Uveitis Coordinated Care Clinic
About the Uveitis Coordinated Care Clinic
Uveitis causes inflammation and swelling in the eye. Early screening and close management of this disease is very important to achieve the best outcomes for your child and prevent more serious complications, such as blindness.
At the Uveitis Coordinated Care Clinic, our goal is to first determine the cause of your child’s eye inflammation — which is often a secondary symptom of an underlying autoimmune condition, such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis or another rheumatic disease. We will then create a customized treatment plan that meets your child’s individual needs.
Because of the complex nature of uveitis, it’s important for children with the disease to have access to the different specialists who may be needed to manage their care.
In the Uveitis Coordinated Care Clinic (UCCC), experts from the Division of Rheumatology and the Department of Ophthalmology collaborate with each other and your family. The UCCC allows your child to be seen by both a rheumatologist and an ophthalmologist during the same visit. This has multiple benefits, including:
- Streamlining treatment decisions between providers
- Allowing treatment plans to be adjusted more quickly
- Decreasing the number of trips to the Hospital, and time away from school/work
- The potential to produce better visual outcomes
The clinic’s experienced clinicians have access to state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic measures, and are leaders in applying new treatments to reduce eye inflammation and restore vision. A variety of medications are used to treat uveitis including topical corticosteroids (steroid drops), systemic medications, as well as immunosuppressive and biologic agents.
Why choose the Uveitis Coordinated Care Clinic for your child’s care
- Streamlined, coordinated care. Consultations with multiple specialists in one setting allows for more unified medical decisions. Clinicians from the Uveitis Coordinated Care Clinic work together closely, providing thoughtful decision-making related to your child’s care. This coordination allows our team to more effectively manage your child’s disease, which can help control eye inflammation sooner and result in better visual outcomes.
- Convenience for your family. The clinic setting allows your child to be seen by both an ophthalmologist and a rheumatologist during the same visit. This decreases the number of trips you need to make to the Hospital, which means less time off from school and work.
- Access to top specialists across all pediatric areas. As part of one of the top-ranked children’s hospitals in the nation, the UCCC can quickly refer your child to any other pediatric specialist she may need to see. If your child is prescribed systemic medications that require infusions, she will also have easy access to CHOP’s Day Medicine Unit. Infusion specialists will ensure your child receives the right medication at the right dosage for her condition, and continue to monitor her for any potential side effects of the medication.