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Optician, Optometrist, Ophthalmologist ... Help! I'm Confused
Why Seeing the Difference
Is Important
(ARA) - Here's a quick test that's important to your health: do you know
which type of eye care provider you visit for your eye glasses, disease testing
and treatment and surgery? Do you see an optician, optometrist or
ophthalmologist?
If you're like most Americans, you're not quite sure, but it does matter to you
whether the person you are "seeing" is educated and trained to meet
your eye healthcare needs. A survey of Americans, conducted by StrategyOne
Research, showed that 30 percent of respondents do not know which kind of eye
care professional they visit. A total of 70 percent are confused about or don't
know which type of eye care professional has a medical degree, yet 96 percent
say they want a medical doctor to carry out their complex eye care needs, such
as prevention or treatment of eye disease and eye surgery.
Here is a quick primer on the differences between eye care providers. All of
these professionals work together to ensure overall eye health.
Opticians (LDOs) fill prescriptions, issued by ophthalmologists and
optometrists, for corrective eyewear. These prescriptions may include
eyeglasses, contact lenses, low vision aids and ocular prostheses. Opticians
have two years of training at an accredited college of ophthalmic dispensing.
Optometrists (ODs) must have some undergraduate education and a four-year
optometry degree. They do not have a medical degree or take part in surgical
internships or residencies. In general, they work with patients who have
"healthy" eyes. Optometrists are trained to conduct primary eye care
procedures such as refraction and fitting of contact lenses.
Ophthalmologists (MDs or DOs) undergo 12 years of undergraduate and medical or
osteopathic education and residency. This specialized education and training
prepares ophthalmologists to understand the relationship between your eyes and
the rest of your body, how certain conditions -- like diabetes -- can affect
your eyes.
"When I was an optometrist, I learned how to treat healthy eyes and correct
vision with glasses or contacts," says Dr. Stephen Waller, an
ophthalmologist and former optometrist from San Antonio, Texas. "It wasn't
until medical school and surgical residency to become an ophthalmologist,
though, that I learned how to diagnose and treat diseased eyes with medication,
lasers and scalpels."
He says this more extensive training and education enabled him to understand the
relationship between these procedures, other diseases and body systems. "It
concerns me that people who haven't gone through this further education and
training may be inclined to try to treat 'sick' eyes when they haven't had any
experience in how to do this. Before I was an ophthalmologist, I didn't know
what I didn't know. But I had a feeling that trying to stretch beyond my limits
could impact not just a patient's eyes, but their overall health."
Bill Christofferson, a senior citizen from Utah, encourages people to understand
who they are seeing for their eye care. Several months ago, a growth developed
on Bill's eyelid. He got a first opinion from an individual in a "doctor's
coat" who recommended surgery and offered to perform the procedure. It was
only when he sought a second opinion -- this time with an ophthalmologist --
that he realized the first opinion was offered by an optometrist who was not
licensed under law to perform the surgery.
"I was shocked when someone without a medical degree tried to come near my
eye with a scalpel," says Christofferson. The ophthalmologist offered a
different, correct diagnosis, performed the surgery and Bill's story had a happy
ending.
If you do find yourself faced with a complex eye care need -- such as diagnosis
and the need for treatment through medication or injections for an eye disease,
or any type of laser or scalpel surgery -- remember to ensure that the person
providing your treatment is an ophthalmologist -- an "Eye MD."
Courtesy of ARA Content