Online Paraoptometric Training – Navigator Program

This first program is an introduction into the eye care field. Included are descriptions of the roles of various Eye Care Professionals. It also includes components of presenting a professional image, the Paraoptometric Professional's code of ethics and HIPAA requirements for patient care.

At the conclusion of this course, the participants will be able to:

• Describe the role of an optometrist, ophthalmologist, optician and paraoptometric
• Recognize the ten statements that encompass the AOA Code of Ethics
• Discuss and describe what is considered a professional image for a paraoptometric
• List the elements that make up a proper patient greeting over the telephone and in person
• State HIPAA guidelines and discuss how they are applied in practice

This program is an introduction to technical terms that are used routinely in an optometric practice. Some of them are technical terms that refer to various parts of the ocular anatomy, while others are terms used in the management of the office.

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain what CPT and ICD codes are in the health care industry
• List and identify the major structures of the eye including but not limited to the cornea, crystalline lens, pupil, iris, retina, and optic nerve
• Incorporate common optical and ocular terminology into day-to-day practice
• Identify various pieces of optical equipment used in the practice
• Explain the function of ocular anatomy and how these structures participate in the delivery of vision

There is no denying the importance of the procedures that take place at the front desk and that is the focus of the third module. Topics discussed are at an introductory level and include; telephone techniques, appointment scheduling, filing patient records, insurance and billing and check in/out procedures.

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

• List the proper steps to placing a caller on hold courteously
• Identify the ways to properly take a telephone message
• Outline how to effectively and politely screen calls for others in the office
• Incorporate tips on how to handle upset or irate callers on the telephone
• More efficiently schedule appointments for professionals in the office
• Set up and maintain filing systems in the office
• Discuss the difference between vision care insurance and medical insurance
• Outline steps to take when payment is not received in a timely manner

It is the patient’s ocular history that gives the optometrist the information they need to provide effective and appropriate care. And, it is often the paraoptometric who gathers this vital history. Obtaining an ocular history is the focus of this fourth module.

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

• List the eight elements of the History of Present Illness (HPI)
• List the fourteen systems in the Review of Systems (ROS)
• Describe what is part of the Past, Family, Social History (PFSH)
• Identify various abbreviations commonly used with ocular and systemic medications
• Differentiate between a medication side effect and a true allergic reaction to a drug
• Explain the legal and medical importance of accurate documentation

Many tests and evaluations take place prior to the optometrist performing their own procedures. The information gathered during the pre-test gives the optometrist a starting point and provides valuable data that becomes part of the patient’s permanent medical record. In this fifth module the following tests will be reviewed: visual acuity assessment, intraocular pressure measurement and lensometry.

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Describe how visual acuity is measured and recorded
• List the various types of tonometers
• Describe how various tonometers are used to measure intraocular pressure
• List and describe different types of spectacle lenses including spheres, sphero-cylinders and multifocals
• Describe the steps to using the lensometer to neutralize spectacle lenses
• Read a spectacle prescription and identify the various components of the prescription

The external examination is a critical part of a thorough eye exam and it is often the paraoptometric who performs this vital task. “External Examination” is designed to outline the various steps to be performed in an alignment and motility evaluation, ocular muscle testing, color vision assessment, along with a pupil and anterior chamber evaluation.

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Discuss principles of ocular motility
• Describe cover-uncover, Worth 4-Dot and stereopsis testing
• Identify the different types of color vision tests available
• List the various types of color vision deficiencies
• Describe the techniques used for pupil size assessment
• Understand the principles behind the “Flashlight Test” used to estimate the depth of the anterior chamber

The ancillary or supplementary tests the paraoptometric performs offer valuable information relating to patient care. This module will outline a number of evaluations that include the keratometer, corneal topographer, pachymeter, Schirmer's test and blood pressure.

At the conclusion of this course, the participants will be able to:

• Outline the steps of taking a keratometer reading
• Evaluate the K readings to determine the amount and orientation of corneal cylinder
• Describe the findings on a corneal topograhy map
• Outline the steps required for a blood pressure reading
• Describe the ideal blood pressure reading

The purpose of this eighth module is to acquant the paraoptometric with the components of the refraction that the optometrist performs in the exam lane. The principles of objective and subjective refraction will be discussed along with the role of autorefractors. Loading a prescription into the phoropter will also be outlined in this module.

At the conclusion of this course, the participants will be able to:

• Differentiate and explain the difference between an objective and subjective refraction
• Name the various parts of the phoropter
• Outline the steps to loading a prescription into the phoropter
• Describe the procedure for properly placing the patient behind the phoropter

Confrontation visual field testing, the Amsler Grid and computerized visual field testing are the areas covered in module nine of this series.  The principles, the procedures and the results of the evaluation are also covered on a basic level. 

At the conclusion of this course, the participants will be able to:

• Describe what is meant by a visual field
• Outline the steps of a confrontation visual field
• List the steps to using the Amsler Grid
• Describe the difference between static threshold and kinetic threshold testing
• Outline the steps to mapping a blind spot

Many optometric practices offer eyeglasses to meet their patients’ refractive needs. This is why it is important that the paraoptometric in the practice has a good understanding of how to dispense eyewear to meet the visual results the doctor prescribed. This module will focus on various lens designs, materials, treatments and tints.

At the conclusion of this course, the participants will be able to:

• List and describe the different types of spectacle lens designs available for various Rxs
• Describe lens treatments and their specific usage
• List available sunglass tints and describe the best use for each
• Outline the steps to taking a patient’s pupillary distance (PD) measurements

The majority of patients who come through the doors of an optometric practice will be wearing eyeglasses, contact lenses or even both.  This is why it is important that the paraoptometric in the practice has a good understanding of both of these modalities.  This module focuses on the role of contact lenses in the optometric practice.  We’ll work through a contact lens prescription, discuss the various types and materials, outline the steps in training a patient, take a look at some of the unique instrumentation used in contact lens fitting and discuss the ordering and dispensing of these little pieces of plastic. 

What exactly is the role of the paraoptometric assistant?  It’s actually quite simple.  The role of the paraoptometric assistant is to be an assistant to the optometrist!  Assisting the Optometrist is focuses on outlining the steps of being a scribe, as well as assisting the optometrist during the exam, instilling eye drops and ointment and applying and removing eye patches. 

Every patient who visits the practice has unique and specific needs. And every one of them are special. However, there are some patients who have special needs of their own that not only impact their vision, they impact their visit. This module will focus on how to work with patients who are visually impaired, physically challenged, deaf or hard of hearing, and diabetic. It will also address the paraoptometric’s role when there is a true ocular or medical emergency in the office.

At the conclusion of this course, the participants will be able to:

• Describe how to assist the blind or visually impaired patient in the office
• List various strategies for communicating with the deaf or hard of hearing patient
• Describe the symptoms of hypoglycemia and how to treat it in the office
• Outline the important questions to ask when a patient presents with an ocular emergency
• Define and describe Universal Precautions

There is a lot of equipment in an optometric office and all of it needs to be maintained so that it works properly and provides the most accurate patient information for the doctor. Maintaining all of that important equipment in the office is the focus of this module. This module will outline how to clean and maintain the slit lamp, gonioscopy lens, applanation tonometer, tonopen, phoroptor, direct ophthalmoscope, indirect ophthalmoscope, lensometer, projector, and keratometer.

At the conclusion of this course, the participants will be able to:

• Describe the basic use of instrumentation in the office
• Outline the steps to maintaining the instrumentation in the office
• Describe the importance of cleaning equipment in the presence of the patient