Eyeworld

12 | EYEWORLD | MAY 2020 ASCRS NEWS continued from page 10 Sessions will be running concurrently, so attendees will have the option to choose the topics of most interest to them. There will also be Q&A and chat functions for attendees to interact with the faculty. On-demand presentations of clinical papers, posters, and films will be available for viewing, including slides, video, and audio. There will be 600 papers and 400 posters avail- able, as well as a skills lab library highlighting surgical techniques, Dr. Holland said. There will be a livestream of the ASCRS Film Festival and more than 200 films available to view. Attendees will also have the option to network in a small group format with ASCRS experts. The latest industry-sponsored educational content will be available in a corporate educa- tion "room," and a full virtual Exhibit Hall will provide product and service information, links to additional materials, and the opportunity to network directly. Attendees will have the option to book one-on-one appointments with indus- try representatives, Dr. Holland said. The 2020 ASCRS Virtual Meeting con- tent will continue to be available to registrants following the 2-day meeting and includes a sub- scription for additional content to be released throughout the year. All meeting attendees will have unlimited access to the hundreds of hours of content and bonus subscription content through the ASCRS website for up to 1 year. Contact Holland: eholland@holprovision.com Patient outreach will be key to reducing anxiety continued on page 14 Contributed by ASCRS leadership C onstant bombardment of coronavirus news and ensuing fear has resulted in heightened anxiety, with immediate effects on the human psyche. At least for the foreseeable future, COVID-19 has reshaped the way people think about their health and how care is delivered. As with other industries, some ophthal- mologists have begun the process of reopening their practices to get back to work and begin generating much-needed revenue. However, economists warn that overall consumer con- fidence will continue to lag, not only because of the financial impact of the pandemic, but also due to inherent fear of virus exposure that some consumers may continue to experience. Several recent surveys among medical professionals have pointed to the common challenge of how to alleviate patient fear of returning to waiting rooms in close proximity to other patients. This hurdle is likely to be exacerbated among elderly patients, the primary demographic of ophthalmic practices. It is important to balance business needs with an understanding of the psychological toll that quarantine puts on our patients. Now more than ever, it is important to consider the pa- tient's perspective in how we conduct our work. "It is important to balance business needs with an understanding of the psychological toll that quarantine puts on our patients. Now more than ever, it is important to consider the patient's perspective in how we conduct our work."

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