How can an optometrist and an ophthalmologist work together?
An optometrist is a primary health care giver who is qualified to deal with certain issues of the eye. They mostly deal with vision information processing and visual functioning. An optometrist also tests for sight and does sight correction where necessary. They are just as important as eye doctors in the provision of eye care. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who is specialized in both medical and surgical eye care. They can therefore sort out all sorts of eye problems.
The services of both an optometrist and an ophthalmologist can be integrated into patients’ health care to provide efficient and goal oriented health care. First, an optometrist can assist the patient as an entry point to more complex eye care. An optometrist usually deals with the simpler eye ailments while an ophthalmologist deals with cases that an optometrist cannot or is not authorized to handle. This usually makes work easier both for the patients and the eye professionals as it reduces pressure due to large numbers that ophthalmologists would otherwise have to deal with.
These two professionals also work well together because an optometrist refers difficult or complex cases to the ophthalmologist who then takes care of these cases. This means that cases that need urgent attention are made known to the ophthalmologist in good time and unnecessary delays are avoided. Referrals play a very important role in provision of health care at any given level and eye care is no exception. They ensure that the care any patient is given is comprehensive and effective.
Even the roles of these two health care providers seems to be almost the same, they are actually quite different. Their differences however complement one another and work together to give the best there is in terms of eye care. Missed opportunities are avoided in the eye care centers because of the existence of the optometrists and the ophthalmologists. This means that there are no patients who are turned away without getting their problem at least half fixed because of shortage of manpower. An optometrist is just as good at diagnosing an eye ailment as is an ophthalmologist and they can provide primary care before giving you an appointment for a return visit.
An optometrist and ophthalmologist working together are beneficial not only to the patient but also to the institution where they work. When there are many people involved in the care of patients it can lead to the discovery of better ways of handling certain conditions. Therefore when an optometrist consults an ophthalmologist about a condition, it will go a long way in terms of studying the condition, undertaking research on it and coming up with deductions that are subsequently helpful to all parties involved.
Research is an area that is rich in innovations and knowledge. A lot of the medical and even surgical interventions are brain children of research. Optometrists and ophthalmologists can work well together to undertake useful research whose findings can improve both the services and satisfaction at the health facilities where they are stationed to work
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