Simplicity, clarity are key
F
or better compliance with
pre- or postop cataract sur-
gery instructions, keeping it
simple may be best.
"I simplify the regimen
as much as possible to ensure compli-
ance," said Inna Ozerov, MD, Miami
Eye Institute, Hollywood, Florida.
Leaders at eye care practices
follow solid teaching principles to
ensure that cataract surgery patients
understand and comply with their
surgical instructions.
The process can take some trial
and error. At Eye Centers of Tennes-
see in Crossville, the instructions
for patients could potentially "fill a
book," as Larry Patterson, MD, said,
but staff have worked diligently to
boil down the instructions to one
page. That, in addition to a recent
switch to an intracameral injection of
medications instead of a patient-led
drops regimen, has simplified instruc-
tions for his patients.
What are some other specific
strategies to ensure that patients
understand and follow your cataract
surgery pre- and postop instructions?
Here are some pearls shared by sea-
soned surgeons.
1. Write it down—then repeat it
orally several times. "The verbal
instructions are mentioned by the
doctor, emphasized by the techni-
cians, and reiterated by the surgical
schedulers, but the real key to the
communication is that we write ev-
erything down for the patient," said
Jack Parker, MD, PhD, Parker Cor-
nea, Birmingham, Alabama. "That
usually means typed sheets with
explicit instructions but frequently
also includes handwritten additional
10 tips to streamline your
cataract surgery instructions
by Vanessa Caceres, Ophthalmology Business Contributing Writer
16 Ophthalmology Business • September 2018
