Sep 1, 2009 - Kontacts) and the Mandell Seamless. (ABB Concise). Additionally, some labs can place an alternating front surface add onto an existing back.
SEPTEMBER 2009
ALSO INSIDE: • The Golden Years of Vision • No-Fee CE: A Material Benefit • More Multifocal Options for Astigmats • Preventing Post-LASIK Problems
Supplement to
September 2009
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Editorial By Joseph P. Shovlin, O.D., F.A.A.O.
Reform Redux Will we see real health care reform or only minor health insurance modifications?
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s Congress continues to debate the details of heath care reform, one can only speculate what impact this crusade might have on eye care. Although the Clinton administration abandoned reform due to seemingly insurmountable odds, the Obama team appears to be firmly committed to a health care overhaul—at least, for now. Recently, I had the opportunity to follow a lively debate in our local newspaper. Two physicians weighed in on health care and the expected reform that looms ahead.1 The debate analyzed whether governmentrun insurance should be feared. One of the physicians was a staunch proponent of such government-run programs. After all, Medicare providers and recipients “have survived rather nicely.”1 The other physician argued against additional government programs because these programs seem to be a “conglomeration of rules and regulations that would confuse Rube Goldberg.”1 Also, much of the Medicare financial burden is hidden in the federal bureaucracy and actually managed by private insurers’ contracts.1
insurers have no intention of fixing the problem since shared risk doesn’t fit into their business model.1
Organized Priorities We need a shift in strategy to preventive care with personal accountability (and aligned incentives) and evidenced-based, best-practices medicine. In addition, massive reform in the approval process for new drugs and devices is sorely needed in order to assure a streamlined and timely approval process.2 We must ensure funding for “high risk” research into novel approaches for chronic and acute diseases, rather than research in areas where the answers to many of the questions are already known. The bottom line is that the review process has to be willing to accept new approaches and paradigms to aid in the quest for novel treatments for acute and chronic disease. I think most would agree that we need an inclusive, comprehensive and affordable system even though it may sound like an oxymoron. Does this whole reform movement signal an end or a new beginning to the free market of health care? Only time will tell. RCCL
Who’s Accountable? And, how does accountability—including proof of competency—fit into the complex equation of health care overhaul to help assure efficiency and suitability to practice? Accountability is definitely a key component of any reform. This year alone, Americans will spend $2.3 trillion on health care, and that’s during a recession.2 Unfortunately, when we evaluate health care performance by reasonable, objective measures, we find that we’re not doing so well. For example, infant mortality, life expectancy, disease prevention and access to health care are relatively poor compared to other developed nations.1 A transformational change is undeniably needed. Failure to adequately address the foreboding issues of providing health care will absolutely continue to cripple our economy. We are in peril now, and for nearly 30 years, the economics of health care have been labeled “unsustainable.”1 The whole matter is quite complex and not so easily remedied—otherwise, the initiatives started over 15 years ago by the Clintons would have prevailed. But, we do need insurance that is transferable when leaving a job or residence regardless of health status. Unfortunately, private
1. Sunday Patriot News. Doctors weigh in on health care. 2009 July;5:F1. 2. HealthCareReform.gov. Available at: www.healthreform.gov. (Accessed Aug 2009).
Joseph P. Shovlin, O.D., F.A.A.O., Clinical Editor
In Memoriam: J. Pat Cummings, O.D., F.A.A.O. We were all shocked and saddened by the news of Pat’s passing. He was loved by his family and friends and deeply respected by his colleagues and co-workers. He will be sorely missed as the constant advocate for the young and less fortunate. He was an unwavering supporter of many different programs, not only as a past president of the AOA, but as an executive of a large company who directed donations generously to many worthy causes. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to: The Dr. Pat and Patrick Cummings Memorial Fund: Optometry’s Charity AOA National Office 243 N. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO, 63141
REVIEW OF CORNEA & CONTACT LENSES | SEPTEMBER 2009
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News Review VOL. 146, No. 6 In The News • Bausch & Lomb’s website www.goodbyereaders.com was awarded a “Best in Class” honor in the healthcare category of the 2009 Interactive Media Awards. This award represents the best in planning, execution and overall professionalism of a website. The site educates visitors on the benefits of Bausch & Lomb’s multifocal contact lenses and allows to search for local doctors, take a style quiz and download a free contact lens trial certificate. • ClearKone from SynergEyes, Inc., is a recently introduced contact lens for keratoconus patients. The patent-pending design vaults the predominant irregularities of the keratoconic cornea, restoring vision for irregular cornea patients without compromising comfort or eye health, the company says. This lens utilizes hybrid technology to give keratoconus patients the visual clarity of a high-oxygen rigid gas-permeable contact lens and the comfort and convenience of a soft lens. What makes the ClearKone lens different from other SynergEyes lenses is the design of the lens itself and the technique used to fit it. ClearKone is now available in limited release in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. • BiExpert GP Bifocal is the new addition to the presbyopic lens lineup of Art Optical Contact Lens, Inc. The company has entered into an agreement with Laboratoire Precilens of Paris, France, to manufacture and distribute the patented lens design in the U.S. BiExpert features slab-off GP lens technology, which creates a thinner, uniform edge profile 360o around the circumference of the lens. The non-truncated, alternating vision bifocal incorporates an inverse curve that fits the lower eyelid and provides a natural lens translation to near vision.
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Lens-Related Complications
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soft contact lenses (0.85 ± 0.82). Silicone contact lenses (0.79 ± 0.76) had a slightly lower, although not statistically different (P=0.23), rate of complication than non-silicone lenses (0.90 ± 0.87). Although not statistically significant (P=0.29), extended wear lens use had a higher complication rate (0.93 ± 0.84) compared with daily wear (0.73 ± 0.79). “Although most complications were mild and asymptomatic, the high prevalence of complications stresses the importance of early detection of contact lens related complications and appropriate management,” said the researchers.
study of the types and prevalence of contact lens-related complications among lens wearing patients found that 50% of the eyes had at least one lens-related complication.1 Moreover, using solutions outside of a practitioner’s recommendations, which includes generic and private label solutions, had the highest rate of complications for both soft (1.11 ± 1.27) and gas-permeable (0.96 ± 0.93) lens wear. Papillae and giant papillary conjunctivitis were the most prevalent complications in both gas-permeable and soft lens wearers. But, rigid gas-permeable contact lenses had a statistically lower (P
