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Formally certified office staff is rapidly becoming the norm in optometric practices, according to Mary Jameson, CPOT, chair of the AOA Commission on Paraoptometric Certification (CPC).

More than 5,000 paraoptometrics across the United States and Canada currently maintain certifications with the CPC, according to the commission’s 2009 Year in Review report.

That number will continue to grow steadily over the coming years, Jameson believes.

Some 1,032 optometric office staff achieved initial or advanced certification through the CPC last year alone, according to the report.

“Formal certification of health care office staff is a movement sweeping our country,” said Jameson. “There is an increasing need for paraoptometric certification in optometric practices.”

The CPC is the only certfication program developed specifically for paraoptometrics and offers three levels of certification – Certified Paraoptometric (CPO), Certified Paraoptometric Assistant (CPOA), and Certified Paraoptometric Technician (CPOT).

Each designation coincides with the levels of responsibility that paraoptometrics are commonly assigned in practices, Jameson said.

Written exams are proctored five times a year, while the CPOT Practical Examination is offered two to three times at different locations around the country.

Some 1,206 optometric office staff sat for a written paraoptometric examination last year. All levels of certification require maintenance that includes 18 hours of documented continuing education during a three-year period.

“Doctors of optometry are realizing the value of certified paraoptometric personnel in their practices,” Jameson said. “Certified paraoptometrics demonstrate competence and knowledge to patients, instilling confidence in the service and care that is provided. In addition, newly emerging technology in eye care puts more demands on the skills of today’s optometrists. In order to effectively meet these demands, doctors are turning to their staff to assist in the routine areas of examinations, contact lenses and special testing procedures. It is imperative that these staff members be fully trained and prepared to accept the duties they are assigned.”

Of the 1,206 optometric office staff members who took CPC certification examinations last year, some 719 achieved entry-level certified paraoptometric status, 214 advanced to the certified paraopotmetric assistant level, and another 99 became top-level certified paraoptometric technicians.

Data gathered from applications indicate that private optometric practices in particular are coming to rely on the CPC program to ensure staff has demonstrated proficiency in necessary skills, Jameson said.

However, Air Force optometry clinics, which now require certified staff, continued to account for a high percentage of CPOA and CPOT certifications last year.

Candidate data also suggest that in many cases, CPOA and CPOT positions are attracting individuals with higher levels of education.

• The CPC has structured the CPO examination to demonstrate competency in basic optometric office duties.
  Course materials and tests cover proficiency in the areas of basic science, clinical principles and procedures, ophthalmic optics and dispensing, and related professional issues.

Some 812 candidates took the 100-question CPO examination in 2009, with 89 percent achieving the 75 percent minimum score necessary to pass.

The vast majority of CPO candidates (736) were employed in private optometric offices.

While the largest segment (563) had high school or equivalent level education, more than 200 of the candidates held bachelor’s or associate degrees.

• The CPOA examination is designed for staff with at least some management responsibilities within the office.
  This examination tests proficiency in office operations, ophthalmic optics and dispensing, testing procedures, special procedures, refractive status of the eye and binocularity, as well as basic ocular anatomy and physiology and basic ocular pharmacology.

Candidates are also expected to be familiar with all the content tested at the CPO level.

Some 256 candidates sat for the 225-question exam during five administrations last year with 84 percent of first- or second-time test takers achieving the minimum score of 67.5 percent necessary for passage.

Two-thirds (66 percent) were employed in private practices.

The majority (60 percent) reported they had a high school or equivalent degree while nearly one-third of the candidates (29 percent) held associate, bachelor’s, or post-graduate degrees.

• The CPOT examination has been developed specifically to assess the growing role paraoptometrics play in pre-testing, contact lens dispensing and other patient related-functions.

Certified paraoptometric technicians are tested for proficiency in pre-testing procedures, clinical procedures, ophthalmic optics and dispensing, refractive status of the eye and binocularity, anatomy and physiology, as well as practice management.

Candidates are also expected to be familiar with all subject matter from the CPO and CPOA examination.

Most CPOT candidates must pass the 250-question written examination and a practical examination within a three-year period. (Graduates of Accreditation Council on Optometric Education [ACOE]-approved civilian or military optometric technician programs are exempt from the practical examination.)

Some 138 candidates took the CPOT written examination last year, with 72 percent achieving the 66.8 percent minimum score necessary to pass. About one in 10 CPOT candidates last year took the certification exam in conjunction with ACOE-approved optometric technician program.

More than half of CPOT test candidates last year were military paraoptometrics, with another 27 percent employed in private practice and around one in 10 being students.

Some 38 percent hold a high school diploma or equivalent, but almost as many (35 percent) hold associate, bachelor’s or post-graduate degrees.

For nearly nine years, CIBA Vision has provided grants to help support the Paraoptometric Certification program.
The complete CPC 2009 Year in Review Report will appear in the June edition of Optometry: Journal of the AOA.