An eye care professional (ECP) is an individual who provides a service related to the eyes or

vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...

. It is any

healthcare Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

worker involved in eye care, from one with a small amount of post-secondary training to practitioners with a doctoral level of education.

Types

Ophthalmologist

Ophthalmologists are Doctors of Medicine (M.D./D.O.)(physicians) who specialize in eye care - this includes optical, medical and surgical eye care. They have a general medical degree, not a degree in eye care specifically.” In the US, this usually includes four years of college, four years of medical school, one year surgical internship and three years of eye specific training (ophthalmology residency). Some surgeons complete additional training (fellowship) in specific areas of the eye. Ophthalmologists are qualified to manage any eye disease, perform invasive eye surgery (including injections) and provide general medical care (non eye related) also. While Ophthalmologists can provide comprehensive care, typically they manage late state eye disease and perform surgery (specialty care). Their training is heavily focused on surgery.

Ophthalmic medical practitioner

An ophthalmic medical practitioner is a physician who specializes in ophthalmic conditions but who has not completed a specialization in ophthalmology. This title only relates to providers in Europe.

Optometrist

Optometrists are healthcare professionals with a degree in eye care, specifically. In the United States and Canada, they are Doctors of Optometry (O.D.) - this includes optical, medical and some surgical eye care. Their training typically includes four years of college followed by four years of eye specific training (Optometry school). Some complete an additional 5th year in a specialty area. Optometry school is a specialized program - specific to the eyes and related structures. Optometrists receive their medical eye training while in Optometry school and during internships (hospitals, private practices, universities, VA's etc.). Education is provided by professors, optometrists and physicians. Often, Optometry students and Ophthalmology residents will work together to co-manage medical cases. O.D.'s are trained and licensed to manage any eye disease (infections, glaucoma, macular degeneration, etc.) and practice medicine for eye related conditions - including topical medications (eye drops) or those taken by mouth including some schedule controlled substances. They may also order imaging tests (CT/MRI), remove ocular foreign bodies and perform some laser procedures. They are also qualified to perform some surgical procedures. Optometrists have the most optical training of any eye care professional and are the only eye care providers with a degree specific to eye care. In the United States, Optometrists are considered physicians within their scope of practice and bill medical insurances according to Medicare. Outside of the United States and Canada, Optometrists typically do not hold a doctorate degree and may be limited in providing surgical treatments. However, some countries such as the UK, include a combination of providers where some Optometrists hold postgraduate doctorate degrees and some do not.

Orthoptist

Orthoptists specialize in diagnosis and management of

eye movement Eye movement includes the voluntary or involuntary movement of the eyes. Eye movements are used by a number of organisms (e.g. primates, rodents, flies, birds, fish, cats, crabs, octopus) to fixate, inspect and track visual objects of interest ...

and coordination problems, misalignment of the

visual axis In architecture, sightlines are a particularly important consideration in the design of civic structures, such as a stage (theatre), stage, arena, or monument. They determine the configuration of such items as theater (structure), theater and s ...

, convergence and accommodation problems, and conditions such as

amblyopia Amblyopia, also called lazy eye, is a disorder of sight in which the brain fails to fully process input from one eye and over time favors the other eye. It results in decreased vision in an eye that typically appears normal in other aspects. Amb ...

strabismus Strabismus is a vision disorder in which the eyes do not properly align with each other when looking at an object. The eye that is focused on an object can alternate. The condition may be present occasionally or constantly. If present during a ...

, and

binocular vision In biology, binocular vision is a type of vision in which an animal has two eyes capable of facing the same direction to perceive a single three-dimensional image of its surroundings. Binocular vision does not typically refer to vision where an ...

disorders, as outlined by the

International Orthoptic Association The International Orthoptic Association represents over 20,000 orthoptists, in over 20 countries. History The International Orthoptic Association was formed in 1967 after the first International Orthoptic Congress. The British Orthoptic Associat ...

. They may assist ophthalmologists in surgery, teach orthoptic students, students of other allied health professions, medical students, and ophthalmology residents and fellows, act as vision researchers, perform vision screening, perform

low vision Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

assessments and act as clinical administrators.

Ocularist

Ocularists specialize in the fabrication and fitting of ocular prostheses for people who have lost eyes due to trauma or illness.

Optician

Opticians specialize in the fitting and fabrication of ophthalmic lenses,

spectacles Glasses, also known as eyeglasses or spectacles, are vision eyewear, with lenses (clear or tinted) mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms (known as temples o ...

contact lenses Contact lenses, or simply contacts, are thin lenses placed directly on the surface of the eyes. Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide, and they can be worn to correct vision or for cosmeti ...

aids and ocular prosthetics. They may also be referred to as an "optical dispenser", "dispensing optician", "ophthalmic dispenser". The prescription for the

corrective lens A corrective lens is a lens (i.e. a transmissive optical device) that is typically worn in front of the eye to improve daily vision. The most common use is to treat refractive errors: myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. G ...

es must be supplied by an ophthalmologist, optometrist or in some countries an orthoptist. This is a regulated profession in most

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels. Jur ...

Ophthalmic medical personnel

A collective term for allied health personnel in ophthalmology. It is often used to refer to specialized personnel (unlike ocularists or opticians). In many countries these allied personnel may just be known as an "ophthalmic assistant". Their training is usually combined with a two or three year applied science degree and they assist an

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgery, surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Followin ...

optometrist Optometry is a specialized health care profession that involves examining the eyes and related structures for defects or abnormalities. Optometrists are health care professionals who typically provide comprehensive primary eye care. In the Uni ...

in the hospital or clinic with vision testing. In the USA the

Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology The International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO) is an American nonprofit professional association for Allied Ophthalmic Personnel (AOP). Founded in 1969, the IJCAHPO provides certification and educati ...

administers OMP certifications:

Oculist

Oculist is an older term that was primarily used to describe eye care professionals that are trained and specialized in the eye care field, specifically ophthalmologists and optometrists. The term is no longer used in the United States.

Vision therapist

A vision therapist, usually either an orthoptist or optometrist, works with patients that require vision therapy, such as low vision patients. Commonly, vision therapy is performed in

children A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

who develop problems with their vision mostly because they are using their eyes up close. This type of therapy is however generally used in patients who need visual correction but for whom the corrective lenses are not enough to reverse the condition. Visual therapy in children is performed by optometrists who specialize in children's eye care. To specialize in vision therapy, doctors must complete extensive post-graduate training beyond their optometric degree, at which time they are eligible to sit for their national boards to become fully certified as specialists in children's vision. A doctor's title after passing the national board in vision therapy is Fellow in the

College of Optometrists in Vision Development The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) consists of optometry, optometrists, Vision therapy, vision therapists, and other vision specialists. ''Optometry & Vision Development'' is an official COVD peer reviewed publication. It is ...

, or F.C.O.V.D. Optometrists who provide vision therapy but who have not yet sat for their certification exams are board-eligible Associates in the College of Optometrists in Vision Development. Vision therapists typically use prisms, eye patches, filtered lenses, and computerized systems to conduct therapy sessions. Most eye care professionals do not practice

iridology Iridology (also known as iridodiagnosisCline D; Hofstetter HW; Griffin JR. ''Dictionary of Visual Science''. 4th ed. Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston 1997. or iridiagnosis) is an alternative medicine technique whose proponents claim that pattern ...

, citing a significant lack of scientific evidence for the practice.

Distinction between Ophthalmologists, Optometrists and Orthoptists

Ophthalmologists generally provide specialty eye care and manage late stage eye disease (often only mitigated with surgery). Optometrists typically provide comprehensive eye care - including medical, up to a moderate stage (managed with prescription medications). There is considerable overlap in scope of practice between professions. Optometrists are licensed to provide exactly the same medical care as ophthalmologists, but not invasive surgery. Orthoptists specialize in the diagnosis and management of problems with eye movement and coordination, such as misalignment of the visual axis, binocular vision problems, and pre/post surgical care of

patients. They do not directly treat ocular disease with medications or surgery. Orthoptists are trained to treat patients using optical aids and eye exercises. Orthoptists are primarily found working alongside ophthalmologists and optometrists to co-manage binocular vision treatment, visual field loss management and accommodative therapy. They often do standard eye and vision testing along with computerised axillary testing. All three types of professional perform screenings for common ocular problems affecting children (such as

and

) and adults (such as

cataract A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble w ...

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...