Thoughts about referrals

EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE: Paul B. Freeman, O.D.


......Certainly, all therapies do not work for all patients all of the time, but no therapy will work for anyone if that person is not given the opportunity to explore the legitimate alternatives to apparently ‘‘unresolvable’’ visual complaints from a patient with a ‘‘healthy’’ pair of eyes. When it comes to the treatment of binocular dysfunctions or visually related life activities such as academics, work, or sports, some of our optometric colleagues have demonstrated advanced competency as a diplomate in Binocular Vision, Perception and Pediatric Optometry by the American Academy of Optometry or by being certified as a Fellow in the COVD [College of Optometrists in Vision Development], both of which involve very rigorous testing to achieve. ..... When one looks at the services optometrists are uniquely qualified to render, as well as the benefits to the public, it only makes sense to direct our patients who experience visual performance problems beyond the realm of traditional lenses, drugs, or surgical interventions to those in the profession who have demonstrated the desire to help. In the case of [optometric] vision therapy, there are evidence-based protocols to support such intra-optometric referrals. And who knows? Someone reading this editorial might well be the next practitioner to change someone’s life through such a referral....

Comments: These are the words of Dr. Paul Freeman, the editor of Optometry, the Journal of the American Optometric Association, in an editorial he recently wrote addressed to my colleagues (the free pdf is available by clicking on the link at the top of this blog post). If you are an optometrist who has not referred a patient to a colleague because of binocular vision dysfunction, learning related vision problems, 3D Vision Syndrome or some other related condition, you are doing your patients a major disservice.

If you are a patient who experiences blurred vision, double vision, eye strain, asthenopia and/or headache after watching a 3D movie, reading, studying for a test, or while using a computer and your eye care professional has not referred you to a COVD doctor or AAO Diplomate....then ask for such a referral or go to the websites noted above to locate a doctor near you who can help.

I wrote an editorial on this very topic....and my colleague, Dr. Len Press has also commented on this in his VisionHelp blog. The bottom line is if you are a doctor.....refer when it is appropriate to do so. If you are a patient, ask for a referral. If your doctor can't or won't help you go the the AOA website, COVD website and/or the Optometric Extension Program Foundation website for professionals who can help you. DM