Standards for Eye Care and Vision
Functional vision defines how a person performs in vision-related activities, more than how the eye functions (visual function).
Functional vision is directly related to quality of life and is the basis for the ICO’s International Standards for Eye Care and Vision.
The ICO believes these principles should be emphasized in ophthalmic training, ophthalmic practice and in health care policy decisions:
- Ophthalmic care extends beyond the treatment of eye disease to promoting the well being of the patient
- Treatment decisions should consider patient needs and match the clinician’s expectations with those of the patient
- Studies of ophthalmic outcomes should include appropriate tools to evaluate visual functioning
- Ophthalmologists should follow a set of moral principles and standards to guide behavior within their professional domain. Download the ICO's Ethical Code (PDF – 200KB).
International Classification of Diseases-11 (ICD-11)
The International Classification of Diseases is the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global standard to report and categorize diseases, health-related conditions and external causes of disease and injury in order to compile useful health information related to deaths, illness and injury.
The ICO Task Force on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) is coordinating the Topic Advisory Group (TAG) for Ophthalmology—to formulate definitions and diagnostic criteria for the relevant categories, and to suggest changes to the classification structure.
This 11th revision to the ICD is a major one; it aims to serve not only the WHO's need for public health statistics, but also the terminology needs for Electronic Medical Records and other Health Information Technology applications.
The WHO has a special interest in defining the Global Burden of Disease as a means to compare the impact of various diseases and to set health policy priorities. For vision, this translates to the Burden of Vision Loss.
Standards for Eye Care and Vision Resources
ICO Surgical Safety Checklist
This Checklist was by the ICO to support doctors in the quest to eliminate “Never Ever Events” in ophthalmic surgery. More »
- January 25, 2011
- Save to My ICO
An Ethical Code For Ophthalmologists: Ethical Principles and Professional Standards
This document comprises a set of moral principles and standards to guide the behavior of ophthalmologists within their professional domain. More »
- June 14, 2010
- Save to My ICO
Causes vs. Consequences of Functional Loss
Identifying underlying causes is the goal of most medical tests. Identifying the possible consequences is important for vocational tests and for… More »
- May 14, 2010
- Save to My ICO
The Burden of Vision Loss
The WHO has a special interest in defining the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) as a means to compare the impact of various diseases and to set health… More »
- May 14, 2010
- Save to My ICO
Assessment and Rehabilitation of Functional Vision
This 2008 report on assessment and rehabilitation assesses functional vision, which describes how the person functions in performing… More »
- October 11, 2011
- Save to My ICO
