Eyeworld

N After being closed since mid-March to every- thing but urgent cases, Dr. Fram said her practice planned to open on May 18 to see a maximum of 20–30 patients a day in Phase 1 with one doctor working at a time. Phase 2 will involve 40 patients a day with a reassessment of patient flow in the office. Patients have their temperature checked and are then brought directly to one of the practice's 10 exam rooms upon arrival, and no one is in the waiting room. All staff and patients wear masks. While family and guest are waiting outside, the practice is in constant communication with them by phone. Face shields are employed while testing, and a no-talking policy at the slit lamp is in place, among other safety protocols for staff and patients. Dr. Fram said they are also obtaining information from patients over the phone 3 days prior and pre- filling patient charts before they get into the office, cutting down on the time in the office. "This is an efficiency that we will continue long term as it has dramatically cut workup time to less than 5 minutes per patient," she said. Telemedicine is something Dr. Fram said her practice will continue to some degree as things shift toward "normal." She said they're going to try to take care of the same amount of patients as before the pandemic through a combination of telemedicine and in-office visits, stratifying each based on need. Prior to the pandemic, Dr. Fram said she was seeing 50 patients a day, doing 20 surgeries a week, contributing to publications, and lecturing at conferences. "This is a wakeup call, and [we're] trying to see the silver lining for if we can find a way to see as many patients but in a more efficient way to have a better patient experience, and to have staff that understands the importance of working quickly and efficiently; I don't see how I would ever go back. The only thing we might do, since we have a big office, is increase the number of patients and doctors working at once. But it has to be in a safe and efficient way for the staff and the patients," she said. How else will the pandemic change the way she practices? "Think about it like this: Viral conjunctivitis is the most contagious syndrome we have. I, in 15 years [of practicing], have never had viral conjunc- tivitis, and the question is why? I used to shake continued on page 24 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 Stephens Instruments | 2500 Sandersville Rd | Lexington KY 40511 USA Toll Free ( USA ) 800.354.7848 | info@stephensinst.com | stephensinst.com © 2019 Stephens Instruments. All rights reserved. Vera180™ synthetic absorbable lacrimal plugs from Lacrivera® provide extended temporary occlusion lasting approximately 6 months. Offer patients long-lasting relief while optimizing your patient treatment schedule. Stephens – more than instruments. Vera180 ™ Absorbable Lacrimal Plugs Look to Stephens for 6 month dry eye relief

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