I have been fortunate in my professional life to have not one but two mentors who have given me direction and helped expand my optical career into an amazing instrument of communication. I am now able to connect with my peers, and appreciate the opportunity to speak at various optical conferences.

Most ODs could list all the missing items in their contact lens supply line. They could construct a wish list of products they would like to see available in the future. On days when we find ourselves ransacking the contact lens trial room, ODs may think technology is moving too slowly. Perhaps it’s time for some needed perspective.

A colleague recently told me that eye doctors should “stay within the lines” of traditional eye care because we barely have enough time as it is to do our jobs. My response was that today more than half of our adult patients have either diabetes or prediabetes, so our job now requires we go ”outside the lines” to avoid the leading cause of preventable blindness.

Incorporating new technologies is a must for ODs to improve patient communication and education. Multiple platforms of communication are needed in the 21st century to communicate and educate patients of very different backgrounds.

Similar to the benefits that the primary care and pediatrics fields have enjoyed following years of rapid strep and flu testing, the uptake of rapid, single-use, point-of-care (POC) testing in optometry helps to guide clinical management and therapeutic decisions.

Almost every eyecare practice has a person, team of people, or outside service whose sole job is to manage problems related to facilitating the relationship between patients and their insurance companies.

Imagine coming into the office one day and getting word that all of your patient data, past records, tax documents, and financial statements had all been stolen-or worse yet, erased.

I don’t have periscope eyes, so I can’t peek around blind corners. Plus, my neck is stiff after years of hunching over a slit lamp. As a result, I can’t turn my head as well to get a good look around.

It’s time to dispel these preconceptions of fitting contact lenses for astigmatism and use new toric lens options as an opportunity to improve patient care.

A 26-year-old healthy ophthalmically asymptomatic female patient attended the University of Alabama School of Optometry clinic for a periodic ophthalmic evaluation. Her history was significant for myopic refractive correction, for which she wore soft contact lenses successfully.

As I reach the end of my second year out of optometry school, I find myself reflecting on how the past two years have been such a rewarding experience.

In a poll fielded on the Optometry Times website, we asked ODs, if they prescribed topical antibiotics for blepharitis, their top reason for doing so.

Just as ODs develop good habits, there are bad habits that we should avoid. Avoid the following three habits to optimize your patients’ lens wearing experience.

Practicing optometry takes place in many locales, with the majority free of barriers to practice.

While ophthalmic diagnostic lab tests-specifically those targeting ocular surface disorders-have been around for over 20 years, it is only within the past five years that they have begun to gain measurable use.

Optometrists who see Medicare patients are being graded on their performances, and this grade will affect their 2019 Medicare payments.

David Kading, OD, FAAO, FCLSA, discusses new products, studies, and patient education available to help combat dry eye disease.

Optometric practice in the nursing home setting is not always very glamorous; however, there are many reasons optometrists might want to consider adding this specialty to their practice arsenal due to tremendous need.