From scalpel to shared care: the power of collaboration
A recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease has added an unexpected dimension to my personal and professional journey.
Trevor Gray4 min read
Chalkeyes
Working on the periphery – impostor syndrome
If you have impostor syndrome, you're not alone!
Naomi Meltzer6 min read
Pre- and post-op drops got my BAK up
I had cataracts – nothing else. No dry eye, no light sensitivity, no ocular surface discomfort. I had never struggled with irritated lids, gritty eyes or blurred vision beyond what could be attributed
Chalkeyes6 min read
On the lighter side – perception
As the self-appointed scribe on the less formal side of sight loss, I've always felt that self-regard is important to the average Blindy. I've dealt with personal attitude at some length in the past but somehow failed to point out in any detail that it is in fact a two-way street. Now the ‘communica
Trevor Plumbly5 min read
Blurred lines unconscious bias in eye healthcare
If you ask a room full of clinicians whether they value fairness, evidence and merit-based opportunity, almost every hand will go up. Those of us working to optimise vision are trained to notice subtl
Dr Liz Insull10 min read
The envy of the world
As much as I love what we have here in New Zealand, when I get to be on the other side of the world I always look with envy at what they have there. It’s amazing how much more you can do when you have enough people. You notice it in all kinds of ways, large and small. A good restaurant can sustain i
David Slack4 min read
Self-preservation masquerading as professional protection – part II
The ODOB has dismissed my previous view – that it was protecting its right-to-be over practitioners’ and the public’s best interest – as "misunderstanding the Board's core remit”. But the mathematics of 96% increased-costs-delivering-zero-improved-outcomes remains unchanged, regardless of who prese
Name withheld by request6 min read
When happy-go-lucky goes awry
LINK: https://www.nzoptics.co.nz/live-articles/in-the-dark/
Trevor Plumbly4 min read
A patient's-eye view
David Slack on his dad's cataract surgery and the eyecare professionals who make it all possible
David Slack4 min read
Self-preservation masquerading as professional protection?
An analysis of how the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board’s submission to Government reveals a fundamental disconnect between institutional interests and professional needs.
Chalkeyes10 min read
And a little child shall lead them
In my early days of cane use I was always struck by people’s reaction to the thing. I suppose wheeling along three feet or so at the back end of a white stick separates the user a bit from the norm. The adults were a study on their own – everything from polite consideration to a wariness more suited
Trevor Plumbly5 min read
Where’s the leadership, the advocacy optometry needs to survive?
Chalkeyes calls for collective effort, for optometrists to stand together to gain real advocacy and reform
Chalkeyes6 min read