Interprofessional Care in Optometry
As an optometrist, we are primary healthcare provider and encounter patients on a daily basis. It is important that not only improve patients’ vision but also their overall wellness. It is crucial to maximize the skills as a primary care optometrist to help patients function in their daily tasks or hobbies. Knowing that optometry plays a significant role in healthcare, it is important to collaborate not just with ophthalmology, but with other health and non-health professionals in the community.
In recent years, the concept of interprofessional care has gained attraction. Interprofessional care is a collaborative practice approach among a team of multidisciplinary healthcare givers, such as optometrists, family doctors, pharmacists, educators, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, and dentists.
This approach allows each profession to contribute their unique areas of expertise and knowledge to deliver holistic patient care. This approach facilitates synergistic communication and group decision-making regarding chronic disease management, while maintaining mutual respect for each professional’s contribution.
To achieve interprofessional care, interprofessional education is required. As a professional organization, the HKSPO can play a crucial role in identifying health and non-health professionals in the community. The HKSPO can:
- Introduce the role of the Optometrist (Part 1) and work towards establishing healthy professional relationships.
- Emphasize the importance of optometry and its role in healthcare, especially in the management of aging patient populations and chronic systemic diseases.
By fostering interprofessional collaboration and education, optometrists can work together with other healthcare providers to deliver comprehensive and well-coordinated care, ultimately improving patient outcomes and promoting overall community wellness.
For both health and non-health professional body, you are welcome to contact us for inter-professional education and talks on:
