How To Become Certified

Download
Application with Instructions
USAEyes CORE Patient Survey Sample
Patient Brochure Sample

Executive Summary

Certification of patient outcomes is provided by the nonprofit, nongovernmental Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance patient advocacy (USAEyes). After receipt of application, a unique survey is mailed to consecutive patients who received any and all types of refractive surgery (Lasik, PRK, IOL, etc.). All survey mailing, data retrieval, and reports are facilitated and controlled by USAEyes. Survey results are compared to cumulative peer results. To attain certification, results must be in the 90th percentile of peers and key questions must have 90% neutral to positive response. A detailed confidential report with comparison to previous year and peer group is provided to the surgeon.

Only certified surgeons are listed for referral at the popular and accredited USAEyes website. Surgeons are encouraged to make potential patients aware of certification through patient education, brochures, use of 'Quality Verified' seal in marketing materials, referring network education, etc.

To maintain certification, surgeons are re-evaluated each quarter by query of National Practitioner Data Bank and other criteria. Once each year additional surveys are distributed to patients not previously evaluated. Doctor may end participation at any time. Initial and re-certification fees are charged. Fees are for certification only and are not based upon patient referral, per-click, page positioning, or similar quid pro quo.

To discuss becoming a certified refractive surgeon, phone 800-USA-EYES or email Glenn.Hagele@USAEyes.org

Certification Methodology

USAEyes certification is a four-step process:

• Application/Credentialing
• Patient Survey
• Comparison to Peers
• Ongoing Reevaluation/Recertification

At the heart of the evaluation is the USAEyes Competence Opinion Relative to Expectation (CORE) patient survey. Download USAEyes CORE Sample The USAEyes CORE survey is not a typical patient satisfaction questionnaire.

The CORE survey is structured to determine how key patient expectations were fulfilled. Applicant’s CORE results are then compared to the cumulative CORE results from peers. A doctor will be able to be certified if surgery results are consistent with patient expectations.

CORE responses must be within the 90th percentile of peers and key surgeon competency opinion questions must receive at least a 90% neutral-to-positive response.

USAEyes will facilitate all patient communication including mailing CORE surveys, receive responses, process data, evaluate outcomes, and generate doctor reports including peer to peer group comparison.

A standardized report of CORE survey results will be provided each year, including comparison to your own prior year and comparison to current cumulative peer results. USAEyes reports are a valuable tool to follow a practice’s progress in patient satisfaction and staff interaction with patients, and to compare your CORE results to the results of refractive surgeons throughout the country.

Staff Q-Score

An optional component to the CORE survey is the Doctor and Staff Q-Score. Patients are asked if their opinion of your staff is positive, neutral, or negative. The Q-Score is an excellent method to identify personnel that stand out.

At this time Q-Score results do not determine certification eligibility. The Q-Score is provided as a courtesy to physician and patient.

Survey Alternative

In the event an insufficient number of CORE surveys are received from patients, by surgeon's own preference, or as otherwise indicated, an alternative method of review is the direct chart data evaluation of 125 consecutive refractive surgery patient outcomes. Alternative details.

Ongoing Re-Evaluation

All certified doctors are re-evaluated each calendar quarter by ongoing query of the National Practitioner’s Data Bank, credentials, etc. Each year CORE surveys are provided to another group of patients, with subsequent reports and analysis.

The Organization

The Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance (USAEyes), is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization dedicated to helping refractive surgery patients find the better doctors through surgeon certification and patient education. more

Public Presence/Patient Referral

USAEyes has been cited as a refractive surgery patient advocacy by the New York Times, US News & World Report, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, CBS News, Oprah, Ocular Surgery News, Ophthalmology Management, and others. more  The USAEyes website information is accredited by the Health On the Net Foundation, an organization that is itself accredited by the United Nations. verify here

The USAEyes website is visited by over 1 million individuals each year.[1] The website is consistently well positioned on Internet search engines (Google "Lasik" or "Lasik doctor" and see for yourself). Contact information for all offices of all certified surgeons are listed on the USAEyes website by state and community. Check how many from your community visit USAEyes - Website Traffic Reports

Minimum Surgeon Requirements

• Licensed physician for more than three years.
• Use only FDA approved medical devices unless a party to clinical trial.
• Circumstances of any physician licensure, hospital privileges, DEA, or CMS provider status restriction will be reviewed prior to certification.
• Not have been convicted of a felony.
• No more than one paid malpractice claim greater than $30,000 (thirty thousand dollars) for every 1,000 refractive surgeries performed. Circumstances of more than two paid malpractice claims will be reviewed prior to certification.

CORE Patient Survey Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria

• Include:
  • 300 consecutive patients who received any type of refractive surgery (Lasik, Bladeless Lasik, PRK, LASEK, Epi-Lasik, RLE, P-IOL, AK, LRI, etc.)
  • Patients may be consecutive at one facility, rather than chronologically consecutive across multiple facilities. Example: 274 consecutive patients from facility one, plus 26 consecutive patients from facility two.
• Patient's Data Excluded:
  • Initial surgery within six months†
  • History of prior ocular surgery†
  • Patient enrolled in any clinical trial at time of surgery.†
  • Patient who received refractive type surgery with preoperative diagnosis of pathology (cataract, etc.).‡

† CORE survey will determine this criteria if patient is not excluded from contact list by surgeon.
‡ Surgeon requested to exclude pathology patients from contact list.

Term

Certification is renewed each calendar quarter. A certified doctor may end participation at any time. USAEyes will end certification if it is determined that the certified doctor no longer meets requirements. A surgeon may reapply for certification at any time after termination.

Fees

• Primary Refractive Surgeon
  • $3,250 Initial Evaluation
  • $1,250 Quarterly Recertification Primary Surgeon ($5k/year total, includes website listing, annual re-survey, etc.)
  • Under-Served Community Grant funds may be available to be applied to initial certification fees of primary surgeon. Please inquire.
• Associate Refractive Surgeon
  • $1,250 Initial Evaluation of Associate Surgeon (with grant funds applied)
  • $250 Quarterly Re-Certification of Associate Surgeon (with grant funds applied)
• No additional charge for annual CORE survey and standard report.
• No charges based upon patient referral, per impression, per click, or any similar quid pro quo.

Download
Application with Instructions
USAEyes CORE Patient Survey Sample
Patient Brochure Sample

To discuss becoming a certified refractive surgeon, phone 800-USA-EYES or email Glenn.Hagele@USAEyes.org