[optimal] Re: Workload Demands
- From: Mark Maio <markmaio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Optimal <optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:56:13 -0400
Peter wrote: ³It helps if the photographer gets involved in the whole
changing over to EMR process.²
I can¹t agree more and believe that ophthalmic photographers should not only
get ³involved² in that part of the process, but have been a proponent over
the past years that this aspect of what we do will become more important
than diagnostic imaging if you want to advance your career.
I was asked to give a talk two years ago at the OPS Mid Year Educational
program based on the theme of the meeting ³Learning from the Past, Preparing
for the Future². I concluded the talk with my opinion, based on working in
the commercial side of ophthalmic imaging for the past twelve years, that
the role of ophthalmic photography as we know it will change dramatically.
Advances in hardware technology and software, which is either in place or
about to be commercialized in the upcoming years, will continue to make it
easier for non ³photographers² to make diagnostic images with less and less
specialized training. I suggested that if I was still involved in clinical
imaging and wanted to add value to my resume and advance my position, I
would start to acquire more and more IT skills and/or a degree in that
field, feeling that our profession will change from photographers into
³Ophthalmic Information Managers² (yes, a term I made up).
We need to remember that ³ophthalmic photography² became a subspecialty of
medicine by the vision of people like Johnny Justice who, working as a
biomedical photographer and getting involved with imaging in the
ophthalmology department, saw that new technology was making it possible to
expand the role of a biomedical photographer. Johnny got together with
similar photographers and decided there was a need for an educational
organization like the OPS. At the time, these Founding members of the OPS
were active members of the Biological Photographic Association (BPA), back
when that organization had more members than the OPS currently has. Johnny
and his group of biomedical photographers wanted the BPA to provide more
ophthalmic photography educational opportunities at their annual meeting.
The response they got from the BPA was that this ³new² photography
technology wasn¹t something they thought would be significantly important in
biomedical imaging and decided not to devote time teaching it at their
annual educational program. In response, this group of biomedical
photographers started the OPS.
The BPA reached its¹ apex in membership around its¹ 50th anniversary. From
that point on, changes in technology made it easy for non trained personnel
to perform the same imaging tasks once only done by trained and Registered
(BPA¹s form of certification) biomedical photographers. Did the BPA (and
more importantly the individual members) do what was required to meet this
change? No and the profession suffered greatly for it. The Biomedical
Communications Association (formerly the BPA), now has about 75 active
members. Interestingly, the OPS has just celebrated its¹ 50th anniversary
and while its¹ membership numbers over the years have remained fairly
stable, we haven¹t grown compared to the number of imaging modalities being
sold.
When you think about how the world, technology and medicine has changed
since the start of the OPS, it is amazing were are still doing many of the
same diagnostic imaging modalities this profession was based on. It isn¹t
hard to imagine how much the next few years will continue to change the
definition of what an ophthalmic photographer is. I believe we constantly
need to evaluate where we are in the profession, where the profession is
going and what we need to do individually to achieve our goals. Thinking
about how you might change your current position to that of Ophthalmic
Information Manager is a start.
Mark Maio
On 3/26/12 11:30 AM, "Breit, Peter" <BreitP@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> In general, moving from prints to electronic charts is just a bit faster. Of
> course if one happens to type in the wrong patient number add several minutes
> to delete pictures on patient record and then save again on the correct
> patient record.
> Plus some data bases are more friendly to us adding pictures, OCT, HRT,
> Octopus, etc. others require several steps which then takes longer then just
> providing a paper print.
> It helps if the photographer gets involved in the whole changing over to EMR
> process.
>
> These comments are from my private praxis experience. My hospital has not
> switched me to EMR yet.
>
>
> Thank you
> Peter
>
> Peter L. Breit, CRA.
> Director Ophthalmic Services
> The Lankenau Hospital & Bryn Mawr Hospital
> 484-476-3338
> 484-476-8206 fax
> 484-437-3262 mobile
> page 3707
>
>
--
Mark Maio
InVision, Inc.
5445 Buckhollow Drive
Alpharetta, GA 30005
markmaio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
404-386-5676
Consultant in ophthalmic and biomedical imaging.
Member of Adobe's Biomedical Imaging Advisory Group
My fine art photography is represented by Lumiere:
http://lumieregallery.net/wp/?p=254
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