Ophthalmic Education:

Principles and Guidelines of a Curriculum for Education of the Ophthalmic Specialist: Chapter 15. Low Vision Rehabilitation

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• Basic Level Goals: PGY-2
  
  
• Standard Level Goals: PGY-3
  
  
• Advanced Level Goals: PGY-4

Basic Level Goals: PGY-2

A. Cognitive Skills

1. Describe low vision assessment techniques (e.g., Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study charts, Sloane charts).
   
   
2. Describe significant co-morbidities that impact low vision rehabilitation
   
   
3. Describe various low vision aids.
   
   
4. Describe the optics of low vision devices.
   
   
5. Be sensitive to psychological and emotional aspects of visual impairment.
   
   
6. Describe challenges commonly encountered by individuals with visual impairments.
   
   
7. Prescribe simple but appropriate rehabilitative therapies and optical devices to help the patient meet their goals. (e.g., magnification, illumination).
   
   
8. Describe functional implications of various visual system pathologies and diseases.
   
   
9. Describe visual field enhancing techniques for hemianopic field loss.
   
   
10. Describe the difference between visual acuity testing at both distance and near and contrast sensitivity testing.
    
    
11. Describe the evaluation of and rationale for licensing automobile drivers who are visually impaired; understand the local licensing regulations.
    
    
12. Describe evaluation of visual acuity and visual field for determination of disability.

Standard Level Goals: PGY-3

A. Cognitive Skills

1. Recognize significant co-morbidities that impact low vision rehabilitation.
   
   
2. Recognize and describe clinical applications, indications, and limitations of the various low vision aids (e.g., closed circuit television, magnification, large print, Braille, computers with artificial speech).
   
   
3. Describe the more advanced optics of low vision devices.

B. Technical/Surgical Skills

1. Prescribe more complex rehabilitative therapies and optical devices to help the patient meet their goals.
   
   
2. Apply and prescribe visual field enhancing techniques for hemianopic field loss.
   
   
3. Perform evaluation of vision assessment in licensing drivers who are visually impaired.
   
   
4. Evaluate visual acuity and visual field for determination of disability (for legal and insurance purposes).
   
   
5. Demonstrate low vision devices and educate low vision patients on the uses and limitations of these devices.

Advanced Level Goals: PGY-4

A. Cognitive Skills

1. Treat significant co-morbidities that impact low vision rehabilitation.
   
   
2. Describe indications for the most complex low vision aids.
   
   
3. Apply more complex principles of optics of low vision devices.

B. Technical/Surgical Skills

1. Prescribe the most complex rehabilitative therapies and optical devices to help the patient meet their goals.
   
   
2. Apply and prescribe the most complex visual field enhancing techniques for hemianopic field loss.

Next: Chapter 16. Ophthalmic Practice and Ethics

Also see: Table of Contents of the Principles and Guidelines of a Curriculum for Education of the Ophthalmic Specialist