| Author |
Tales From the Front
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| doctor_my_eye@msn.com 2006-03-23, 1:26 pm |
| I want to take a minute here to reflect on the deteriorating
relationship between optometrists and ophthalmologists. Most of you
know that I have been practicing for 25 years, but I doubt if many of
you know how rapidly that things have deteriorated on the OD-MD
relationship front.
When LASIK first started going like gangbusters 5 years ago, organized
ophthalmology went way out of its way to befriend the profession of
optometry. Optometrists had always been a good referral source for
cataract surgery, but when refractive surgery started growing there was
a whole new dynamic. Ophthalmology practices were full of old people
with cataracts and glaucoma, they often didn't have the healthy young
myopic patients that were candidates for LASIK. The optometrists were
the "gatekeepers" of the millions of healthy myopes who could stream
into a refractive surgery practice. In 2001 I was offered 800 dollars
for each LASIK that I referred, and I was offered a 10,000 dollar
"honorarium" for having LASIK done myself. Needless to say, I never
took the bait.
Now that the LASIK industry has learned that direct-to-consumer
advertising works so well for LASIK, the optometrist is no longer
needed as a referral source. Ophthalmology never really liked the fact
that optometrists kept getting more and more education and more
treatment privledges every year, but they learned to live with it since
they were referring those myopes.
Now, the gloves are off. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has
passed a resolution that FORBIDS optometrists from taking educational
seminars at ophthalmology meetings. They argued that optometrists get
more prescribing privledges in state laws only because they steal
knowledge from MD conventions.
This war has escalated again when the ACRS (Academy of Corneal and
Refractive Surgery) decided they will now ban optometrists from their
meetings as well. Instead of viewing the optometrist as a partner in
the continuing care of patients that we are supposed to be, the OD is
forbidden from attending lectures about refractive surgery and care of
surgical complications.
The old adage about cutting off your nose to spite your face works well
here. I noticed a thread here about "help me find an optometrist who
hates my refractive surgeon." There are now thousands of us that
despise this new warfare.
I find it easier than ever to find an optometrist who wouldn't refer
for LASIK and is totally disgusted by the politics from the front.
_________________
For resources, check www.doctormyeye.com
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| Glenn - USAEyes.org 2006-03-23, 6:35 pm |
| The industry has a long history of trying to sink the other end of the
boat.
Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
USAEyes.org
"Consider and Choose With Confidence"
Email to glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org
http://www.USAEyes.org
http://www.ComplicatedEyes.org
I am not a doctor.
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| serebel 2006-03-24, 1:34 am |
|
Glenn - USAEyes.org wrote:
> The industry has a long history of trying to sink the other end of the
> boat.
>
How does this latest "competition" thing work when ODs are directly
employed by an opthamologist practice?
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| doctor_my_eye@msn.com 2006-03-24, 1:34 am |
| The optometrist that can "prove" that he is employed by an
ophthalmologist IS permitted to attend these shows. These guys are
considered as less dangerous to the medical profession.
| |
| serebel 2006-03-24, 1:34 am |
| drmyeye wrote:
"The optometrist that can "prove" that he is employed by an
ophthalmologist IS permitted to attend these shows. These guys are
considered as less dangerous to the medical profession."
Unless there is some sort of nondisclosure agreement, the OD can always
break away from the opthal's practice.
But in any event, wouldn't the info from these lectures be available
elsewhere?
Besides, most people would stroll into an OD's office as opposed to an
MD's office. Most people I know get their eyes examined by an OD first,
in the event of a med problem would they take the next step of going to
the MD.
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| It's funny that they don't let optometrists in, but patients can and do
walk right in.
You should have seen the look on Maloney's face when he saw me at the
AAO meeting with one of the patients who has filed a lawsuit against
him. The way he quickly walked up to get a closer look, I'd swear
he's nearsighted and forgot his contacts that day!
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| serebel 2006-03-25, 1:33 am |
| That look was probably one of relief seeing you there. After all you
would have lost your lawsuit if you hadn't settled for your pennies on
the dollar.
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| Ragnar 2006-03-25, 11:34 am |
| It's pretty obvious that what the ophthalmologists want to avoid is
having optometrists coming to their meetings and causing trouble
either at the meeting itself, or by writing reviews of the meetings
afterwards. Also, there are a lot more optometrists around than
ophthalmologists. These meetings could easily be dominated by
optometrists just by numbers.
When a load of people are flying in from all corners of the country to
attend a meeting, they don't want to be stepping into a battle zone.
To put in bluntly.. these two groups of people do not play nicely
together... so restrictions are now put in place.
On 23 Mar 2006 19:23:14 -0800, "doctor_my_eye@msn.com"
<doctor_my_eye@msn.com> wrote:
>The optometrist that can "prove" that he is employed by an
>ophthalmologist IS permitted to attend these shows. These guys are
>considered as less dangerous to the medical profession.
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| Ragnar 2006-03-25, 11:34 am |
| I would suggest to people that an optometrist is likely to provide a
better Rx and fitting for glasses or contacts. An ophthalmologist can
do an Rx for glasses or contacts, but they are not "expert" in doing
it.
For an eye injury or infection or other non-refractive condition, I
would suggest an ophthalmologist.
Even in those cases.. there are situations in which one needs to go to
a specialist if they have a special condition.. and to avoid that
specialist if they don't have the condition that the specialist
specializes in. For example.. there are doctors that specialize in
treating infants and young children whose asses need to be glued to
the chair and have to be examinied in different ways. There are
doctors that only treat geriatric patients that are frankly falling
apart at the seams and can be senile.
On 23 Mar 2006 19:43:23 -0800, "serebel" <serebel@aol.com> wrote:
>drmyeye wrote:
>
>"The optometrist that can "prove" that he is employed by an
>ophthalmologist IS permitted to attend these shows. These guys are
>considered as less dangerous to the medical profession."
>
>Unless there is some sort of nondisclosure agreement, the OD can always
>break away from the opthal's practice.
>
>But in any event, wouldn't the info from these lectures be available
>elsewhere?
>Besides, most people would stroll into an OD's office as opposed to an
>MD's office. Most people I know get their eyes examined by an OD first,
>in the event of a med problem would they take the next step of going to
>the MD.
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| Ragnar 2006-03-25, 11:34 am |
| When he walked up to you... did you say "Hi Bob!" and then everyone in
the room took a drink?
I wouldn't be at all surprised if Bob doesn't have a little surprise
for you.
hint hint
You should avoid tangling with people who have a superior IQ to you.
Even King Kong didn't do to well against Jack Black.
You are like a case of chronic gas and he's got the pepto bismol.
On 23 Mar 2006 23:20:51 -0800, "Sandy" <sandy@savvysneaks.com> wrote:
>It's funny that they don't let optometrists in, but patients can and do
>walk right in.
>
>You should have seen the look on Maloney's face when he saw me at the
>AAO meeting with one of the patients who has filed a lawsuit against
>him. The way he quickly walked up to get a closer look, I'd swear
>he's nearsighted and forgot his contacts that day!
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| doctor_my_eye@msn.com 2006-03-25, 11:34 am |
| What you are saying is true...but really sad. There should be no
monopoly on knowledge. If organized ophthalmology really wants the
needs of their patients to be well taken care of, they should care a
lot that the optometrist has a chance to learn at the same lectures
that he is learning at.
If they wanna fight, fight in the courts or state legislatures....not
in the classroom.
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