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104 | EYEWORLD | MARCH 2020 I NSIDE THE PRACTICE by Vanessa Caceres Contributing Writer exam to check for disease. If your practice can help to complete these exams—or interpret these images via telemedicine—it can be mutu- ally beneficial for your practice, the primary care practice, and for results with the quality mea- sures in place. "We are interested in seeing patients, and managed care is interested in improving their Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set score. Together, both entities have healthier results and keep our offices operating at full capacity," Ms. Jacka said. "Our goal is to meet a patient and take care of that patient for the rest of their life." 5 pearls to make it work What is it exactly that ophthalmologists and their practice staff need to do to better serve the growing population of patients with diabe- tes? Ms. Jacka had a few pearls to share to bring routine care for patients with diabetes to your eye practice. 1. Triage as needed in-house. Ms. Jacka shared the example from her own practice, which includes a fellowship-trained ophthalmol- ogist in retina, a general ophthalmologist, three optometrists, and four ophthalmic physician assistants. "All of our providers see diabetic patients," she said. "When the patient begins to show any retinopathy, we fast-track that patient to retina, as established patients get first priority, sometimes even that same day." I t's no secret that there's a scourge of type 2 diabetes affecting the U.S. In fact, there are 30.3 million people living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, according to the Cen- ters for Disease Control and Prevention. That's about 10% of the overall popula- tion. There also are more than 84.1 million people with prediabetes. Diabetes prevalence is the strongest in an area of Southern states called "the diabetes belt." The "belt" continues to strain as diabetes diagnoses expand. With the growth of diabetes, there are more potential cases of diabetic eye disease that require monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment, and that's where ophthalmologists can take on a more proactive role, said Mary Sue Jacka, MBA. Expanding your practice to perform regular exams with patients who have diabetes and to catch eye disease earlier has a few benefits. "You'll have a greater ability to take care of patients before permanent damage occurs," Ms. Jacka said. Additionally, it can help position your practice as the No. 1 eye referral center for your area's primary care physicians, as those are the ones often meeting initially with these patients. Quality improvement programs aimed at better management of patients with diabetes should be a key component of your plan, Ms. Jacka said. That's because there are quality mea- sures in managed care that focus on ensuring those with diabetes have an annual dilated eye 5 tips to better serve diabetes patients in your area About the source Mary Sue Jacka, MBA Haik Humble Eye Center West Monroe, Louisiana Relevant disclosures Jacka: None FACEBOOK @EyeWorldMagazine TWITTER @EyeWorldMag INSTAGRAM @eyeworldmagazine EYEWORLD 24/7 YOUTUBE EyeWorldTV.com

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