Xanthophyll Carotenoids in Retinal Function and Health: A Research Update

A growing body of research informs ophthalmology’s comprehension of the importance of xanthophyll carotenoids (XCs) in retinal health and function. The AREDS2 clinical trial provided strong evidence that a nutritional supplement containing the XCs lutein and zeaxanthin can reduce the risk of progression from intermediate to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Read about new evidence and ideas about which retinal cells contain carotenoids and their proposed role in soft drusen formation enable a new way to think about the AREDS2 supplement and will aid in the discovery of better ways to exploit pathways of nutritional biochemistry for improved disease control and prevention.

Ready to dig out from that hard-to-grasp pile of accounting reports?

This tip sheet will help you create a financial dashboard to locate data and track trends for your eye care practice quickly and easily. Learn how to quickly grasp your eye care practice’s financial health every month and address any issues you may uncover.

Visual Field Progression Rates and Intraocular Pressure Measurements with Different Tonometers

A new study that examines clinically relevant outcomes in glaucoma in relation to three different forms of tonometry has been published. Goldmann, Corneal Compensated IOP (IOPcc), and Rebound tonometry were examined in open-angle glaucoma patients. IOPcc had the strongest association with visual field loss (24.5%); more than double the association of Goldmann applanation tonometry (11.1%), and more than four times that of Rebound tonometry (5.8%). This indicates that IOPcc is a valuable measurement for glaucoma management.

Daga, FB, Diniz-Filho, A, Ogata, NG, Susanna, BN, Susanna, CN, Medeiros, FA. (2019) Association Between Rates of Visual Field Progression and Intraocular Pressure Measurements Obtained by Different Tonometers, Ophthalmology, Volume 126, Number 1, 49-54.

Why Ergonomic Design Matters for Eye Care Providers

Ergonomic design and eye care don’t always go together – in fact, eye care practitioners are often extremely susceptible to injuries and musculoskeletal disorders due to poor postures and outdated equipment.

In this white paper from Haag-Streit USA, you’ll learn:

Where eye care practitioners are most likely to experience injuries and chronic pain
Which equipment is most likely to cause these issues
What kind of ergonomic adjustments can be made to prevent these disorders from occurring

Daily aches and pains aren’t required as part of your job description – find out how you can make simple adjustments to your daily routine and eye care equipment for a healthier, happier, and more productive career.

Increase Productivity and Business Outcomes with the Intelligent EHR System

When switching from paper charts to an EHR system, Bowie, MD-based ophthalmologist Dr. Alan Malouf wanted an affordable system that was designed to fit ophthalmology practices. That’s what led him to choose EMA™, the #1 ophthalmology EHR system.

To find out why he describes implementing EMA as “the best decision we ever made,” download the case study below.

NuSight Medical - NuLids II Clinical Study

A prospective study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a novel mechanical eyelid device used by the patient at home for one minute each day (NuLids^TM by NuSight Medical, LLC, Rancho Santa Fe, CA) under the doctor's supervision for the treatment of dry eye disease (DED), blepharitis and meibomian gland disease (MGD).

Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty: A comprehensive Treatment Solution For Glaucoma

The attached article “Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty: A comprehensive Treatment Solution For Glaucoma” by Savak Teymoorian, MD describes SLT as a highly effective approach for first-line glaucoma treatment, as adjunct therapy with drugs, and as alternative therapy when drugs or surgery fail. SLT has become an essential tool in the glaucoma treatment armamentarium.

SLT: Stimulating a Natural Healing Response – Without Thera Damage
SLT is Safe, Effective and Repeatable
First-Line, Second-Line and Beyond
Integrating SLT into Clinical Practice
Patient Selection Criteria
An evolving Treatment Landscape

MIGS and MEDS

The attached Whitepaper discusses MIGS and MEDS: Is there a better option? Exploring the role of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty in conjunction with Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.

Pitfalls of Managing Glaucoma with Meds
SLT – A Dual-Purpose Alternative
SLT is equivalent in IOP lowering to one or more medications, without the side effects or problems of compliance
SLT and MIGS
Synergy with SLT

Combined Electrophysiology and SLT for Glaucoma

The attached article by Glaucoma specialist Savak “Sev” Teymoorian, MD, MBA describes how “Team Glaucoma” has acquired new players:

Overcoming Barriers in Glaucoma Care with Electrophysiology (PERG)
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty as the offensive player
Ethnicity and Glaucoma, By Mark A. Latina, MD
Electroretinography (ERG)
Incorporating new technology

Reflex Technology

The attached Whitepaper ‘Reflex™ Technology – Transforming Anterior and Posterior YAG Treatments with a New Generation laser” by Laser Vitreolysis expert I Paul Singh, MD describes the unique characteristics of Ellex Reflex™ YAG laser technology for performing Laser Floater Treatment (LFT):

Lighting up the entire vitreous to establish where the lens, floater and retina lie in relation to the floater and each other
Red Reflex provides greater visual contrast to enhance the view of the target opacity
On and off-axis illumination is used to determine spatial context of the vitreous opacity
Conventional YAG lasers have significant limitations

Eye Centers of Tennessee

OPHTHALMOLOGY CASE STUDY: IntelleChartPRO

Eye Centers of Tennessee ﬁrst moved to an EMR solution from paper more than six years ago. Their previous solution was no longer able to meet the needs of their growing practice. The owner, Dr. Larry Patterson, needed a solution based on feature functionality and the ability to partner with the solution provider throughout the complete process of selection, implementation and beyond. Read the full article to see the exciting results of their switch to a new EHR.

The Role of Corneal Hysteresis in Predicting Glaucoma Development

Lowering of the intraocular pressure (IOP) has been shown to delay or prevent development of glaucomatous damage and its progression. However, as the disease frequently remains asymptomatic until relatively late stages, identification of subjects at high risk for developing glaucoma is important in order to allow early treatment and prevention of irreversible vision loss. Conversely, some patients are unnecessarily treated for high IOP when, in fact, glaucoma is not actually present.

Besides IOP, other factors such as age, central corneal thickness (CCT), disc hemorrhages, and structural and functional measures of the optic nerve have been identified as associated with risk of glaucoma development. In a recently published prospective investigation by Medeiros et al, baseline corneal hysteresis (CH) measurements, collected from a cohort of patients suspected of having the disease, were more predictive of development of glaucomatous visual field defects over time than other risk factors.

The study provides strong evidence that Corneal Hysteresis, over a 5-year period, is a risk factor for glaucoma development, and that for each 1 mmHg lower of Corneal Hysteresis, there was a 21% higher risk of glaucoma development. Read the full article here…

THE UTILITY OF OBJECTIVE, FUNCTIONAL METRICS IN EYE CARE

Patients with diabetic retinopathy can present difficult clinical questions, even to the most experienced experts. While measurements like vision loss signify disease progression, visual acuity gains do not necessarily correlate with improvement in structure or global function. Despite the array of diagnostic modalities available to you, very few deliver actionable information that is helpful in deciding if treatment is working, when to change course, or perhaps even when to cease treatment because risks outweigh the potential benefits.

Read more about a fundamental test that can help. Download the ebook today.

11 Things Successful Practices Can Teach You About Missed Appointments

Tired of losing time and money on missed appointments? Here's the bottom line: just a few no–shows per week will cost your practice tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars every year.

This free eBook spills the secrets used by the most successful practices to:
• Identify and prevent the triggers that lead to patient no–shows
• Communicate more effectively with your patients
• Collect more reliable appointment confirmations
• Increase patient accountability
• Deal with your chronic no–showers
• Avoid and fill last–minute appointment cancellations

You simply can't afford to let the no-show epidemic go untreated, so download your free eBook today.

McKnight Eye Centers

OPHTHALMOLOGY CASE STUDY: IntelleChartPRO

For approximately 18 months, McKnight Eye Centers, a single-location ophthalmology practice in Liberty, Mo., dealt with the frustrations that came along with a generic EMR solution. "it's more hospital-based EMR," said Erin Grisafe, Practice Administrator of McKnight Eye Centers. "Ophthalmology is just a pea-sized portion of our previous EMR, so if you're not really in a hospital, it had so much stuff that really didn’t pertain to us ... it didn't take long before the doctors really hated it."

EBook: The Numbers Don’t Lie: 16 Facts About Texting That Will Change The Way You Engage Patients EB

Here are 16 Stats that Prove Medical Text Messaging Is the Answer

Texting is a great way to communicate with patients anytime without being intrusive. It's easy. It's inexpensive. Best of all, it's what your patients want. But pudding is supposed to be full of proof, right? So we’ve put together this eBook with 16 stats that show without a doubt why you should start texting your patients, including:

• 75% of patients would prefer receiving appointment and payment reminders via text
• Text message response rates are 209% higher than those from phone calls
• The average practice could save up to 2 hours a day on phone calls by using text conversations

Start having REAL conversations with your patients. Download the eBook today!

Advanced Vision Care Improves Patient Care and Saves Time by Switching to the EHR System, EMA

The physicians at Advanced Vision Care, located in Los Angeles, Calif., had been using an outdated electronic health record (EHR) system that inadequately kept up with the changes in technology and government regulations. Having experienced frequent system outages and unacceptable customer service, productivity would only decline unless a change was made. Dr. Nicole Fram, managing partner and ophthalmologist at Advanced Vision Care, led the initiative to implement a new system and has never been happier.

"I am a better physician because of EMA in terms of improved communication with other doctors, due to the thorough and detailed documentation it generates. My notes are legible, intelligent, customizable and easy to read. EMA enables me to do all these things I’ve dreamt of in an EHR system and I'm no longer spending hours dictating each night."

— NICOLE FRAM, MD

To keep reading, download the case study below.

10 Ways to Attract New Patients and Keep the Ones You Have

Let's face it. Without patients, you don't have a practice. Somehow you have to attract new patients and keep the ones you have without sacrificing patient care, medical billing, and a million other priorities!

You need an effective medical practice marketing strategy! Download this white paper now to discover 10 proven techniques, including how to:

Boost physician's online reviews
Improve physician's online reputation
Offer more patient communication options
Provide better patient education
Engage patients through social media

Krieger Eye Institute Increases Productivity with the iPad-based EHR System, EMA

When Dr. Don Abrams became the Chairman of Ophthalmology at the LifeBridge Health Krieger Eye Institute at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Md., he knew he wanted to implement an EMR system. He began looking at numerous systems that would support their various clinic locations, residency and fellowship programs and their multiple specialties only to be left with a disappointing solution.

Dr. Abrams explains, “We started using an EMR system in 2008 that we quickly found to be very cumbersome and outdated. The input of data was time consuming and the output was indecipherable. After a short six weeks of using the system, our productivity had plummeted so significantly that we couldn’t afford to continue using it. At that point we transitioned back to paper and I continued my search for the right EMR system.”

To keep reading, download the full case study below.

PATIENT RETENTION

Understanding the Value of Your Current Patients to Your Future Success

Without a solid plan for retaining current patients, growth will not be possible or will be minimized at best. This white paper discusses how patient retention is a multidimensional issue that requires a multidimensional approach.

A few of the topics in this white paper include:

· How to communicate with patients
· What is an acceptable rate of attrition
· Using social media to retain patients

Download this white paper to learn more about best practices to retain patients.

The Complete Software Handbook for Eye Care Practices

Learn how to select, switch & adopt software solutions to thrive in the value based era

Eye Care Leaders knows that selecting the right technology is critical for making your lives easier. We've compiled best practices and strategies from leading experts in the eye care industry to ensure you get the most out of your software solutions. This guide will help you select the best EHR, PM and optical software for your practice to increase revenue and productivity.

Discover the secret sauce of patient satisfaction

Don't leave your patients adrift on the patient island

Healthcare practices are scrambling to juggle the ever-increasing number of regulations, demands, and expectations placed upon their shoulders. As a result, an unfortunate side effect has emerged—many patients report feeling rushed, ignored, or “like they are adrift on a patient island.” But there is a simple solution: compassion. Compassion based care has been found to have an astounding effect on both patients and practices.

How can you bring compassion back to the forefront of your practice?

Lutein's Role in Children's Health

Lutein has strong support for its role in ocular health and has recently been recognized for its cognition role during early life and childhood. This white paper looks at the evidence for lutein’s function in brain tissue, where it is the predominant carotenoid in both infants and adults. FloraGLO^® Lutein is the only lutein brand approved for use in infant nutrition and the most clinically studied lutein brand in the world.

Research at Moorfields Eye Hospital Confirms the Visual Benefits of MacuHealth

Response to supplementation with MacuHealth™ (a formulation consisting of meso-zeaxanthin [10 mg], lutein [10 mg] and zeaxanthin [2 mg]) was conducted by Moorfields Eye Hospital, London.[1] The cohort of 49 subjects included those with non-advanced (n = 12) and advanced (n = 8) age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy with (n = 10) and without (n = 10) macular edema, central serous chorioretinopathy (n = 5) and no retinal disease (n = 4). By 6 months, statistically significant improvements in glare sensitivity (at low and medium spatial frequencies) were demonstrable, and reflected parallel statistically significant increases in macular pigment, prompting the investigators to conclude that supplementation with MacuHealth™ enhances visual performance and experience in healthy eyes and in eyes with a range of retinal diseases. These favorable observations by Moorfields Eye Hospital regarding the visual benefits of MacuHealth™ in diseased and in non-diseased eyes serve to replicate the findings of other investigators across the world.[2-4]

FloraGlo® by Kemin: The Pioneers of Lutein Science and Discovery

FloraGLO^® Lutein sets the gold standard for the lutein market. Rooted in science, with an unparalleled reputation for efficacy, trust and safety, the FloraGLO^® name is synonymous with excellence. “The Pioneers of Lutein Science and Discovery” offers the following:

How researchers discovered the photoprotective properties of lutein and zeaxanthin;
Why most adults aren’t getting enough in their diets; and
How Kemin created a lutein supplement proven to increase macular pigment optical density (MPOD) in clinical trials.

Discover the scientific pedigree of FloraGLO^® Lutein by Kemin.

Sustained supplementation and monitored response

Non-advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) does not profoundly affect vision, but is associated with gradual but relentless visual decline and, in many cases, progression to advanced and blinding AMD (atrophic and/or neovascular). Supplementation with antioxidants that include the macular carotenoids has been shown benefit patients with non-advanced AMD.[1] A recent randomized, clinical trial has shown that a formulation containing all three macular carotenoids (in L:MZ:Z [mg] ratio of 10:10:2; MacuHealth with LMZ3 and MacuHealthPlus+ ) outperforms a MZ-deficient formulation in patients with non-advanced AMD, both in terms of visual improvements and in terms of observed increases in macular pigment.[2]

Medical Food and Macular Carotenoids

Medical foods are an emerging category of product, formulated to address nutritional deficiencies relating to specific diseases or conditions. This whitepaper provides an insight into:

·         The importance of targeted nutrition for eye health
·         The medical food category: Guidelines, market size, regulations
·         Macular pigment: Risk factor, biomarker, vision performance
·         Lumega-Z: the first and only medical food developed to restore and maintain the macular pigment

Download the whitepaper to learn about this differentiated offering, and discover how to maximize the efficacy of your intervention, ensure patient compliance and satisfaction.

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