Involving Patients in Their Care

HOT TOPIC

Involving Patients in Their Care

The latest data on Notal Vision’s home-based OCT and how the service can manage wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) were presented at the Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration and Macula Society 2023 meetings. Several clinical trials involving more than 200 patients assessed the usability of the Notal Home OCT by patients. The trials demonstrated extended use of the device at home by patients and the interpretation of the home OCT images by a reading center, and drove patient management with artificial intelligence-based notifications and physician review of home OCT data under institutional review board-approved protocol.

“I believe the technology will have a twofold impact: individualizing the care of patients and better understanding the dynamics of AMD,” said Nancy Holekamp, MD, in a press release.

The Notal Home OCT incorporates a deep learning-based algorithm called Notal OCT Analyzer for the automatic quantification of retinal fluid, allowing physicians to evaluate the effectiveness of their treatment. Notal Vision expects to release Home OCT in Q4 2023, following an FDA premarket review, to US-based clinics that partner with its Medicare-accredited Monitoring Center through patient referral. (Read more.)

My Two Cents

Notal Vision also makes ForeseeHome, a home-based monitoring program supporting earlier detection of wet AMD in patients with intermediate dry AMD. The increasing number of at-home diagnostic tests is a benefit for our patients, and more frequent testing and monitoring for the various ocular diseases will almost always be positive for both patients and provider. As technology improves and patients become more familiar with home-based treatments, eye care practitioners must know what options are available.

More Hot Topics

Unrelated to home-based diagnostic testing, but relevant in the “hot topic” category are the three additional news items below. It’s been a busy week for ophthalmic drugs!

• The FDA has accepted Orasis Pharmaceuticals’ new drug application (NDA) for its investigational low dose pilocarpine HCl 0.4% (CSF-1) for the treatment of presbyopia and has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date of October 22, 2023.
• Pegcetacoplan (Syfovre, Apellis Pharmaceuticals) received FDA approval for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to AMD, becoming the first and only treatment for the disease. Syfovre is expected to be available in the United States by the beginning of March through specialty distributors and pharmacies nationwide.
• The FDA has completed its filing review and accepted Iveric bio’s NDA for avacincaptad pegol (ACP), a novel investigational complement C5 inhibitor for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to AMD. The NDA was grated Priority Review with a PDUFA date of August 19, 2023.

CAN YOU RELATE

One of the great things about optometry is that we can really choose how involved we are outside of our day-to-day professional lives. The opportunities are almost limitless, between lecturing at meetings, writing for trade publications, getting involved at the legislative level, or simply spending the time to learn how to run our practices more efficiently. In fact, we could spent most, if not all, of our free time focused on optometry.

As great as it feels to be asked to participate in so many different assignments, it is possible to stretch ourselves too thin, which is why it’s important to be mindful of this and to strive to maintain the best work-life balance that we can. Our time is valuable, and burnout in all areas of health care, as we know, is at an all-time high.

So, if you’re looking to engage more with opportunities outside of practice, it might behoove you to be selective about the tasks that you commit to take on. Choose opportunities that truly motivate and energize you or that benefit you or your practice, and perform exceptionally at the task at hand. And if you find yourself overwhelmed with deadlines and invitations and wanting to decline one or two, that’s ok—sometimes we need to take a short pause to appreciate the organized chaos that is often our careers.

OUTSIDE THE LANE

Keep Your Dreams Alive

I recently read a beautiful story about a 43-year-old mother of four who realized that it’s never too late to follow your dreams and that women of color are underrepresented in health care, which prompted her to go to medical school.

She is part of a 3-year program that allows students interested in family practice to obtain their medical school degree in 3 years. She is on track to graduate in 2025.

This woman’s story is an excellent reminder to us all that dreams are possible. Being in the eye care profession, we are blessed to help so many patients live out their plans by helping them achieve their best vision and ocular health. Do you ever wonder how many of our patients leave our offices wishing they could do what we do?

Take this story to heart. Whatever your goal, develop a plan and strive to reach the end—don't give up!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“All great changes are preceded by chaos.”

—Deepak Chopra, author