World Eye and Vision Congress

Ophthalmology Management

Ophthalmology management is focused on providing accurate information on Glaucoma, Cataracts, refractive surgery, diagnostics and practice managements. The construction of primary eye care services is highly variable throughout world. While in some European countries primary eye care services are provided exclusively by ophthalmologists, in other countries there is a variety of different professions who provide essential elements of eye and vision health care. The purpose of this study is a comparison of differently organised primary eye care systems, with special focus on the participation of opticians and optometrists. "Optometrists are primary health care practitioners of the eye and visual system who provide comprehensive eye and vision care, which includes refraction and dispensing, detection, diagnosis and management of disease in the eye, and the rehabilitation of conditions of the visual system". Generally optometry is an advancement of optics, as the education of opticians has expanded to include clinical subjects. As a consequence, the scope of practice of optometrists has been enlarged to the performance of sight tests and comprehensive eye examinations on patients, whereas opticians focus traditionally on the fitting and dispensing of optical appliances.