Eyeworld

N Contact Name: by Title Dr. Morse said to be honest with the patient about your concern about depression. Say that you will continue to see them to address vision issues, but that another professional could help with other aspects of their mood that might be affecting their quality of life, Dr. Morse explained. Sometimes depressive symptoms associated with vision loss can be improved with treatment to improve vi- sion. Addressing the patient's vision issues could improve symptoms of depression but, Dr. Morse noted, it may not. In an invited commentary published in JAMA Ophthalmol- ogy, Dr. Morse offered a simple way to get at if a patient's visual symptoms are affecting his or her quality of life and, thus, could be leading to depressive symptoms. "One easy way to help patients is to ask a simple question: Because of your eyesight, are you unable to do things you want to do?" 3 "[Ophthalmologists] should address the components of a patient's problem that they feel most equipped to deal with. Just as they would refer them if the patient needed surgery and it was not a kind of surgery they performed, they should understand that depression is something that there are people who are equipped to deal with. The as- sumption is they're depressed because they have vision loss and once the vision loss is fixed, they won't be depressed. That may be true, but it may not be," Dr. Morse said. "De- pression in patients with vision loss doesn't necessary flow from their vision loss. Don't make the assumption that you know what the cause of the depression is." Dr. Morse pointed to an editorial in the journal Ophthalmology that he wrote last year "What Can I Do to Help My Patient When I Think There Is Nothing Else I Can Do?" In this piece, Dr. Morse wrote about depression as a significant comorbidity of self-reported vision loss, emphasizing the impor- tance of understanding and appreciating what the patient is experiencing to address their sense of vi- sion loss. Dr. Morse wrote that eyecare providers should make sure discus- sions are had (either with them or with others, such as a social worker) about the patient's "goals and the opportunities for vision rehabilitation." Contact Morse: armorse@lighthouseguild.org I N S T R U M E N T S | S I N G L E U S E | D R Y E Y E | B I O L O G I C S © 2018 Stephens Instruments. All rights reserved. Stephens Instruments | 2500 Sandersville Rd | Lexington KY 40511 USA Toll Free ( USA ) 800.354.7848 | info@stephensinst.com | stephensinst.com SAVE TIME & MONEY Removes hidden costs of time and resources spent on cleaning, sterilization, repair and replacement. REDUCE RISK Reduces risk of cross contamination. Overall improved patient safety. FRESH & PRECISE Each procedure begins with a new, precise and sterile SafeSite™ instrument. ! Look to Stephens for single-use instruments. SafeSite ™ Sterile Single-Use Instruments $

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