In case you missed it: NBC sports broadcaster Bob Costas came down with an eye infection just as his Olympics coverage began. His Olympics coverage began with an explanation that he was wearing eyeglasses instead of contact lenses because he had an infection that a doctor told him should clear up within a few days. He quipped that he wished all his problems would be so easy they would clear up in a few days.
A few days later, the situation had gotten worse instead of better. The inflammation had spread to his second eye, and he needed to be replaced on air first with Matt Lauer and then with Meredith Vieira. He finally returned this week.
Did Costas do the right thing in attempting to soldier through his eye infection? Could he have avoided infecting his second eye?
Importantly, is there a teaching point to share with patients?
What’s the conversation to have with patients who present with an eye infection? How do you explain how they should best handle it in terms of whether or not to go to work and whether or not to participate in other activities? And if they do participate in their usual activities, what precautions to take?
Further, are you pro-active in pre-setting your patients to think of you in treating eye infections?
Do your patients hesitate to tell you they have an eye infection? Do they know that an optometrist can easily and readily treat them? Or do they, instead, call their general practitioner or ophthalmologist to schedule an appointment whenever a spot opens up?
If the answer is YES to any of the above, what’s the solution?
Let patients know (and before they experience an infection) that optometrists are trained, licensed and equipped treat eye infections in an eye emergency visit–and that calling your office is the first call they should make.
