Vision Source; Blazing the Trail for AMD Management

Transcript:

My name is Aaron Werner and I’m an optometrist here and recent owner of the practice. The practice was started by dad over 35 years ago and I’m actually fifth-generation optometrists so I did everything I could not to be here and here I am. But it’s in the blood and I love it.

AdaptDx will change how we talk about AMD and AMD outcomes

The practice sees, altogether, about 250 comprehensive eye exams a month so I think the AdaptDx will change how we talk about AMD and AMD outcomes. We don’t do a good enough job saving the first eye on patients and we do a fantastic job saving second eye. It’s not a sexy disease. I don’t think it gets the attention that it deserves but we definitely need to focus on how we are treating this disease and I would not be surprised if dark adaptation becomes standard of care in the disease process. Similar to how having an OCT or an ultra-wide field is kind of becoming standard of care of how we treat retinal diseases.

Vision Source is primed to take the lead in the diagnosis and management of AMD

But I think Vision Source is primed to take the lead in the diagnosis and management of AMD. As an organization, we have the infrastructure for the education, we are incredibly forward-thinking in medical optometry, not only are we used to technology but we love technology. We’re on the forefront of research. We’ve got Vision Source and people leading the way really in all aspects of the profession, but we need to reduce the cost to the healthcare system and treating AMD early, saving vision, and treating it with nutraceuticals instead of having expensive injections. And the cost to the patients and employers, you know, who’ve missed work and whatnot. This is really a no-brainer. And Vision Source is exactly where we need to be to take the lead on this disease. The AdaptDx, for us, has really given us the missing piece of the diagnosis.

AdaptDx helps doctors detect subclinical AMD

Prior to the AdaptDx we were able to identify risk factors. We’re able to identify the red flags. The AdaptDx now gives me a diagnosis ahead of time where the risk factors still come into play but they helped drive the need to do the dark adaptometry with the AdaptDx. And further the testing as opposed to just monitoring the risk factors over time and waiting until it gets bad. We need to do a much better job of taking care of the disease earlier in the process and now that we have the AdaptDx to do that I think this is really going to change the entire way that we approach and treat the early diagnosis of AMD.