評估視光學設系之需要

Taiwan has high prevalence of myopia. For example, more than 80 of the high school graduates are nearsighted. Together with farsightedness and astigmatism, a rough estimate that more than half of the 20 million population in Taiwan need visual auxiliary-glasses or contact lens. Besides around 800 ophthamologists, there are more than 3,300 guild registered glasses stores providing eye wear services. Unfortunately, unfitness complains are often heard. The problem stems from the fact that we don't have adequate optometric training program in our education system. In a well organized medical society, vision care is carried out by three professionals, i.e. opthamologist, optometrist, and optician. An optometrist prescribes, fits, and supplies eyeglasses and contact lenses. Becaues of the primary vision care service, an optometrist refers suspicious eye ailment patients to an ophthamologist. In Northern America, there are 18 institutes providing optometry study, whereas, non in Taiwan. To be justice for both ophthamologists and optical association, an unbiased research of this project, "Evaluate the establishment of college level optometric education in Taiwan" was carried out. By means of personal visits, experts forum, and questionnaires (opthamologist, 150; optical association, 519; general public, 1,421), the idea of optometric education is favored. Even the ophthamologists, as high as 64, favor this proposal. In realizing the current situation, most of the responses anticipate the department (or school) of public health in medical institute can coordinate this job by providing in service training course for the optical association members.