Orthoptists work with patients of all ages, children to the elderly, to investigate, diagnose and treat sight-related problems and abnormalities of eye movement and eye position. They carry out tests to diagnose vision issues and determine an appropriate management strategy such as daily eye drops for potential Glaucoma patients.
Typically a team member of a hospital eye care department, orthoptists work alongside ophthalmologists, optometrists and vision scientists to assist in treating cataracts, stroke induced issues, retinal disease, neurological disorders as well as glaucoma. However, nowadays, the professional role of an orthoptist often extends to work out in community healthcare centres or schools, where their patients have eye problems such as
- Binocular vision
- Strabismus
- Ocular motility (eye movement)
- Amblyopia (lazy eye)
The typical daily activities of an orthoptist include:
- Receiving patient referrals from the eye casualty and neurology departments, eye clinics, GPs, health visitors and community clinics
- Investigating patients clinically to assess their vision, eye position and eye movement, by observation and by the use of specialist equipment
- Making a diagnosis and formulating a treatment plan, which might involve referral for surgery, or the use of more conservative orthoptic treatment
- Giving an explanation and full instructions to patients about the diagnosis and treatment programme suggested
- Training students on placement and other health professionals, e.g. GPs and optometry students
- Maintaining involvement in departmental research projects
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