DIPLOMA COURSE IN OPTHALMIC TECHNICIAN

An ophthalmic technician is a health professional that performs ophthalmic screening and testing in order to provide the ophthalmologist with information needed to diagnose diseases and administer treatments in caring for patients eyes and eyesight. They are considered to be an intermediate level of ophthalmic medical personnel since they are more advanced than ophthalmic assistants, yet not as advanced as an ophthalmic medical technologist. Ophthalmic technicians work in settings like private practices, hospitals, outpatient care centers, and surgical centers. There are a two different pathways to becoming an Ophthalmic Technician. Each of these paths first require a high school diploma or GED. An ophthalmic technician plays an important role in patient care. Patients see an ophthalmic technician to have the initial portion of their eye examination completed. During the initial assessment the ophthalmic technician takes the patients history, assesses visual acuity, tests confrontational visual fields, evaluates pupils and ocular muscles, measures intraocular pressure and performs refractometry. They also provide patients with explanations of procedures and answer any questions the patient may have. However, there are many other job duties outside of patient care that an ophthalmic technician must be able to perform. This requires them to be well versed in a number of areas. The more technical aspect of the job includes conducting measurements, such as taking A-scans, as well as, conducting brightness acuity tests and contrast sensitivity tests. They provide assistance during surgeries through the sterilization of instruments, preparation of exam rooms, and disposal of biohazards. An ophthalmic technician also performs administrative tasks like ordering inventory and calibrating equipment. The technical aspect of this job plays a huge role in the quality of patient care, which is why they need to be well trained.