Related links
The Web is a rich source of information on keratoconus. A search in any search engine will bring up thousands of links to sites containing information about this eye condition. Below are links to a selected number sites with information about keratoconus.
Please note: Keratoconus Australia Inc takes no responsibility for information found on off-site links. This information is outside the control of the association and it remains the responsibility of internet users to evaluate its accuracy.
Information on Keratoconus
- US National Keratoconus Foundation FAQ
- Wikipedia on Keratoconus (very detailed)
- US National Eye Institute
- Royal National Institute of Blind People (UK)
For information on corneal grafts
Videos
Contact lenses: care and handling
- From the archives: CERA 2013 Gerard Crock lecture Professor Doug Coster "The art of seeing and the seeing of art".Â
This fascinating lecture on the relationship between vision and art was presented in 2016 by Professor Doug Coster, an icon in Australian keratoconus research and practice. Prof Coster created the world's first corneal transplant registry in Adelaide and is an artist himself. Keratoconus Australia had the honour of hosting him at its Demystifying Keratoconus forums in the past when he shared his many insights into keratoconus and its management and treatments. One for people interested in vision or art or both! - Cataract surgery in people with keratoconus (from NKCF)
Overseas support groups
- US National Keratoconus Foundation
- Keratoconus Global Support
- Med Help International
- UK Keratoconus Self Help and Support Group
- France: l'association keratocone (appears to be non-active)
- Italian Cheratocono Foundation
- German Keratoconus site
- India support group
Research Institutes
- Cornea-Genetic Eye Medical Institute (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center)
- Harvard University's Digital Journal of Ophthalmology
- National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health
Australian resources
- Vision Australia
- Melbourne Corneal Donation Service
- Lions NSW Eye Bank
- Save Sight Institute at the University of Sydney
Australian health system links
This page on the Department of Health and Aging website provides links to a number of organisations which could help you negotiate the complexities of the Australian health system. Included are:
- Department of Health and Ageing
- Eye Health (Federal Government site)
- Health Insurance Commission (HIC)
- Private Health Insurance Ombudsman
- Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
- Consumers' Health Forum of Australia (CHF)
- Centrelink
Fees to obtain or transfer medical records
Many keratoconus. patients are initially diagnosed and treated by non-specialists and may need to consult more qualified eye-carers as their keratoconus progresses. This may involve seeking second opinions or switching to a new eye-carer.
Under state health legislation, health practitioners generally have the right to charge a nominal fee for preparing and providing a patient's medical records to the patient or another health practitioner. Patients being referred for specialist care from their eye-carer may receive a summary of relevant information for the new eye-carer as part of the referral process. This should be free of charge. A patient's most recent eye correction prescription within the past 12 months should also be provided free.
All other records may incur a fee at the discretion of the eye-carer up to a maximum level capped by each State government. For example, records from the last consultation should be made available at a nominal charge of around $40-50 while full records may attract a higher fee.
Below are links to information on medical records and fees for NSW and Victoria.
Health record information and fees in Victoria
Fact sheet on health records in NSW
Private Health Fund letter for higher contact lens rebate
All patients are urged to put pressure on their private health funds to recognize the special nature of contact lenses for keratoconus and to provide higher rebates on claims for these specialized and indispensable lenses. With the assistance of the US Keratoconus Foundation, we have prepared a letter, which members can download and print, to send along with their contact lens claims to their private health fund.
Please send this letter to your health fund EVERY TIME you submit a claim for a rebate on your new contact lenses. The letter to request a higher rebate from your health fund can be downloaded in pdf format off our website here.