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The development of an ongoing quality
assurance program for therapeutically certified optometrists was mandated by
legislation in 1995. The Quality Enhancement and Improvement (QEI) Committee of
the Maryland Board of Optometry was appointed by the Secretary of the Department
of Health and Mental Hygiene to implement a quality assurance program to ensure
the quality of care provided by therapeutically certified optometrists. The
goals of the program are to protect the citizens of Maryland and educate,
enhance, and elevate the standard of eye care in the state. Current areas
covered in the quality assurance program include:
 Record
Review
TPA
Self-Assessment
Adverse
Reaction Monitoring
Record Review
Within the state’s Health
Occupations Boards and Commission program, the Board of Optometry is the only
board that is required to implement proactive peer review of patient records. As
a pioneering program, the Maryland Board of Optometry has the only record review
program of all the
optometry boards throughout the country.
TPA regulations provide
that on an annual basis, the Board shall select a minimum of 10% of all
therapeutically certified optometrists at random to submit copies of their TPA
patient records for review by the
QEI Committee.
Each year 10% of
active TPA certified optometrists are randomly selected for peer review of their
TPA patient records.
The purpose of the record review program is to enhance the education of
optometrists and to review the appropriateness and efficacy of TPA usage and
practice. To date, the QEI Committee has reviewed 2,000 patient records.
Self-Assessment
The TPA Self-Assessment checklist is an educational tool for therapeutically
certified optometrists to assess aspects of practice related to usage of TPAs.
The checklist lists
record
keeping,
handling emergencies, access to
emergency care,
patient confidentiality, infection control
policies, patient tracking and education, etc.
Annually, TPA certified
optometrists are asked to assess the state
of their practice for compliance in each area identified.
The Self-Assessment is used in the annual record review process.
Adverse Reaction Monitoring
Therapeutically certified optometrists are
mandated to report any adverse reaction resulting from the administration of any
therapeutic pharmaceutical agent or from the removal of a superficial foreign
body from the eye. The Board must receive reports within 10 working days of the
occurrence. The QEI Committee reviews the reports to determine whether
situations were handled appropriately.
Educational Activities
The QEI Committee provides education to
therapeutically certified optometrists by drafting educational papers on
subjects that provide information, explanation and clarification of current
practice concerns. The committee has issued 12 educational topics. In
2002, the Board sponsored an educational activity and issue 6 hours of TPA
continuing educational credit. The project, developed by the QEI Committee, will include a
multiple choice exam with questions based on standard of care issues, the record
review process, and adverse events reporting.
David
D. Reed, O.D., Chair
James E. Stottlemyer, II, O.D.
Ryan Beveridge, O.D.
Michelle Kupfer, O.D.
Kelliann Dignam, O.D.
Elliott Myrowitz,
O.D.
Joseph L. DeRose,
O.D.
Kelechi R. Mezu,
O.D.
Valerie Seligson,
O.D.
QEI Committee Meeting Schedule 2008
Board of Optometry
4201 Patterson Avenue
Baltimore MD 21215
The regular session of the meeting is open to the public
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April 17, 2008 |
Room 105 |
4:00p.m. |
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October 23, 2008 |
Room 105 |
4:00p.m. |
optometry@dhmh.state.md.us
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are PDF.