Optometry/Ophthalmology: the Future

Abstract

SUMMARY 1 The most serious problem for the future of optometry and ophthalmology is surplus manpower. It is imperative that the two groups immediately join in future eye-manpower studies before we face an insoluble problem. 2 It is important that moderate leadership of optometry and ophthalmology put more time and effort into reducing the conflict between our two professions. The present actions by optometry and ophthalmology in legislative hearings are producing nothing but harm and a lack of credibility for optometry and ophthalmology. In general we are looked upon as ‘money grabbers’. 3 It is important that greater efforts be made in the area of joint education between optometry and ophthalmology in order to obtain not only better patient care but also to develop a better understanding of our roles in the eye-healthcare field. To obtain this, ophthalmology should provide leadership in developing programmes for optometrists. However, it is equally important that optometry ask ophthalmology to assist in formulating joint programmes. 4 It is important that we expand MD-OD or OD-MD committees that meet on a regular basis in order to discuss inter professional problems and to present a joint front in areas of common interests where unified action will be of benefit to the public, optometrists and ophthalmologists. 5 It is desirable to form more group practices of optometrists and ophthalmologists in order to provide better services at lower costs. The increasing costs of instruments, salaries, rent, etc., are making solo practice in metropolitan areas too expensive to provide services at a reasonable cost. 6 If optometry and ophthalmology fail to form closer relationships, the future is not good for either group, because the third party who pays the bills and the public will take advantage of our inability to respond rapidly to social problems and health-care costs. 7 It is important that optometry and ophthalmology review their individual attempts to obtain consumer attention, because the present actions result in consumer confusion. Despite both optometry's and ophthalmology's efforts to ‘educate the public’, a majority of consumers think of eye doctors and not the difference between the skills and practices of optometrists and ophthalmologists. Many consumers interpret these educational efforts of the public by both optometry and ophthalmology as serving the self-interest of each group and increasing eye-health-care costs. (The Carel C. Koch Award Lecture, 1977 reprinted by kind permission of the American Journal of Optometry and Physiological Optics 55, 1.)