Eyeworld

N EWS 22 | EYEWORLD | JULY 2019 Considering next steps Dr. Rosen said he hopes practitioners come away from the study with the realization that the automated OCT is cost effective and an improvement for urgent care. "This device could be deployed to pro- vide a mesh of telemedicine within the general community in different ways," Dr. Rosen said, adding that its cost is in line with that of an ultrasound machine, which is already standard in many urgent care settings. Dr. Rosen also envisions having OCT in a public setting, like the blood pressure cuffs in drugstores. Another possible application, though more limited, could be at-home OCT. While such equipment gives a good baseline study, experts in OCT are still very much need- ed, Dr. Rosen stressed. "They can identify special areas and pull out more information," he said. "But on a day- to-day basis, I think having this readily available is going to make a big difference in how we treat a lot of these diseases." occur, you can make an accurate diagnosis in a short time. Residents and fellows were able to accurate- ly diagnose conditions such as vascular occlu- sion, retinal detachment, macular holes, central serous retinopathy, and more, Dr. Rosen said. Investigators found that using the auto- mated OCT was better than the slit lamp or an indirect ophthalmoscope typically available in this kind of setting, Dr. Rosen noted. "It's more efficient because it allows practi- tioners to make the diagnosis quicker," he said. "On an emotional level, it was reassuring to both patients and physicians that they were on the right track and allowed us to triage patients if they needed to be." For example, if a patient came in and was diagnosed with the help of automated OCT with urgent onset of wet mac- ular degeneration, they could be treated with an anti-VEGF injection on the spot, instead of having to wait to see a specialist the next day, Dr. Rosen said. continued from page 21 Why the ASCRS Preoperative OSD Algorithm was created Previous ASCRS Clinical Surveys identified educational gaps and underutilization of widely available diagnostic testing, despite 91% of respondents saying that mild to moderate dry eye disease impacts patient satisfaction in cataract and refractive surgery. •75% of respondents were unfamiliar with the TFOS DEWS II and the Delphi Panel International Task Force recommendations for dry eye and ocular surface disease. •9% were using osmolarity. •5% were performing MMP-9 testing. •83% said an algorithm for ocular sur- face diagnosis would be helpful (2017). of OSD highly likely, even if subtle, subclin- ical, or non-visually significant," Dr. Starr explained. "These are important to identify and treat preoperatively as they often worsen after surgery and could become visually significant afterward." Dr. Starr said he finds the tool easy to use. By making it a standard part of his preoperative protocol, the ocular surface is never ignored, and visually significant OSD is identified and treated prior to surgery, he said. "It is also important to stress the fact that this is an OSD, not just a DED, algorithm as we think that any ocular surface disease, includ- ing but not limited to DED, can potentially be visually significant and lead to suboptimal visual outcomes if neglected," he said. The new ASCRS Preoperative OSD Algorithm and SPEED II preoperative OSD questionnaire are available to Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery subscribers and to ASCRS members. continued from page 20 FACEBOOK EyeWorldMagazine TWITTER EyeWorldMag INSTAGRAM eyeworldmagazine keep up with eyeworld

• Blank Page
• Blank Page (1)