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Researcher Says Expanding Optometrist Authority Could Improve Access and Reduce Vision Impairment
Summary
Edward J. Timmons, director of the Knee Regulatory Research Center, told the Joint Committee on Government Organization that expanding optometrist scope — including limited laser procedures — is associated in his research with reduced vision impairment and could help address shortages of ophthalmologists, especially in rural areas.
Edward J. Timmons, director of the Knee Regulatory Research Center at West Virginia University, told the joint committee on government organization on Sept. 8 that expanding the scope of practice for optometrists can increase access to care and reduce vision impairment. "By granting optometrists this permission, by allowing optometrists to provide treatment to patients for glaucoma, we observed a 12% reduction in vision impairment nationwide," Timmons said during his presentation.
Timmons gave the committee an overview of eye-care roles and said ophthalmologists are medical doctors who perform surgery while optometrists, who complete four years of optometry school, provide clinical…
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