Providing my customers with (new) basic eyecare screening methods

[Optinel]

Hi I'm new here, created an account just to ask a few questions - I own an optic store and want to provide new screening methods to my patients - Looking into SLO devices so I can detect the basics and refer them if necessary - also can be a good way to make my customer base a bit more... "loyal"..

Choosing an SLO device is a huge headache and my buying group is pushing me towards an Optos device. I've figured. My knowledge in the field in limited (compared to yours ;) ), but basically I am interested because local hospitals are running short on qualified personnel and time slots, and offering new basic screening methods from my store could be interesting.

Any recommendations?

[drk]

They're not basic screening devices.

It takes a lot of knowledge to interpret these images.

An Optos is, like, 60K. An OCT is 40K.

I think I'd invest in something more germane to opticianry.

[Optinel]

Yes, well aware of that, I have enough knowledge to make those interpretations, and I am furthering this knowledge. Well aware of the price range as well, though I 've found cheaper ones, but I would have liked to know what the community here recommends when it comes to SLOs. Let's say "entry-level" SLOs

[Chris Ryser]

Yes, well aware of that, I have enough knowledge to make those interpretations, and I am furthering this knowledge. Well aware of the price range as well, though I 've found cheaper ones, but I would have liked to know what the community here recommends when it comes to SLOs. Let's say "entry-level" SLOs

Your being in Canada is also in which Province you want to use those devices without having the title OD or MD.

[drk]

Let me get this straight.

1. You can interpret OCTs and ultra-wide field SLOs with FAF, etc?
2. You go on an optician site to ask which equipment opticians recommend?

You're full of BS.

[CNG]

A perfect exam besides the automated refraction should have a non contact tonometer, a digital slit lamp, a pupillographer, a visual field machine, a non mydiatric retinal camera... an a doctor interpreting the results. Sure you can do an OCT or an Optos but you still need an interpreter of the test results. It is foolish to do these tests and not really know what is the abnormal results. If you really do not want to get that involve why not buy a vision screener machine very similar to the ones at DMV. It makes more sense. We use the titmus vision screener.

[fjpod]

In the Sates, the simple use of those devices on patients, and trying to interpret them, and advising your patients as to what to do next, would be considered the practice of medicine or optometry.

Are you sure you will not run afoul of your state board? or whatever the equivalent is in Canada?

[Chris Ryser]

Are you sure you will not run afoul of your state board? or whatever the equivalent is in Canada?

We should not forget that Canada is heavily on the road of the Provinces being under deregulation of the eyeglass retail industry.

It has been done in British Columbia and silently in Quebec, and there are good movements in Ontario to get there soon. Once achieved that would cover about 2/3 of the population.

[drk]

Canadian health care system is overburdened, I guess. Probably welcoming people doing it themselves, or having lay people ask American professionals how to do things on message boards.

Very advanced, I'd say.