EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
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Contact information Name: 58 | EYEWORLD | MAY 2019 G UCOMA questions on mobility, vision, speech, elimina- tion, breathing, sleeping, vitality, mental func- tion, eating, usual activities, discomfort, sexual activity, depression, distress, and hearing. Open angle glaucoma patients who used more resources actually reported worse health-related quality of life in early glaucoma, according to an 11-year retrospective study in which patients were treated with 28% more medications, 46% higher follow-up costs (more frequent testing), three times more laser therapy, and twice the amount of surgery. The investi- gators found, overall, there was no difference in quality of life or in any clinical outcomes. 1 Dividing the cake equitably Tays Eye Center at Tampere University Hospital set out to adjust the increasing need to limited resources by undertaking a national benchmark- ing of eye services. It prioritizes permanently blinding eye diseases, especially AMD, glau- coma, and diabetic retinopathy (vs. cataract, which does not cause permanent blindness), sets a standard for identifying the highest-risk patients, and standardizes care of usual patients to facilitate sustainability. The group works with a healthcare budget cap and presides over multi- disciplinary teams, and more. "In Finland, we prioritize and stratify patients based on risk of permanent blindness, keeping cost in mind. We do a lot of shared care and more and more in patient self-care. Finally, the main thing is to evaluate what we are doing both on the 'individual' (citizen and patient) level and on the 'system' level, i.e., are we reaching the set goals of reduced visual disability and best possible well-being with sus- tainable costs. What we need are adequate and equal health services. 'Good enough' is the new optimum," Dr. Tuulonen said. Subscribe now to watch videos filmed at the 2019 ASCRS ASOA Annual Meeting in San Diego Coming soon: Live interviews at the 2019 Combined Ophthalmic Symposium in Austin, Texas, August 23–25 EYEWORLDLIVE.COM ASCRS LIVE continued from page 56