Liz Meszaros

Classify and treat patients with dry eye disease (DED) according to the severity of their presenting signs and symptoms, more so than by causative factors, said Karen Dunlap, OD, here at the 5th annual Evidence Based Care in Optometry conference.

Malpractice litigation against optometrists is rare. To keep it that way, optometrists must take the proper steps to reduce any risk of such litigation, especially when dealing with patients with retinal detachments, amblyopia, contact lenses, glaucoma, and tumors.

Prosthetic replacement of the ocular surface ecosystem (PROSE) devices can serve to restore vision, support healing, reduce symptoms, and improve patient quality of life.

Therapeutic bandage contact lenses (CLs) can be successfully used in the management of a variety of corneal and anterior segment disorders, said Valerie Seligson, OD, here at the 5th annual Evidence Based Care in Optometry conference.

The sensitivity and specificity of digital photography techniques - including non-mydriatic photography - are not as high as those of traditional fundus evaluation.

Vitreous floaters are a common patient complaint, but because floaters are typically benign and the treatment options are limited, most can be managed with proper patient education and reassurance.

Currently there is a significant evidence-based shift toward anti-VEGF therapy as first-line treatment for diabetic macular edema, macular edema associated with vein occlusion, and active exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Optical coherence tomography is currently in high demand for the management of glaucoma patients, wet and dry macular degeneration, and a host of other ocular diseases.

Scleral lenses can be particularly helpful in certain subsets of patients who cannot wear contact lenses or who cannot achieve proper correction with glasses.

Interocular symmetry in average keratometry, pachymetry, and posterior elevation are useful screening tools for corneal pathology.

Optical coherence tomography may be useful in identifying and monitoring retinal changes or retinal diseases that may be invisible to ophthalmoscopy in patients with diabetic retinopathy, AMD, retinitis pigmentosa, hydroxychloroquine toxicity, and high myopia.

Wavefront-optimized and wavefront-guided laser treatments, which may seem new to many patients, now have 5-year track record and are both significant improvements over conventional laser treatments.

Myopia control and even reversal are possible with the use of overnight orthokeratology lenses.

Visual acuity and amblyopia can be improved by refractive correction and patching in children with unilateral amblyopia.

Knowing when and how to prescribe vision enhancement in patients with neovascular or wet age-related macular degeneration is the key to achieving the greatest possible visual improvements in the impaired population.