• What can I expect as a new patient ?
• What do I need to bring to my appointment ?
• Why do I need a referral ?
• Who can refer me ?
• How do I settle my account ?
• Will I receive a rebate from Medicare ?
• Why do I not get money back on a OCT ?
• Why can my appointment take such a long time ?
• What is an Orthoptist and what does an Orthoptist do?
• Why can’t new glasses fix my problem?
• Why do I have to discard my eyedrops after one month?
• My eyes are very sensitive to glare. Why is this?
• Why are my eyes watery?
• What do dilating drops do and why do I need to have them?
• I had a field test six months ago, why do I have to have another one?
• Can I drive after my appointment?
• How does Sydney Eye Doctors use my personal information?
• Does laser hurt?
• Can my general practitioner renew my script for eye drops?
• Should I use my prescription drops on the day of my appointment?

What can I expect as a new patient?

On the day of your appointment, you will need to bring your letter of referral with you, or if your referring practitioner is sending it to us directly, please ensure that we have received it prior to coming in for your appointment. Prior to your consultation with your Ophthalmologist you will be seen by an Orthoptist who will perform an initial assessment. This will assist the doctor in performing a more complete examination. All patients undergo this assessment, which is at no charge, before being seen by their doctor.

What do I need to bring to my appointment?

As mentioned above, please bring your referral with you to your appointment. Please also bring your current prescription glasses as well as a list of your current medications. We suggest you also bring a pair of sunglasses with you as the sun's glare may bother you after your appointment.

Why do I need a referral?

If you do not have your letter of referral with you on the day, you will receive a lesser rebate from Medicare.

Who can refer me?

You can be referred by your general practitioner (GP), your optometrist or by another specialist. A referral from your GP will be valid for twelve months, as will a referral from your optometrist. A referral from another specialist will be valid for three months only.

How do I settle my account?

Payment of accounts is to be made on the day of your appointment. We accept money order, cheque, EFTPOS, Bankcard, MasterCard and Visa Card. We prefer not to take cash. Please feel free to call the rooms if you have any queries regarding costs associated with your appointment.

Will I receive a rebate from Medicare?

You will receive a rebate from Medicare for your consultation fee. Medicare will also rebate most treatments received in our rooms, as well as operations. There are a few diagnostic tests that a reimbursement has not yet been established for (eg: HRT test).

Why do I not get any money back on a OCT?

The Health Insurance Commission (Medicare) has not yet established a reimbursement item for this new technology. Sydney Eye Doctors is assisting the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists in their submissions to establish an item number. Meanwhile, to cover the purchase and ongoing maintenance of the unit, and staffing costs, there will be a nominal charge. We do not want any patients who may benefit from this technology to miss out on the benefits due to cost, if you have a problem with this extra cost, please discuss it with us. The test will most likely be needed every 12-24 months, depending on your eye condition.

Why can my appointment take such a long time?

As each patient is an individual the care provided needs to be specific. Accordingly when you arrive for your appointment you will be seen by an Orthoptist who will conduct an initial assessment. Depending on your eye condition we then need to perform a number of tests. Each test performed is different. Some can take up to 45 minutes to be performed. During your consultation with the Ophthalmologist you will be informed in detail of your eye condition, what it means for you personally and what steps and/or medications need to be used.

What is an Orthoptist and what does an Orthoptist do?

Orthoptics is an allied health profession concerned with disorders of vision and eye movements. Orthoptists are university trained clinicians who diagnose and provide non surgical management of disorders of eye movements and associated vision defects. Non surgical management includes muscle exercise regimes, use of prisms and lenses and occlusion therapy. The aim of orthoptic treatment is to relieve symptoms and enhance vision performance.

Orthoptists also perform highly specialised tests of vision function to assist in diagnosis and management of eye disease, such as glaucoma, and eye diseases associated with general diseases including diabetes. Orthoptic assessment of vision can also assist in the diagnosis of neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Orthoptists assess functional vision and provide vision rehabilitation assisting persons with vision impairment make the best use of remaining vision to maintain independent function. They assess vision loss associated with stroke or head injury and provide appropriate rehabilitation strategies and also assess functional vision of children with multiple handicaps to assist with educational programming.

Some Orthoptists may work in community health providing vision screening programs and patient education. Orthoptists also work in research centres including research in relation to vision and eye disease.

Why can’t new glasses fix my problem?

Glasses will improve eyesight when there is an imperfection in the focussing system of the eye. Being shortsighted is a good example. When there is a problem in which parts of the eye are diseased then glasses do not overcome this. A cataract is an example.

Why do I have to discard my eyedrops after one month?

The manufacturer usually specifies that eyedrops be discarded one month after opening the bottle. This is because of the risk of contamination of the eyedrops by bacteria.

My eyes are very sensitive to glare. Why is this?

There are some eye diseases that cause glare sensitivity, such as cataract. However, most people experience increasing glare as they get older and this is normal, particularly in Australia. Once your eyes have been examined and found to be in good health, then wearing sunglasses is all that can be done.

Why are my eyes watery?

There are some definite problems that cause watery eyes, such as blockage of the tear duct. However, this is relatively uncommon. In many cases, the eyes are “dry” and the wateriness is a reflex to overcome the dryness. The use of lubricant eye drops is often needed in this situation.

What do dilating drops do and why do I need to have them?

Dilating drops are used to enlarge your pupil so the Ophthalmologist can get a better view of your retina (the back of your eye). The effects of these drops may last several hours and as a result, we recommend you do not drive after having dilating drops, it may also be difficult for you to read if you need to return to work.

I had a field test six months ago, why do I have to have another one?

Glaucoma damages the optic nerve in the back of your eye. The optic nerve is responsible for conveying vision from your eye to your brain. Damage or changes to the optic nerve can affect your visual field or side vision. That is why it is important to have a field test regularly, so that we can see if there has been any damage to the nerve, or if your eye condition is progressing. As glaucoma is a progressive disease field tests need to occur regularly to ensure there has been no change, or progression in the visual field. You are entitled to a medicare rebate for two visual field tests within a 12 month period. As we are testing quite a large area of vision, usually about 30 degrees around your central vision, field testing can take from between 5 to 15 minutes each eye depending on the damage that is being investigated. Sometimes more detailed testing is required so this again can take some extra time. This is vital as field testing is a major factor in deciding if treatment should be commenced, increased or tapered depending on any changes that we observe by comparing previous fields to a current field.

Can I drive after my appointment?

On the day of your appointment we suggest that you do not drive to the rooms. It is advisable to have someone drive you in or to take public transport, as your eyes will be dilated which makes it difficult to see clearly for approximately two hours. This will make driving difficult and if you are returning to work, you may not be able to read fine print. We also advise to bring a pair of sunglasses as the sun's glare may bother you.

How does Sydney Eye Doctors use my personal information?

Sydney Eye Doctors is committed to providing quality health care for its patients. As a fundamental part of this commitment, principals and staff of the practice recognise the importance of ensuring that our patients are fully informed and involved in their health care.

Sydney Eye Doctors is a health provider in the private sector bound by the National Privacy Principles. These principles set the standards by which we handle personal information collected from our patients.

As part of our commitment to providing quality health care it is necessary for us to maintain files pertaining to your health. The files contain the following types of information: -

• Personal details (your name, address, date of birth, Medicare number)
  
• Your medical history
  
• Notes made during the course of medical consultations
  
• Referrals to other health service providers
  
• Results and reports received from other health service providers

The information held about you is provided by you or arises as a consequence of information provided by you.

Your medical file is handled with the utmost respect for your privacy. The file will be accessed by your medical practitioner, and when necessary, for example in the absence of your usual medical practitioner, by other medical practitioners in the practice. It may also be necessary for our staff to handle your file from time to time to address the administrative requirements of running a medical practice. Our staff are bound by strict confidentiality requirements as a condition of employment and these requirements will be observed if it is necessary for them to view your records.

As part of our commitment to preserving the confidentiality of the information contained in your medical record we advise that strict secure storage policies are observed in this practice. Your electronic records are accessible only by staff of this practice and are protected by a security password. Your paper records are kept in secure filing cabinets and accessible only by practice staff. Each member of staff is well versed in the principles and importance of doctor-patient confidentiality.

Does laser hurt?

There should be no pain, although occasionally a tiny sting may be felt. Afterwards, the treated eye will be dazzled for about 30 minutes (by the bright light of the laser), and the eye may feel a little gritty and sticky from the lubricating gel used to focus the laser beam for up to approximately four hours. Blurring can occur, but again this will only last a few hours.

Can my general practitioner renew my script for eye drops?

General practitioners (GPs) can renew a script for any drop. However GPs are unable to measure your intra ocular pressure (IOP) and are therefore unable to determine if the drops are having any effect on your IOP. GPs and optometrists are also unable to accurately discriminate subtle changes within the structure of your eye that your Ophthalmologist is able to do with their more detailed training and use of advanced technologies described within this site. It is these subtle changes that may be causing problems with your vision.

Should I use my prescription drops on the day of my appointment?

If you have been prescribed drops by your Ophthalmologist you should continue to use them, including the day of your appointment.