992 and 2007.

“We do know that visual rehabilitation from significant visual disability (correcting 20/80 or worse acuity to 20/20) confers an overall quality-of-life gain of approximately 20% which surpasses the mean gain in quality-of-life seen with other medical therapies such as antihypertensive agents, statins and key drugs used for osteoporosis treatment,” says Melissa Brown, MD. Dr. Brown is president and CEO of the Center for Value Based Medicine in Philadelphia.

Perhaps that quality-of-life bump, in part, can explain an increase in the rates for patients opting for cataract surgery. Cataract surgery has increased steadily for people between 50 and 90, according to a Mayo Clinic report issued in October, and 60% of people receiving cataract surgery on one eye returned within three months to have it performed on the second eye.

STAFFERS PAY FORWARD CASUAL FRIDAY FEE

Practice makes charity a monthly focus

▪ At Deadham Ophthalmic Consultants in Deadham, MA, the staff is making giving fun. The practice, which has four ophthalmologists and two optometrists, has developed a unique system of charitable participation. They call their system the “charity of the month” and it takes the whole team for it to work. At the start of each year, practice staffers each nominate a favorite charity and drop their name in a hat. As each month passes, the team picks from the hat to choose the “charity of the month.” Money for the month’s chosen charity is collected each Friday in the form of a ‘casual Friday fee.’ Staffers wishing to participate in casual Fridays donate $5 per week to the charity of the month. At the end of the month the six doctors double the staff’s entire pot. In addition, in November and December, the team has steady charities to observe the spirit of the seasons. In November, staffers collect non-perishable foods for a local food pantry. In December, they participate in “Toys for Tots.”

MANAGERS MAY CONSIDER STEPS TO KEEP TIME OFF FROM SHUTTING DOWN AN OFFICE

Don’t let the holidays leave your office short-handed

▪ With the holidays fast approaching, everybody will be looking for a few days off to spend time with family, enjoy the festivities and, perhaps, get in some last minute shopping. Your practice is no different. As staffers seek to cash in on their saved vacation time, managers seek a balance to keep the office running smoothly. Here, the Medical Group Management Association shares a few tips for managing vacation time.

1. Keep an eye on vacation time. Practice managers may notice too many employees saving up days to use at the end of the year. Encourage any employees who still have days left to use some of them up to avoid a year-end crunch.

2. Matching staffer vacations with physician vacations may minimize disruption.

3. Employ electronic scheduling software.

4. Incorporate an inclement weather rule into your policy in the event a staff member schedules a vacation day when the office closes due to snow.

5. Consider limiting your staff’s vacation time during the holidays to a few senior members.

Correction: In the article, “Everyday Tips for Technicians” (September/October Ophthalmic Professional, page 26), Figure 1 was labeled as a “disposable penlight.” The photo is actually the fixation light on a biometry probe. For the corrected pairing of captions and photos, see the online version of the article at www.ophthalmicprofessional.com.