Ophthalmic medical personnel certification: the ultimate training tool.

In this issue of the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology, Astle et al. identify the need for more well-trained ophthalmic medical personnel (OMP) and provide strategies for the long-term success of OMP training. They analyzed data collected from Canadian ophthalmologists and OMP regarding the value and role of certified eye care personnel. Even though the environment is changing and much is out of our control, one area in which ophthalmologists can have a proactive and positive impact is the training and certification of our OMP. Astle et al. present the results of an online survey of ophthalmologists and OMP that examined the need for recruitment and training of OMP, as well as the value and productivity of certified OMP. Not surprisingly, 61% of ophthalmologists find it difficult to recruit and hire OMP and 50% support the development of additional training programs. The results are encouraging with 82% of the ophthalmologists indicating that certified OMP add more value to their practice than non-certified OMP; this was true for 4 productivity measures: doctor productivity (72%); number of patients seen per hour (57%); troubleshooting (76%); and triage screening (66%). In fact, no ophthalmologist or certified OMP indicated that practice productivity was enhanced more by a non-certified OMP for any of the 9 productivity measures studied. These results are not surprising. Research by Woodworth et al. shows that the correlation between certification and practice productivity is high. Buys et al. also recognize the importance of increasing the number and use of certified OMP. Certified OMP are vital partners with ophthalmologists in providing safe, efficient, and high-quality patient care. There are several ways that ophthalmologists and OMP can affect change as leaders in ophthalmology. We can: N support certification and subspecialty examinations for OMP; N collaborate with other organizations to leverage resources; N launch training programs at levels that fit the needs of our communities; and N support continuing education training through the Canadian Society of Ophthalmic Medical Personnel (CSOMP) programs, Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) meetings, and the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology’s (JCAHPO) Annual Continuing Education program.