I s s ue 01

NEWSLETTER Vol ume 01

2019

by Kayla Maanum
QUALITY HEALTH CARE IN THE
ELECTRONIC AGE:
THE IMPORTANCE OF DISCOURSE IN MAINTAINING QUALITY
THE OPTOMETRIC FIELD.
In the field of optometry, professionals
rely on various forms of discourse to not
only stay informed about emerging
knowledge in the field, but also updates
on local and national issues within the
profession.
One of the most pressing issues in the
field currently is the competitive
struggle between privately practicing
physicians and corporation-backed
online frame and contact lens vendors,
according to Los Angeles-based
optometrist John Maanum.
?A big issue is protecting the patient?s
eye health from large corporations that
wish to profit from a lowering of eye
health care by diminishing ability of
optometrists to provide adequate care.
They do this by passing laws that
prevent regular eye exams,? Maanum
said.
Maanum earned his Doctor
Optometry from Southern California
School of Optometry in 1999 and is
Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agent
(TPA)-certified. He explains that
optometrist practices are tightly
regulated by legislation. This is in
contrast to medical doctors, who have
more freedom in prescriptive powers.
?Everything about our profession--how
insurance companies view us and what
are scope is-- is all controlled
legislatively. We have associations like
the AOA (American Optometric
Optometry
TI MES
Association) and California Optometric
Association that give updates on bills
that will either negatively or positively
affect the field of optometry,? Maanum
said.
Prominent communication journals in
the field include Optometry Times,
Contact Lens Spectrum, and American
Optometric Association Magazine.
According to Maanum, the best pieces
of writing he finds in these journals are
ones that explain the science without
outside influence.
?[The best pieces are] not biased by
industry vendors and are backed up by
sound peer-reviewed research. I do
occasionally read research articles. I?ll
read research articles mainly on FDA
studies of new medical devices, such as
new intraocular lens implants, new
medications for treatment of glaucoma
and macular degeneration, which allows
of
me to make an assessment as to
whether these new medications are
worth prescribing.?
Organizational newsletters are not the
only form of discourse that Maanum
engages in professionally. He also
expresses the importance of
correspondence between himself and
other medical colleagues.
?Communicating important medical
information to other colleagues within
the eye care profession is very
important. I often will write report of the
findings of the examination and give advice in
terms of helping [patient?s] protect eyes,? Maanum
said.
Because there are many different genres of
writing that the field uses, the style and tone of
the writing differ depending on the audience.
?My charting is mainly documenting the findings.
Very short and to the point and a lot of medical
terminology and diagnosis codes, Maanum said.
?With correspondence to other health care
professionals, it?s little more freehand. I will write
out in paragraph form more of my findings of the
exam, my concerns and my orders for further
testing to be delegated to those doctors I am
referring to.?
Despite the variety of discourse in the field,
Maanum notes that all types reflect the key values
that the profession seeks to uphold. Whether that
be to keep informed about key legislative reform
regarding optometry regulations or sharing
medical findings with other professionals, the goal
of discourse is clear.
?[The goal]is certainly doing what is best in terms
of the patient?s vision and eye health. And being a
professional, this means having good ethics. The
writing that occurs in my profession goes hand in
hand with taking the interest of the patient first.?