A neat eye site

yea a another few 100 eye sites for you!

Hi, yea I mentionthat eye site in my latest "Best of the Eye web" as I also recently found it and am using a few images for my presentation this weekend
I have another 100 odd sites for you to visit, all hyperlinked directly from my latest column at
http://www.nzoptics.co.nz/incontact.htm

http://www.nzoptics.co.nz/incontact.htm
enjoy
C ya
Alan
 
Is www.seniordoc.org Borsht?

Hi Alan:

You said...

"The following sites represent the crème de la crème."

With my poor presbyopic reading skills , I re-read the list twice but could not find www seniordoc.org to have made the creamy cut. I hope we can add more butterfat to our content this year to be mentioned next year.

Meanwhile keep contributing to seniordoc.org because your wealth and depth of knowledge of Optometric knowledge is fantastic.

We'll miss you at the AAO Breakfast Seminar.

Paul


;)
 
theres a good reason PAUL!!

Hiya Paul - there's a good reason thet seniordoc did not get a mention and that is mainly because it made the 2001 Dec best of teh eye web and has been mentioned over the past two year in two additional columns - the latest best of teh web has a direct link to the best of 2001 and i try not to repeat myself or websites!!
so try these links to see what nasty stuff I had to say about seniordoc!!

http://www.nzoptics.co.nz/backissues/sep01.htm

http://www.nzoptics.co.nz/backissues/dec01.htm

http://www.nzoptics.co.nz/backissues/feb02.htm

Enjoy the AOA - if they dont lynch you!
I'm off to Ozzie for a lecture tour [Sydney, Tasmania, Brisbane and then some R&R on the coast at Byron Bay - I NEED IT!!
the way web security works these days I had to rebuild my Internet and eyecare lectures this week after secruity plugs and patches and service packs and new web servers BLOCK much of the script and images that run on offline webpages - so my powerpoint design taht has worked for 4 bloody years turned into a mess yesterday 48 hours before I fly out which meant saving webpages and re-doing all my links etc BUT 1st it took me a day to find the workarounds - I'd be interested to hear what ADAM has to say on this score! Fortunately my keratoconus powerpoint with over 50 slides is okay..whew! [In bewteen I had to see patients and what with allergey season and abook full of itchy cones it was hectic.

And oh yes a few of my patients who live in the USA came in as they prefer our down under approach to eyecare! [even tho' one had 'insurance' in the US he felt that his visual needs were not attended to [guess what he said? -

"all those guys wanted to do was play doc..dilate and do fields but they didnt know how to sort out my RGPs and wanted to send them away for a few days for a polish! - not like you guys who do them while I wait!!"

so lets get some feednack on that!

C ya
Alan
 
Thank you Alan for the reassurance about www.seniordoc.org. As you might have guessed, I'm always promoting.

John...

Polishing a rigid contact lens during a patient's routine office visit is like chicken soup when you have a cold. It can't hurt and it sometimes helps. That is assuming you have a good technician that can modify a RGP lens while the patient waits.

The fitting of RGP and what is needed for optimum patient care is a topic that might be explored, if there is interest, in the Clinical and Research Forum. We have some seniordocs who are experts and indeed pioneers in this mode of contact lens care that arose from the "Good Old PMMA Days".

Let's begin a topic.
 
That was my point John

John, that was exactly my point - the average US Doctometrist has lost the basic skills of RGP fitting and management - if a lens has a scratch after two weeks - why replace it?and that is exactly why my US based patients travel to see me here [and the same applies form all over Asia, Pacific Islands and Europe to a lesser degree!
 
Who needs a tech?

I polish RGPs and do modifications. It is a tremendous practice builder, as Alan Saks will testify to. I believe there are only two practices in Wellington offering this service.
Patients really appreciate efforts to save them some money. In NZ we do not have the "insurance" that seems to be the norm in the USA. So people do like to get 'value from their c/ls, especially at this time of year.
Also the "while you wait" aspect is terrific. It gives me something to do waiting for the mydriatic to kick in. Although RGP wearers really moan about flare post-dilation.
Alan- Have you also had this experience? I am considering suggesting RGP wearers bring thier tinted Rx specs along with them ("What? RGP wearers with no Rx sunnies? sounds like a possible sale...).
Anyway if you fit c/ls, then you should be able to provide back-up service and that doesn't just mean managing the microbial keratitises!
It would be like a golf pro-shop not offering club repairs or regripping! "I'm sorry sir, your club grips are wearing out. I cannot regrip them, so here is my range of new clubs that we can fit for you."....
 
Another point of view

Andrew ...

I agree that if you fit RGP lenses, office modifications are essential.

I disagree that the Optometrist should be spending valuable time on a process that can be done as well by a trained technician. Once you perform work below your educational level your reimbursemnt drops to that level.

Chores for you as the Optometrist, can be more profitably spent during the time between patients being the entrepreneur/administrator. This a point of view from an individual who has depended on talented people helping do a better job than he can.

If you are a victim of the "Golden Hand Syndrome" that only you can do things right, my approach will make you uncomfortable. Unfortunately it will also limit the growth of your practice.

My practice management tip for the day. I hope it works as well in NZ as in the US.

Paul ;)
 
Re: Another point of view

Originally posted by Paul Farkas
Chores for you as the Optometrist, can be more profitably spent during the time between patients being the entrepreneur/administrator.

I agree completely.
 
lens modification

Just a note to you all who are not modifying gas perm lenses because you think it is difficult. It's not. When we first went in to practice, pmma was the only game in town, and we did our own modificatons for a year or two. Then we trained employees to do that chore. Paul and I are way down on the list of manually dexterous and we were able to cut down, polish edges, thin edges etc. quite successfully.

Get competent yourself and teach the staff.
 
A confession

I have never personally modified an RGP lens. In addition I have never done a Hydrogel Contact Lens instruction.

I did have wonderful, very patient assistants who could carry out these functions far better than me.

;)
 
The Golden Hand Strikes Again!!

Hey I love that term!

I think I'll make make "The Golden Hand" my moniker at work. It sure sounds better than "That Bald Idiot"!

Seriously though, I do acknowledge you point about delegation of tasks. I guess I have never bothered to train someone to do the RGP poloishes & mods as I seem to have time. But really now is the best time to upskill someone 'cos I do have the time.

Thanks for the advice!
 
I agree with Paul

Paul,
even though I'm not strong at RGP, I do agree with you. Spend time between patient as an entrepreneur and administrator.

Why do them yourself when someone else can do it for you? In my free time from seeing patients, I'd rather sit and think what can I do to make my practice better.

This is a medium where experienced people share their knowledge. This medium can give me idea to make my practice grow.

See you in San Diego.

Vince