I am honored to serve as the guest editor for this issue of Ophthalmology Management, which focuses on retina. The authors of the articles in this issue highlight how multifaceted contemporary retina practice is, discussing novel treatments, cutting-edge imaging modalities, as well as clinical efficiency and patient co-management.
GENE THERAPY PROVIDES HOPE
Medical and surgical retina practitioners embrace innovation and strive to bring the best and most state-of-the-art treatments to their patients. Take Dr. Katherine Talcott, whose article focuses on using gene therapy to treat retina disease. Only recently, patients with inherited retina conditions lacked any treatment options at all and now gene therapy gives them hope for preserving vision. Dr. Talcott — and many of her colleagues — are participating in clinical trials on gene therapy to help those with neovascular AMD (nAMD), geographic atrophy (GA) and diabetic eye disease. In these patients, gene therapy can alleviate treatment burden of frequent injections. In her article, Dr. Talcott discusses how different delivery options — including subretinal, suprachoroidal and intravitreal gene therapy — may impact patient outcomes.
THE FUTURE OF DIAGNOSIS
New treatment options can introduce new complexities into retina practice. The host of available imaging modalities can aid retina specialists in establishing a diagnosis or in monitoring responses to treatment.
In her article, Dr. Kathleen Schildroth discusses current imaging modalities and future direction with imaging patients with nAMD, GA, diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. Among other things, she discusses the FDA’s recent De Novo marketing authorization to Notal Vision Home OCT device, SCANLY, and I am particularly excited to see how DRCR Retina Network Protocol AO will help practitioners to incorporate this AI-powered imaging technology into busy retina practices.
EFFICIENCY PEARLS
Retina clinics are known for their efficiency while proving the highest evidence-based care for the patients. In this issue, Drs. Jaclyn Kovach and Esther Kim share pearls of wisdom and practical tips about continuing to run an efficient clinic even as the increasing number of therapeutics and imaging modalities increase the complexity of decision making. Dr. Kovach reminds her readers that efficiency benefits patients as much or more than it benefits physicians and staff. She encourages her colleagues to “adopt a mindset” based on valuing a patient’s time as much as physicians value their own.
However, there is also unpredictability to retina clinics as urgent issues arise not infrequently. And although there might be a discussion on whether it is better to see these patients throughout the day or towards the end of the clinic day, there is no debate that taking care of such patients and communicating with their referring doctor is an integral part of what retina
specialists do.
KEYS TO CO-MANAGEMENT
Communication and education allow retina specialists to be successful. In her article, Dr. Margaret Chang focuses on co-management of retina patients, explaining that “as with most relationships, the keys to a successful co-management partnership include mutual respect, realistic expectations and maintaining open lines of communication.”
The opportunity to examine the work of these authors in this issue of Ophthalmology Management has impacted my own practice, and I am pleased to have an opportunity to help their efforts have a wider impact. OM
