UPFRONT

An Apology

JASON S. SLAKTER, MD

Retinal Physician is a publication that prides itself on quality content. We have the benefit of a distinguished list of contributors and the input from a long list of leaders in the field of retina. Regrettably, the publication recently deviated from its course of well-planned coverage of topics pertinent to retina with the article in our March issue “Is Comanagement the Future of Retinal Disease Management?” For this, we offer our sincere apologies.

While the article set out to present the pros and cons of comanaging retinal disease between retinal specialists and primary care optometrists, the end product fell short to a large degree, and as a result, misrepresented the retinal community as a whole.

On page 6 of this issue, you will find a Letter to the Editor, representing a well thought out and realistic viewpoint of the retinal community. I believe you will find this to be a more accurate representation of what we, as ophthalmologists and retinal specialists, believe to be at the core of this issue.

Moving forward, Retinal Physician will take measures to ensure that every page of the journal is up to the standards that we have set in previous issues. It is not my intent to censure or suppress any opinions, but rather to ensure that material is presented in a factually accurate manner and, when opinions are expressed, that the sources of these comments are evident as well as any potential bias that the presenters may have.

Moving Forward

If there is one silver lining in this cloud, it is that there were an overwhelming number of reactions to the comanagement article. This certainly suggests that Retinal Physician has a wide readership and interest. I have been extremely pleased with the quality of the work and the diversity of opinions that are generally expressed in the articles contained in our journal. I believe that Retinal Physician continues to offer a venue through which new and innovative ideas are presented, controversies are explored, and issues related to our field can be expressed in an open and clinically useful manner. This is in a large part due to the fine contributions from the authors and the support from the readership of the journal. As editor-in-chief, I thank all of you for past support for Retinal Physician and for a long and positive future going forward.