Page 11 - Index

Doctors of Optometry (ODs / Optometrists)12
Ë practice in many different healthcare settings that include private and group practice, hospital-based practice, Accountable Care Organizations, Federally Qualified Health Centers, School Based Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, Certified Nursing Facilities, Rehabilitation Facilities, U.S. Armed Forces, Veterans Health Administration, Indian Health Service, Civil Service, and other settings.
Ë assist with improving overall population health and quality of life through prevention and early diagnosis of vision and eye health problems and prevention of chronic disease.
Ë detect systemic diseases through identification of associated eye findings during a com- prehensive face-to-face eye examination. There are over 275 systemic conditions with potential ocular involvement.
Ë coordinate the vision, eye health, and wellness of their patients with optometric col- leagues, ophthalmologists, primary care physicians, and other health care providers.
Ë offer services to assist individuals with functional vision problems, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment and blindness. Treatments may include vision therapy or tools to address functional vision problems or vision rehabilitation for those with vision impairment with the goal to optimize vision and maintain independence and quality of life.
Ë provide a continuum of patient-centered care for people of all ages focused on preven- tion, health maintenance, acute care, chronic care, habilitation, and/or rehabilitation, with special emphasis on minimizing life-long impacts and the burden of visual impairment
on at-risk populations that include aging adults and the very old, as well as infants and children.
KEY POINTS:
Interprofessional Education, Collaborative Practice, and the Profession of Optometry
 Interprofessional education prepares future practitioners to deliver patient-centered care as members of interprofessional teams.
 Interprofessional education and collaborative practice are increasingly linked to improved patient outcomes.
 Doctors of Optometry are uniquely positioned to participate in interdisciplinary collaborative practice.
 The Schools and Colleges of Optometry are similarly uniquely positioned to establish the foundation for collaborative practice through effective interprofessional education and collaborative practice initiatives.
June 2020 ASCO IPECP Toolkit
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