Introduction (posted: april 2003)
Summary: Patients have a wide range of experiences in post-operative medical care. Unfortunately, for some the care is of such a nature as to compound their natural anxiety about an unexpected surgical outcome. How can the post-operative doctor-patient relationship be improved in these cases?

Common barriers to effective communication about vision (posted: april 2003)
Summary: Many patients do not understand the distinction between refractive error and other attributes or causes of poor vision. Getting a clear understanding of the different aspects of one's vision can aid in communication.

Common barriers to effective communication about complications (posted: april 2003)
Summary: Patients tend to think of complications as anything that goes wrong with their vision after surgery, while medical professionals use the term more narrowly for certain kinds of adverse events. Understanding that certain types of surgically induced vision problems are not visible during a standard slit-lamp examination can help patients communicate more effectively.

A little humour... (posted: april 2003)
Summary: The things doctors and patients sometimes say that are most likely to leave the other supremely aggravated.