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$WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT DURING A COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMINATION? Your optometrist is a primary health care practitioner regulated by government under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. According to the World Health Organisation: 75% of blindness in the world is preventable. When you first consult an optometrist you should expect to have a comprehensive eye examination. This will take time (approximately 45 minutes) as there is a lot to cover. KEY ELEMENTS OF A COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMINATION Questions about your EYES AND MEDICAL HISTORY An assessment of PUPIL FUNCTION and response An assessment of your EYE MUSCLE COORDINATION An assessment of your COLOUR PERCEPTION An assessment of your EXTERNAL EYE HEALTH (including lids and lashes) with a slit lamp An assessment of your INTERNAL EYE HEALTH (including lens, retina, optic disc, and blood vessels, signs of CATARACT, MACULAR DEGENERATION etc) An assessment of visual functions including any refractive error (PRESCRIPTION for glasses and/or contact lenses) GLAUCOMA ASSESSMENT (EYE PRESSURE, VISUAL FIELDS TEST, RETINAL PHOTOS, in some cases OCT and corneal thickness) VISUAL FIELD TEST to check for blind spots caused by eye disease or brain damage (e.g. glaucoma or stroke) DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS and diagnosis (including comparison to your last eye examination results) DISCUSSION OF MANAGEMENT OPTIONS and plan for treatment RECORDING all of above in your clinical record With the courtesy of New Zealand Optometrists Association$

$Your optometrist is a primary health care practitioner regulated by government under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. According to the World Health Organisation: 75% of blindness in the world is preventable. When you first consult an optometrist you should expect to have a comprehensive eye examination. This will take time (approximately 45 minutes) as there is a lot to cover. KEY ELEMENTS OF A COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMINATION 1. Questions about your EYES AND MEDICAL HISTORY 2. An assessment of PUPIL FUNCTION and response 3. An assessment of your EYE MUSCLE COORDINATION 4. An assessment of your COLOUR PERCEPTION 5. An assessment of your EXTERNAL EYE HEALTH (including lids and lashes) with a slit lamp 6. An assessment of your INTERNAL EYE HEALTH (including lens, retina, optic disc, and blood vessels, signs of CATARACT, MACULAR DEGENERATION etc) 7. An assessment of visual functions including any refractive error (PRESCRIPTION for glasses and/or contact lenses) 8. GLAUCOMA ASSESSMENT (EYE PRESSURE, VISUAL FIELDS TEST, RETINAL PHOTOS, in some cases OCT and corneal thickness) 9. VISUAL FIELD TEST to check for blind spots caused by eye disease or brain damage (e.g. glaucoma or stroke) 10. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS and diagnosis (including comparison to your last eye examination results) 11. DISCUSSION OF MANAGEMENT OPTIONS and plan for treatment 12. RECORDING all of above in your clinical record With the courtesy of New Zealand Optometrists Association$

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What should you expect during a comprehensive eye examination?