QIA Highlights – Improving Patient Education

In ABO’s quarterly newsletter over the past two years, we’ve highlighted practice improvement ideas submitted by Diplomates for the Quality Improvement Activity (QIA) portion of their MOC. Thank you to all the Diplomates who have generously allowed us to share their innovative ideas, enabling all patients served by ABO Diplomates to potentially benefit from these activities.

Many Diplomates have been inspired by new studies on myopia to improve the care of their pediatric patients. Dr. Britt Blackwell of Rock Hill, SC shifted his perspective on myopia after reading the references for the Pediatric CAP assessment. Rather than looking at myopia as just a refractive error, he now focuses on myopia’s potential to interfere with a patient’s future quality of life. He educates the parents of his pediatric patients about the benefits of time outdoors and stresses limiting time on computers, iPads, and cell phones. His office adopted a team approach to patient education, which is reinforced at monthly staff meetings. Posters placed in each exam room stress the importance of at least 2 hours of outside activities per day and serve as a reminder to consistently communicate with parents about the myopia epidemic.

Dr. Marissa Soong of Austin, TX was inspired after attending several CE courses on myopia management. She created a document that outlines what myopia is, ocular conditions associated with high myopia, why myopia management is needed and the treatment options available. Dr. Soong uses this document to supplement her parent education and communication, which she feels are key factors in the success of myopia management. Dr. Soong recently became certified to prescribe CooperVision MiSight contact lenses and the number of myopia-management patients in her practice is steadily increasing.

Thank you to Dr. Blackwell and Dr. Soong for sharing their quality improvement efforts with their ABO colleagues. If you have a QIA that you’re willing to share with your fellow Diplomates, please let us know and we’ll feature your ideas in an upcoming newsletter.