Finding a Good Ophthalmologist

1. Dr. Aarti Pandya | Finding a GoodOphthalmologist Eye care is an often overlooked, but nonetheless important, aspect of personal health and wellness. As we grow older, our eyes go through many changes and therefore should be carefully monitored by a competent ophthalmologist. Because of the commercialization of the eyewear industry, companies like Wal-Mart have unintentionally decreased eye health awareness by shifting the focus of the consumer from function to appearance. Although glaucoma testing is still present in the procedures found in the local vision centers of today, a seasoned ophthalmologist can often provide care at a level far beyond that which has

2. become common for most eyewear outlets. Although it is certainly convenient to get our eyeglasses in an hour, we may or may not be receiving the kind of attention that our eyes deserve. It is not uncommon for the typical vision center to serve 50 to 100 clients in the course of a day. Like much of the health care industry, the success or failure of this type of center is determined by the sheer volume of its patients. Seemingly, the priority of personalized care is no longer deemed an industry standard. Thus the average eye screening process has been drastically shortened. This has increased the risk of either missing or even misdiagnosing common issues such as astigmatism, presbyopia, binocular vision, and near or farsightedness. Thus the responsibility of maintaining regularly scheduled eye exams by a licensed ophthalmologist has fallen to the consumer. When searching for personalized care, it is not unreasonable to request that a potential health care provider allow you to conduct a brief interview. Once you have determined what questions you would like to have answered concerning their experience or procedures, take the time to get to know your ophthalmologist. If they choose not to allow you this simple courtesy, this may be an indication of the level of care commonly provided. On the other hand, if he or she is willing to take the time to answer questions or address any concerns you might have, then your search may be over. As a general rule, the population density of the area in which you are living may directly affect the quality of care available. Remember, large-scale vision centers or eyewear outlet chains are required to produce revenue based on the number of people served. Whereas a local ophthalmologist can often avoid this kind of pressure due to the smaller size of their office. No one can choose a health care provider for us better than we can. Even though our insurance company may be helpful in providing us with options, it is our responsibility to take the time to investigate for ourselves. Choosing an ophthalmologist that best suits our needs may take more time than we might have realized at first, but it will be time well spent. Our vision is far too precious to take for granted. If you currently find yourself in need of an ophthalmologist, the links listed below may prove helpful.