title: Accuracy and Efficiency of Orthoptists in Comprehensive Pediatric Eye Examinations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the level of agreement between orthoptists and medical practitioners in the comprehensive eye examination of children seen in an orthoptist-led triage clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient records over a 6-month period were retrospectively reviewed. Those with a presenting complaint related to vision or ocular motility were triaged into the orthoptist-led clinic and included in the study. Patients who did not meet the triage protocol and those who were not assessed by a medical practitioner at a subsequent appointment were excluded from analysis. The clinical findings from the orthoptist and medical practitioner were collected and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, sixty-three patients were reviewed during the 6-month period and met the inclusion criteria. After the initial comprehensive eye examination with an orthoptist, thirty-two were discharged from hospital and thirty-one were asked to return for a review appointment with a medical practitioner. Agreement between the orthoptists and medical practitioners for the diagnosis of strabismus and/or amblyopia was 84.6% (κ = 0.649, P < 0.001). There was strong agreement between orthoptists and medical practitioners for refractive error of the right eye [τ (19) = 0.352, P = 0.729] and left eye [τ (19) = 1.785, P = 0.090]. Fundus examination comparisons between the orthoptists and medical practitioners showed very high agreement (95.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Orthoptists have the skills necessary to provide comprehensive care of children referred for ocular motility and/or vision related disorders. There was close agreement between orthoptists and medical practitioners when performing comprehensive eye examinations.
authors: From the School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia. J.Scheetz@latrobe.edu.au.
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Scheetz
authors: From the School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Konstandina
authors: K
authors: Koklanis
authors: From the School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Maureen
authors: M
authors: Long
authors: From the School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Meg E
authors: ME
authors: Morris
mesh_terms: D000550:Amblyopia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D000072163:Ophthalmologists / Q000592:standards*; D009988:Orthoptics / Q000592:standards*; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013285:Strabismus / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015351:Vision Screening / Q000592:standards*
keywords: comprehensive eye examination; delivery of health care; orthoptist; pediatrics; triage