Because of the value of sight, it is important to be
proactive in your eye health. Taking a role in maintaining your sight
and preventing its loss includes choosing a health care provider best
suited for your needs – one that has the right training and experience,
can give proper diagnosis and treatment, is informative, promotes the
best possible outcome, and guides their care through genuine concern.
Getting started: How to choose an optometrist or ophthalmologist
Qualifications: Having a solid set of credentials is one quality
indicator of a good health care provider. Making sure that the
professional has the proper and adequate training to diagnose, treat,
and prevent disease can help you decide which doctor will best serve
your eye health needs. Both your optometrist (O.D.) and ophthalmologist
(D.O. or M.D.) should be certified through an accredited medical
institution and be licensed to practice through the respective state
board of optometry or state medical board. In addition, ophthalmologists
should have had training as an intern and resident. Certificates and
licensures should be displayed in conspicuous areas. You can confirm
their credentials through the appropriate state board before your visit.
Experience: Experience is also a quality indicator
of a health care provider. An optometrist or ophthalmologist who has
more experience will probably be better able to detect eye disease and
diagnose disorders simply because they have seen more patients. The
second benefit of visiting a health care provider with experience is the
reassurance that they have maintained a practice of optometry or
ophthalmology.
You may also want to know if your eye examiner
participates in medical research or medical education. An eye health
professional who participates in and is current with the latest research
and education of his or her field is more knowledgeable about the latest
techniques in diagnosing and treating eye disease and visual disorders.
Services offered: Choosing an eye health
professional who is able to provide a wide range of services is
beneficial, but you also should select your provider by what services
you need. One who provides fewer services may sometimes be able to
provide more specialization with a service or certain diseases, like
glaucoma and cataracts. You should examine your eye health needs to
determine which health care provider you should see.
Patient satisfaction: Making patients happy is very
important. Knowing that patients have consumer loyalty to their health
care provider and encourage others to see their own doctor is a very
good indicator of quality.