A PARAOPTOMETRIC VIEW: The AOA Commission on Paraoptometric Certification (CPC) 2009 Year-in-Review Report

摘要

Paraoptometry is a growing field in virtually every respect, according to Mary Jameson, CPOT, chair of the AOA Commission on Paraoptometric Certification (CPC). As in other fields of health care, demand for qualified optometric office personnel is increasing because of the growth in the number of optometric practices, eye care clinics, and similar facilities around the nation as well as a rapidly aging population that increasingly requires care. In particular, demand for highly skilled office personnel is growing as the result of increased practice emphasis on high-quality patient service as well as increased reliance on sophisticated technology to enhance care and maximize efficiency. Not surprisingly then, Jameson said, more paraoptometrics are becoming formally certified to ensure required competencies. More than 5,000 CPC-certified paraoptometrics now assist in providing eye and vision care in practices across the United States, Canada, and on U.S. military bases around the world. Some 1,032 optometric office staff achieved initial or advanced certification through the CPC last year alone, according to the commission's recently released CPC 2009 Year in Review report.