August 15, 2011

Subscriptions

Features

Annual Technology Report

Coding and Billing: Advanced Diagnostics

Before you put that shiny, high-tech instrument into practice, keep in mind the golden rules of responsible coding and billing.

Testing One, Two, Three...

You may be done with back-to-school shopping, but have you prepped your practice for another year of testing? Study up on a few of the latest diagnostic technologies.

2011 Technology Trends

Patient care reigns supreme. Our Annual Diagnostic Technology Survey also finds that more O.D.s are buying EMR systems as the federal deadline for reimbursement cuts draws near.

Contact Lenses

How to Address CL Compliance

Here’s a practical, step-by-step, patient-by-patient approach that will help improve contact lens compliance.

Departments

Chairside

It’s Time for Change

Is change in the air—or is change all we’ll have left in our pockets when the government is finished with us?

Clinical Quandaries

'Visions Are Making Me Crazy'

A patient with low vision is seeing things that aren’t there. Is this a vision problem—or a mental one?

Coding Connection

Coding for High-Tech Tools

Better tools in our toolbox means that we need to take care when using and coding them.

Cornea and Contact Lens Q & A

Treating HSK Long Term

What’s the key to safely administering long-term anti-viral therapy to minimize the chance of recurrent herpetic eye disease?

Diagnostic Quiz

Is Surgery Required?

Treatment depends upon disease etiology as well as the severity of symptoms the patient is experiencing.

Glaucoma Grand Rounds

Angle Closure, or Inflammation?

A middle-aged woman presents with a red, blurry eye and elevated intraocular pressure. But what’s causing her high IOP?

News Review

‘Drug on a Chip’ Might Treat DR

An implantable, electronic drug delivery device could help treat macular damage caused by diabetic retinopathy.

Making Sense of Stereovision

Study reveals the advantage of stereopsis is its ability to discriminate between objects and background.

Tear Biomarker Diagnosis

Researchers will analyze tear samples to detect proteins that indicate signs of breast cancer.

Possible Leber's Treatment?

Study suggests idebenone can be used to restore lost vision in patients with Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy.

Retina Reveals Early AD

Retina imaging, along with other biomarker tests, may be able to aid in early detection of Alzheimer’s

An Orange a Day Keeps Retinas OK

Regular vitamin C intake helps prolong proper retinal cell function, study says.

In the News

New Laws Expand O.D. Access to Medical Plans

In Texas and Rhode Island, new laws allow O.D.s to freely enter medical plans.

Optometry Mourns the Loss of Two Legends

Why More Blacks Have Glaucoma

Blacks have higher levels of ocular oxygen than whites, and therefore more oxidative damage, leading to glaucoma.

Outlook

I Wish Someone Would Invent...

You may soon be measuring IOP fluctuations with a contact lens. Yet, how many of your go-to tools and treatments are either painfully rudimentary or just plain ineffective?

Product Review

A look at the latest products and services in the optometry industry.

Retina Quiz

Cause Worse Than Presentation?

This patient reported sudden, dramatic vision loss in his right eye. But, is another underlying ocular condition ultimately to blame?

Therapeutic Review

My Buddy's Cataracts

Here’s an interesting and original overview of my Buddy’s cataract procedure. And, by “my Buddy,” I mean my dog––Buddy.