ESONT EuroTimes: July - September 2005
In this Edition:

		Ophthalmic nursing research: chronic neglect prompts grim diagnosis A UK study indicates that ophthalmic nursing research is in critical condition after suffering chronic neglect, according to Professor Heather Waterman RN PhD, University of Manchester.
		New tools provide greater sensitivity in assessment of macular oedema after cataract surgery Several new emerging technologies appear to be effective in detecting macular oedema after cataract surgery and in quantifying its impact on visual acuity, according to Mr Pedro Melo of the University of Coimbra in Portugal. Macular oedema is an excessive collection of fluid in the macula.
		European Union vows to promote cross-border cooperation to reduce health inequalities The European Union has vowed to foster more cooperation among ophthalmic nurses, technicians and other health professionals to reduce health inequalities between countries. In a major address to the Conference of German Health Ministers in June in Munich, the EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Markos Kyprianou, said the EU would devote its resources to helping countries with poor health outcomes learn from their better-performing neighbours.
		A new model for day surgery in the Netherlands In one of Holland's most innovative day-case cataract surgery clinics, patients get to watch live surgery while they wait their turn, pre-op and post-op patients all mix in the same room, which is also where the nurses and doctors make their lunch and take their breaks. The Ambulatory Surgical Centre at the Rotterdam Eye Hospital is a dramatic departure from the standard layout of daycase cataract clinics, but according to Mrs Leonie van Dijk-Kool RN CRNA and team leader at the Ambulatory Centre, the new service is an enormous success.
		Patient diaries can reveal hidden truths in clinical trials Patient diaries can add complementary, qualitative data to quantitative clinical trials in ophthalmology and can help explain a trial's statistical results, said Professor Heather Waterman RN PhD, University of Manchester. Prof Waterman described how a patient’s diary was designed for use in the Prism Spectacles Study (Smith 2004), a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of prism spectacles for patients with AMD. Prism spectacles refocus light to direct it to the most sensitive area of the retina
		ESONT Annual Meeting Preview This year’s annual meeting of ESONT, held in conjunction with the Annual meeting of the ESCRS in Lisbon, will provide a valuable update on the increasingly varied role of nurses and technicians in the modern ophthalmic practice. In addition to free paper sessions, posters and videos, the meeting will offer a range of wetlabs and courses providing instruction on biometry, phacoemulsification, refractive surgery diagnostic procedures, retinal fundus imaging and angiography, and the use of the slit-lamp.