| Viewpoint from the Co-Editor |

Looking back on a year of futuristic advancements

The field has grown in the past 12 months and so have we.

Jane Shuman, COT, COE, OCS, Co-Editor

Holidays often bring with them a time of reflection, hope and gratitude. This year is no different. In our field, we have noted changes in our patient demographics and reimbursements as a result of the Affordable Care Act. With that came additional patients and the unexpected complexity added to the verification of coverage. We saw the continuing implementation of Meaningful Use and a delay to the start date of ICD-10.

Yet, we were able to restore functional vision and independence to many patients that had believed losing eyesight was merely a function of growing older. We saw new technologies incorporated into our work flow to help doctors determine the diagnosis and appropriate treatment plans.

This will continue into the new year. As you will read in the pages of this issue, practices can now consider ways to decrease or eliminate the need for postoperative drops for patients who undergo cataract surgery. The future may be here as it applies to genetic testing for macular degeneration, a potentially devastating condition.

Social media has become a reality in the practice. Company pages and tweets can promote your offerings and positive patient reviews may boost your services. But what effect can a disgruntled employee have on your online reputation? Candy Simerson shares Minnesota Eye Consultants’ answers to this issue and Jen Perlich explains how to communicate and follow up on company policies.

A thought for the holidays

This holiday season we are marking the conclusion of our second full year of publication. We are grateful to you, our readers, for making this your publication. You have shared your thoughts, suggestions and provided valuable feedback during this journey.

On behalf of myself, Bruce Maller, and the entire OP team, I wish you a warm holiday season. OP

Ms. Shuman, president of Eyetechs, is a nationally recognized authority on clinical flow, scheduling and technician education. Prior to founding Eyetechs, she worked as an ophthalmic technician and clinical manager.