Visiting our office:
1) Our office is located on the
south-east corner of Erin Mills Parkway and Eglinton Avenue West in
Mississauga (not Toronto). The building may be found on the grounds of
Credit Valley Hospital.
2) As there are only a few specialists
in pediatric ophthalmology, this can be a very busy practice due to the
large number of patients who come (for example, we provide service to
much of Ontario, including other provinces and even other countries). We
also have to take on emergency cases. Despite our best efforts there may
be some unforeseen circumstances that slow us down even further. For all
these reasons, it is advisable that you prepare for a potentially long
wait (sometimes 1-2 hours) by bringing some form of entertainment for
yourself and for your child (as well you should also bring food and
diapers for young children). In addition, you should plan the rest of
your day accordingly in case you have other appointments or obligations.
3) Patients may go ahead of you for any
number of reasons: it's an emergency case, surgery was just performed or
will be performed, dilation is needed, special needs, or they are just
seeing the orthoptist, etc. Some patients may have already checked in
but went away for a bit before coming back, or they may have already
been seen once and have returned for the rest of the exam.
4) If you arrive too early for your
appointment, your wait time may be increased because patients are seen
in order of their appointment time and not in order of their arrival.
5) Many patients will be initially
assessed by an orthoptist prior to seeing Dr. Budning. Others will only
need to see an orthoptist for monitoring purposes, as they do not
necessarily have to be checked by Dr. Budning at every visit.
6) Please leave behind at home any large
objects/strollers or unnecessary items so as not to block the waiting
room for other patients. It is also preferred that you don't leave your
coats/items on the chairs in the waiting room as seating is limited.
7) As a courtesy to everybody, try not
to bring extra family members or friends to the office. Not only can
they be a distraction to us but there is also a lack of space in our
clinic.
8) Food and drinks may be enjoyed
outside our office.
The examination:
1) Please have a translator/interpreter
accompany the patient if the patient has difficulty communicating in
English. If the patient doesn't speak English, please tell us
immediately so that we don't scare the children who will not understand
what we're saying to them.
2) Bring your glasses and/or contact
lenses each time you come. If you wear contact lenses, bring a container
in case you are asked to remove them. We are often checking how the
patient is doing with the glasses, so not bringing the glasses to the
appointment may mean that another appointment may be required.
3) If you are coming in for your first
visit, it would be helpful if you bring a list of current medications
along with a summary of your health problems. If you are a returning
patient, please inform us of any changes to your health/medication.
4) Frequently, we need to dilate your
eyes in order to get a better look inside and/or to check for glasses
(the drops will only sting a bit for about 10 seconds). Dilation will be
performed for most new patients, and as required for each individual.
Once you've been dilated, please wait for the drops to work before you
are called back in. You may see blurrier and become sensitive to light,
but this generally wears off after a few hours.
5) Keep things positive for your child
in case s/he is scared of the exam. For example, should your child
require dilation then you can say that it's just a little water in the
eyes, instead of indicating that they are a bad and unpleasant thing.
6) Parents, please don't give away hints
or answers when we are testing your child's vision. We are testing your
child's ability to see, not his/her knowledge of the pictures or
letters.
7) Please restrict your child from
touching our equipment and toys. The toys are for testing purposes.
To speed up the visit for yourself and
for others:
1) Please arrive on time for your
appointment. It only takes one late patient to push everybody else
behind.
2) Please have your health card out and
ready when you arrive.
3) Always bring your glasses and/or
contact lenses.
4) Try to keep your child's lenses clean
and the frames properly adjusted before the visit.
5) It would be appreciated if long hair
can be kept away from the face and eyes.
6) If you are showing us pictures,
please have them ready for viewing instead of searching for them when
you come into the examination room.
7) Please refrain from using your cell
phone when you're in the examination room.
8) We understand that at times there is
nowhere to sit, but please do not block the doors or the hallway in
order to let patients move through more quickly.
9) Please remove the patient's coat/hat
while you're in the waiting room. You can put them back on when you
return to the waiting room. This will help to keep the flow moving as
quickly as possible and to help us stay on time better.
10) Gum and othe food should be removed
from the mouth prior to entering the examination room.
Miscellaneous:
1) Parking may be difficult but there
are additional spaces in the parking garage than outside. Please allow
10-15 minutes to find parking. There are elevators in the parking
garage. We have no control over the parking as it belongs to the
hospital. To pay for parking, follow the exit signs to find the
attendants at the kiosk. They take cash, visa, mastercard, and debit.
Unfortunately, we are unable to validate your ticket.
2) An ATM is located on the main floor
right by the pharmacy.
3) Washrooms may be found outside our
office, across from the elevators. No key is needed.
4) Our office is not responsible for
your lost or stolen items.
5) You will be billed for any damages to
our equipment that you or your child cause.
6) If your glasses break or you need a
refill for one of your medications, you do not necessarily need to wait
until your next visit in order to get a new prescription from us.
Instead, you should contact our office to see if we're able to fax it to
you. This is especially important if your next visit is far away.