Ira Wong's Research
SNOMED
One of Dr. Wong’s research interests is in developing standard reference terminology for ophthalmology. Currently, there is no standard reference terminology. This means that clinical information cannot be meaningfully exchanged or compared, because there is no common understanding of what different terms mean. The purpose of his work for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the College of American Pathologists is to develop an inclusive, comprehensive ophthalmic reference terminology for use in computer-based systems. Physicians could continue to use their preferred terms, but the computer system would identify if these mean the same or are truly different. Each term would then be included in the SNOMED Clinical Terminology, permitting use across all of medicine and within the international community. The SNOMED Clinical Terminology was accepted by the National Library Medicine to be the standard national terminology for development of electronic health records.
Epidemiology of Uveitis
Database analysis has revealed that ocular inflammatory diseases are more common than previously studied, especially in the elderly. This past year Drs. Wong and colleagues have analyzed and submitted reports on how much larger a problem corneal ulcers are in the U.S. and how the existence of HIV disease increases the risk of developing corneal ulcers. Also, they submitted of their studies showing that having atopic disease such as asthma or eczema greatly increases the risk of herpetic eye disease.
Clinical Trials
Dr. Wong is developing the groundwork for the Proctor foundation to participate more in nationwide clinical trials to provide our patients opportunities to receive leading edge treatments. The first study is a National Eye Institute sponsored Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment Trial. This prospective, randomized clinical trial will compare current steroid and immunomodulatory therapy to an intraocular implant that releases steroid over 30 months.
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