Earlier this year, I attended a continuing education lecture in which the speaker said, “friends don’t let friends go to the emergency room or instacare for eye emergencies.” Why would he say this? In short: high cost, lack of equipment, and limited training of care providers. It’s no secret that a trip to the emergency room or instacare facility will result in significant bills. And, to make matters worse, with respect to eye health, many emergency rooms and walk-in clinics do not have the equipment necessary to diagnose and treat eye injuries, such as a slit lamp (biomicrosope). Many an optometrist or ophthalmologist would likely question the thought of a healthcare provider attempting to diagnose an eye concern without being able to look at it up close under high magnification…
