In this third EMPOWER podcast, Paul Hammond, OD, FAAO, and Jessica O. Yu, OD, FAAO, FSLS, dive into the art of patient communication with Jacob Lang, OD, FAAO. From treatment options and managing costs to fostering relationships across decades of care, they outline how clarity and compassion can translate into loyalty, retention, and better outcomes.

On this month's episode of The MOD Pod Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO, welcomes guests Eugene Shifrin, OD, FAAO, and Thomas Chester, OD. Dr. Shifrin shares tips and best practices for enhancing patient outcomes with light adjustable lenses, which he details in a recent article in Modern Optometry with Christopher Kuc, OD, FAAO. In the second half of the episode, hear Drs. Koetting and Chester discuss the article Dr. Chester co-wrote with Abinaya Thenappan, MD, on innovations in IOL technology that optometrists need to know.

Marc R. Bloomenstein, OD, FAAO, invites Justin Schweitzer, OD, FAAO, to discuss collaborative care of patients undergoing refractive surgery. Dr. Schweitzer shares his decision tree for recommending specific refractive procedures in different patient cases, including LASIK, implantable collamer lenses, photorefractive keratectomy, and others. They also share pearls for managing patient expectations and treating dry eye to maximize outcomes.

This month's episode of The MOD Pod features host Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO, speaking with Sulman Hans, OD, MS, FAAO, Dipl ABO, about his article in the July/August issue of Modern Optometry, "Keeping Eye Care Where It Belongs," which offers helpful steps to steer patients away from ERs and urgent care centers and into OD practices. Dr. Koetting also has a conversation with Rebecca Miller, OD, about her article, which walks through the various corrective options available to patients as their visual needs evolve over their lifetime.

Julie Poteet, OD, MS, CNS, FOWNS, joins Marc R. Bloomenstein, OD, FAAO, to discuss the role of nutrition in ocular health. Dr. Poteet shares insights into how she integrates the discussion of nutrition into each patient’s exam, highlighting the use of diagnostic imaging to show patients a visualization of their eye health. She also discusses the evidence and data behind food’s impact on vision.

In this second episode of the EMPOWER series, Ashley Tucker, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Dipl ABO, and Jessica O. Yu, OD, FAAO, FSLS, sit down with Jacob Lang, OD, FAAO, to discuss how to tackle the most common causes of contact lens dropout. With a focus on practical, evidence-based strategies, this conversation offers insight into improving long-term patient success with contact lenses.

On this episode of The MOD Pod, Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO,  chats with M. Shane Swatts, OD, about his recent article in Modern Optometry about men and ocular aesthetics and how the patient approach differs from that with women. Dr. Koetting also speaks with author Jessilin Quint, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO, about her article on the role of the eyelids and lashes in eye health and appearance.  

Mike Cymbor, OD, FAAO, joins Marc R. Bloomenstein, OD, FAAO, to discuss collaborative glaucoma care. He shares how he helps manage patients with glaucoma in his practice, what he looks for when making a diagnosis, and how he discusses the treatment journey with patients. He also comments on the use of selective laser trabeculoplasty as first-line treatment and the use of MIGS.

Join Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO, on this month's episode of The MOD Pod as she learns about how imaging and biomarkers can be used to diagnose, manage, and treat ocular and systemic conditions (aka oculomics) from Modern Optometry contributor Shane Kannarr, OD. Dr. Koetting's second guest is Nabila Gomez, OD, FAAO, who explains how intense-pulsed light therapy can be an excellent treatment option for patients with ocular rosacea.

Walt Whitley, OD, MBA, FAAO, joins Marc R. Bloomenstein, OD, FAAO, to discuss patient communication strategies. The two share techniques for how to educate patients about their conditions, treatment options, and management by being direct and relatable. They also stress the value of making it a team effort with the patient when it comes to improving their condition.