Updates

Background

Testing sight is central to community optometric practice and a key public health service both in providing vision correction for all and in identifying sight-threatening and other pathologies at an early stage.

There are various components to sight tests: history and symptoms, routine procedures, refraction, internal and external examinations, targeted investigations and record keeping. Most sight tests are routine, most patients do not have significant abnormalities and sight-testing has a very high safety record. Nevertheless, like all clinical practice and human interaction, it is not risk free:

• Errors may be made in prescribing 
• Errors may be made in dispensing 
• One or more procedures may be missed
• Pathologies may not be detected.

Guidance

Read the Optical Confederation's Safe practice: eye testing guidance which helps you minimise potential risks in the sight testing process. 

Updates

Originally published: June 2012

Reviewed: 2016

Next review date: March 2022

Info: New hosting page created on FODO.com for original Optical Confederation (OC) guidance following changes to the OC website in January 2020.