Total Visual System Assessment—Integrating Wavefront Technology in Refractive Examinations

Abstract

Current trends and recent legislative changes have increased the pressure to control healthcare costs, especially those associated with running ophthalmic practices. These factors have driven practice consolidation, reduced consultation times, increased use of electronic health record systems, and encouraged more meaningful use of technology. At the same time, patient expectations and standards of clinical care are both rising. This climate could discourage investment in new technology and encourage increased intensity of service, with higher patient throughput at the risk of decreased quality of care. This situation emphasizes the traditional value proposition model in which quality, time, and cost are closely interrelated; decreasing time and/or cost negatively affects quality. The use of wavefront technology and the development of the XFractionSM process, however, have challenged this model. Using the Optical Path Difference III (OPD-III) and Total Refractive System-5100 (TRS-5100), substantially greater amounts of higher-quality data are derived from ophthalmologic patients in shorter examination times than with other refraction instruments. Their use provides an improved patient experience, greater patient throughput, and more time for the physician to precisely tailor the treatment to match the condition. In practices that have acquired the OPD-III, it has become indispensable in vetting patients for intraocular lenses (IOLs), advanced corneal refractive surgery, and preoperative identification of various optical issues. Experience at an example practice shows that optional use of OPD-III examination is high and it is increasing, despite patients incurring out-of-pocket fees. XFraction technology, therefore, is a route to more satisfied patients, greater efficiency, and profitability; and it can help ophthalmic practices thrive amid increasingly adverse commercial and medical pressures.