Glaucoma non-compliant letter

**scottster** · 11-04-2008, 06:39 PM

Hi, everybody! I was given the task in my office to find the copy of our glaucoma non-compliant 'scare' letter. So far, no luck. It's really old anyway so I decided to forge a new one. Don't really know where to start so I was wondering if anybody here can point me in the right direction. Maybe a link to a form letter from another doc, perhaps. Don't need anything special. Thanks a bunch!

OptoScott

**chip anderson** · 11-04-2008, 06:58 PM

Why would an optician need one. Practicing a little medicine?

**Jubilee** · 11-04-2008, 10:27 PM

Cause in many offices, including the one I work in, Optician is just one title you hold.. There is also office administrator, Optometric technician, and janitor among others..

I have a letter at the office I have used in the past. I will see if it is usable or not. I have a tendency to personalize them somewhat so that they know we are thinking of them when we do it.

In the one I am thinking of.. we fired her as a patient and simply stated where we forwarded her records to. (A specialist she had been seen by while under our care)

**MarcE** · 11-05-2008, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by scottster

glaucoma non-compliant 'scare' letter.

I know this isn't much help, but I believe that you are thinking of it incorrectly. The purpose of this letter is not to scare, but to protect the Dr in case of potential legal action and to encourage the patient to continue their care even if it is with another Dr.
The letter should contain a statement that you would be glad to forward any medical records should they desire a second opinion or if they are continuing their care elsewhere. And an offer to recommend another doctor. And a reminder to call the doctor for any more information.

**Fezz** · 11-05-2008, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by MarcE

I know this isn't much help, but I believe that you are thinking of it incorrectly. The purpose of this letter is not to scare, but to protect the Dr in case of potential legal action and to encourage the patient to continue their care even if it is with another Dr.
The letter should contain a statement that you would be glad to forward any medical records should they desire a second opinion or if they are continuing their care elsewhere. And an offer to recommend another doctor. And a reminder to call the doctor for any more information.

DOH!!!!
You beat me to it!!!
Lets just give one of our brains a break already!!!!

:cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:

**scottster** · 11-05-2008, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by chip anderson

Why would an optician need one. Practicing a little medicine?

Ha! It seems like I do everything here. Next step, diagnosing and treating diseases. Maybe some here can relate to the 'office-husband' syndrome.

**Dave Nelson** · 11-05-2008, 01:26 PM

I have seen a number of these "scare" letters. They are nearly always used to "educate" clients, or to mitigate liability, and they are never used to simply scare patients into frequent returns to the office for more eye exams, which, of course, is for their own good anyway.
I used to have contact lens clients hand them to me, reading:

"I, the undersigned agree that if I obtain my contact lenses from anyone other than the prescribing optometrist, that optometrist will not be responsible for any adverse effects, including blindness, that may result."

There is little justification for scare tactics in vision care, but there is room for educating clients with reasonable facts, in a professional manner.

**scottster** · 11-05-2008, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by Dave Nelson

I have seen a number of these "scare" letters. They are nearly always used to "educate" clients, or to mitigate liability, and they are never used to simply scare patients into frequent returns to the office for more eye exams, which, of course, is for their own good anyway.
I used to have contact lens clients hand them to me, reading:

"I, the undersigned agree that if I obtain my contact lenses from anyone other than the prescribing optometrist, that optometrist will not be responsible for any adverse effects, including blindness, that may result."

There is little justification for scare tactics in vision care, but there is room for educating clients with reasonable facts, in a professional manner.

Of course the 'scare' part is an exaggeration. It's all about getting the patient to understand the importance of compliance and the retaining of their sight. I just don't even know where to begin.

**Dave Nelson** · 11-05-2008, 03:41 PM

Its true, there can be a fine line between fear-mongering and educating, the example letter I quoted being an obvious example of the former.
A brochure informing elderly or other at-risk patients of the asymptomatic and insidius nature of glaucomas combined with some verbal discussion is warranted, even strongly indicated, but dire warnings and threats to vision are not justified, even when it appears to have the desired results.
Of course, there are some exceptions, and unbiased clinical judgement will need to be excercised. Form letters designed to scare or intimidate patients into more frequent eye exams justified by "its for their own good" is not. BTW, I havn't seen your letter, so I'm not making any judgements on it, only on some of the letters I've seen in the past.
all the best, Scottster.