Business focus at APAO

Sydney, Australia-The meeting of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) taking place this week included a “Challenges of Eye Hospital Management in the 21st Century: A Global Perspective” symposium on Tuesday.  It was the first time that a management track was an integral part of an international conference targeted to a wide variety of clinicians, according to organizers.

Chaired by Allan Fine, MBA, senior vice president/chief strategy and operations officer for the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, the symposium examined factors such as dealing with a multiple array of governmental systems, reimbursement structures, variations in the private sectors, application of information technology, assessment of operational performance, delivery of efficient patient throughput maintaining quality patient care, and innovative strategic alliances.

Directors of ophthalmic centers in Australia, India, the Netherlands, Thailand, and the United States spoke about electronic medical records, tensions in the eye hospital, business plan development for joint ventures between ophthalmologists and hospitals, safety programs, comprehensive performance monitoring, and technological innovations for enhancing patient care.