OPTOMETRIC TECHNICIANS IN THE UNITED STATES AN INTERVIEW WITH STEVEN BATES

Steven Bates, O. D., is director of the Optometric Technicians Program taught in conjunction with the School of Optometry at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Optometric technicians are a new, somewhat radical development in the United States, reflecting some of the modern trends in optometry and in the health professions generally. Some Australian optometrists will know Dr. Bates through his book “Fundamentals for the Optometric Assistant”. I began our conversation by asking Dr. Bates about the relationship of this book with the optometric technician.     

Symposium on the delivery of optometric care in nontraditional settings. Summary and conclusions

During the 1987 Academy Meeting, a joint Optometric Education/Public Health and Occupational Optometry Symposium was held on The Delivery of Optometric Care in Nontraditional Settings. Papers were presented on prison systems, long-term care facilities, schools for the mental/physically handicapped, home eye care services, migrant work program, and juvenile detention facilities. This paper is an overview of care delivered in nontraditional settings, including important health care and demographic considerations, brief summation of the nontraditional populations presented, the impact on optometric education, and implications for optometric manpower needs.     

Book review

Book reviewed in this article:
Optometric Guide to Surgical Co-management , Debra Bezan, Kathy D. Halverson, Kathleen Schaffer and Pam Thomas     

BOOK REVIEW

Management for the Eyecare Practitioner, IrvingBennett Law and Management in Optometric Practice, SP Taylor, DP Austen     

An appropriate patient base for clinical optometric education.

The reasons for the need of an expanded patient base for adequate clinical instruction in the 4-year professional program are discussed. Optometric education must establish the "reasonable set" standard for patient size and diversity particularly in view of its expanded scope of professional responsibility.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Optometric Management of Nearpoint Vision Disorders: Dr Martin H Birnbaum Colour Adas of Corneal Topography: Interpreting Videokeratography, 1st edition: Yaron S Rabinowitz, Steven E Wilson and Stephen D Klyce     

Optometric management of binocular dysfunctions secondary to head trauma: case reports.

Extropia, esotropia, hyper elements, visual sequencing problems, accommodative dysfunctions and inefficient Motor Planning are common consequences of head trauma. Optometric visual therapy is an effective treatment modality for these dysfunctions. Two case reports are presented in order to illustrate optometric management of patients exhibiting these problems secondary to head trauma.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
Progress in Retinal Research, Volume 5. Edited by N. O sborne and G. C hader
Law and Management in Optometric Practice. By S. P. T aylor and D. P. A usten     

OPTOMETRY IS WHAT OPTOMETRISTS DO

The writer of this article is the honorary secretary of the New South Wales Optometric Extension Programme. He is enthusiastic about optometry and is convinced that there are many aspects of the O.E.P. which could well be adopted by the Australian Optometrical Association for the betterment of the profession.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article: Dictionary of Visual Science. 2nd Edition edited by Max Schapero, David Cline and Henry Hoffstetter The Optometric Profession. Monroe J. Hirsch and Ralph E. Wick. Form and Space Vision. Yves Le Grand. Translated from the French by Michael Millodot and Gordon G. Heath     

Analyzing infants vision: evaluating progress.

This paper is a further report outlining and analyzing the data from the first 271 infants and toddlers seen at the Infants' Vision Clinic of the Optometric Center of New York during its first two years of operation. The data investigated this paper concerns the evaluation of the progress made by those children who returned to the clinic for continuing visual care.     

Supply, distribution, and capacity of optometrists in Indiana.

BACKGROUND: The Indiana Optometric Association and the Indiana Health Care Professional Development Commission identified a need to collect and analyze data on the health professions workforce for formulating goals and strategies to accommodate demands for health care services in Indiana. This study looks at the supply, distribution, and services of optometrists practicing in Indiana. METHODS: Data compiled by the Indiana State Department of Health, Indiana Health Care Development Commission, and the Project HOPE Center for Health Affairs were analyzed with the results of a survey of practitioner members of the Indiana Optometric Association. Supply, distribution, services, provider-to-population ratios, per capita demand, and optometric productivity were used to evaluate the current and future capacity of Indiana optometrists to the year 2010. RESULTS: An estimated 893 optometrists practiced in 86 of 92 counties and comprised 77% of the state's licensed eye and vision care workforce in 1995. Optometric workforce capacity appeared to be related to county population, but unrelated to the urban/rural classification or the per-capita income of Indiana counties. Contact lenses, disease, geriatrics, and pediatrics were the most prevalent areas of practice specialty. CONCLUSIONS: Optometrist capacity in Indiana is sufficient at both the state and county levels, and optometric services are appropriately distributed such that patient access to optometric care is geographically unburdened. Estimates regarding supply are elastic, depending on the assumptions applied.     

Affiliations of community health centers with the accredited schools and colleges of optometry in the states and territories of the United States

BackgroundIn 2006, the American Optometric Association Community Health Center Committee surveyed schools/colleges of optometry in the United States and its territories to assess collaborations between community health centers and optometric institutions.MethodsThe survey investigated the number and structure of affiliations that existed between Federally Qualified Health Centers and schools/colleges of optometry in the United States. The survey reached the schools through the American Optometric Association Faculty Relations Committee or personal contact (Inter-American University of Puerto Rico).ResultsThe survey showed wide variation in affiliations of community health centers with optometry programs. Six schools had no affiliations, whereas the remaining 11 ranged from 1 to 14. Information relating to 37 community health centers was reported. Results showed that schools utilized community health centers for fourth-year students in 5 schools, and both third- and fourth-year students in the remaining 6 schools. Schools vary regarding how precepting is managed with either full-time faculty (64.9%) or adjunct faculty. Business models also vary between schools.ConclusionAffiliations between school/colleges of optometry and community health centers differ considerably. Optometric affiliations with community health centers can result in increased access to eye care for underserved populations and increased clinical experience for optometry students and residents. Opportunities exist to establish additional affiliations. Educational benefits and costs associated with affiliations should be explored before entering into a collaborative model of eye care delivery.     

Erickson goniolens system

The Optometric Research Institute has clinically evaluated the effectiveness and efficiency of the Erickson Goniolens System. Operational procedures and interpreting the results are discussed. Advantages, disadvantages and conclusions are expressed.     

The Commission on Ophthalmic standards--the American Optometric Association's standards development program.

The American Optometric Association has been concerned with ophthalmic standards for over fifty years. This paper describes this involvement and how it has led to the creation of the Commission on Ophthalmic Standards. The commission's scope and function and the responsibilities of the Director of Standards Development are given. The progress of the commission's program has been temporarily delayed due to a proposed FTC rule on voluntary standards setting organizations.     

WORLD OPTOMETRY

The International Optometric and Optical League (IOOL) sent out a questionnaire to contacts in countries across the world in order to formulate an "Optometry Profile" on as many countries as possible. The information from the 58 replies is summarized. The very varied distribution of optometric services that is revealed is discussed in the light of experience gained by the author in his own visits and correspondence relating to the worldwide situation of optometry.     

Optometric care for a child manifesting qualities of autism.

S.G. still manifests many of the behavior characteristics of an autistic child. Optometric vision care was significant in that it did allow S.G. to develop better visual contact, longer periods of meaningful attentiveness, and to establish some rudimentary relationships with situations and people. His visual contact is still quite limited to things and space at relatively close distances. Binocular functioning has markedly improved.     

Vision and refractive status among grade 1 children of the Province of New Brunswick

A public health program instituted and funded by the Government of the Province of New Brunswick and operated by the Provincial Optometric Association screened 10,464 grade 1 children using a modified clinical technique (MCT). This paper reports the prevalence of refractive and sensory-motor anomalies in large samples of this child population, all of whom were 6 years of age.     

Diabetic eye examination report.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to revise a former American Optometric Association (AOA) Diabetic Eye Examination Report form and create a standard reporting form that could be implemented easily into clinical practice. METHODS: Ohio Optometric Association (OOA) members were recruited to complete the pilot Diabetic Eye Examination Report (DEER) on 5 consecutive diabetic patients. They were then instructed to send a copy of the completed form to the comanaging physician of the patient's choice. The participating optometrists and comanaging physicians were surveyed regarding the content and format of the pilot DEER. RESULTS: The pilot DEER was revised based on the survey responses and comments from 51 participating optometrists and 75 comanaging physicians, existing diabetic retinopathy examination forms, and a literature review. In general, optometrists and comanaging physicians agreed on the importance of communication (100% in both groups, 51of 51 and 75 of 75). Eighty-eight percent (45 of 51) of optometrists and 95% (71 of 75) comanaging physicians found the form to be an adequate summary. Eighty-seven percent (65 of 75) of comanaging physicians expressed interest in receiving the pilot DEER as a standard communication form concerning their diabetic patients. CONCLUSION: The new form is now available through the OOA at www.ooa.org as an initiative of Healthy People 2010. In an electronic format, it is possible for the optometrist to type information directly onto the form, making it more professional and legible. Printed forms are also available through the AOA purchasing department.