Corneal Health and the Relevance of Specialty Lenses

Optometrists are diligent clinicians, and many are also interested in the business aspect of the profession. That’s because they know their clinical skills and comprehensive patient care benefit the patient, the practice, and everyone employed there. How? By producing excellent patient outcomes that generate patient referrals, which elevates the practice and adds to its bottom line.

This five-part business and specialty care optometric series is meant to empower optometrists with advanced knowledge and tools to elevate their practice and patient care, with topics ranging from corneal health and specialty lenses to soft contact lens wear and patient communication to cornea health diagnostic tools and practice optimization. You’ll hear from two thought leaders in each part in the series, as they break down the featured topic into two distinct subtopics. (Note: Look for the complementary podcast episode of each series part on The MOD Pod for an added bonus.)

In part one of the EMPOWER: Business + Specialty Care Optometric Series, we offer an in-depth discussion of corneal health and its significance to specialty lenses by two clinicians with extensive expertise on the subject.

THE CORNEA MATTERS

The cornea is an essential organ, and any problems with it can lead to vision impairment or blindness. Some diseases and conditions, such as genetic dystrophies, are unavoidable; others, such as microbial keratitis, are preventable, which is why patients need to see us for routine eye examinations. Diana Chu, OD, discusses this topic in more detail below.

We can guide patients toward surgical or medical options, or suggest a tailored approach with the use of specialty lenses. Ashley Tucker, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Dipl ABO, explores the relevance of this treatment modality, following Dr. Chu’s article.

We hope the information and insights contained here empower you with new knowledge to improve both your practice and patient care.