Part four: Health professions

Orthoptics involves exploring, re-educating and rehabilitating vision, possibly using equipment, in order to treat visual function anomalies. In the course of their work, orthoptists are authorised to carry out interviews and gather information about patients and their families, while respecting professional confidentiality. Where necessary, orthoptic treatment is accompanied by appropriate advice for the patient’s immediate family and friends.

I.-Orthoptists are authorised to carry out their activities in accordance with a written medical prescription, dated and signed by the prescribing doctor. II.-When practising as part of an ophthalmologist’s practice, within a health establishment, in the health services described in Title II of Book III of Part Six, in army hospitals and medical centres or in occupational health services, the orthoptist may also perform the procedures mentioned in articles R….

The organisational protocol enables an orthoptist to participate in the care of patients followed by an ophthalmologist who has signed this protocol. It may concern: 1° preparation by the orthoptist for the medical examination by the ophthalmologist; 2° follow-up by the orthoptist of a patient whose visual pathology has already been diagnosed, without an ophthalmological examination being carried out on the same day, in order to check that the patient’s…

The organisational protocol describes the medical situations concerned and the orthoptic procedures required.

When the protocol is used for the follow-up by the orthoptist of a patient whose visual pathology has already been diagnosed, without an ophthalmological examination being carried out on the same day, in order to check that the condition remains stabilised, it specifies : 1° The length of time after which an ophthalmological medical examination is necessary; 2° The situations in which the protocol may be terminated, in particular in…

The orthoptist alone is authorised, on medical prescription or within the framework of an organisational protocol defined in this section, to draw up an assessment which includes the orthoptic diagnosis, the objective and the treatment plan. This assessment, together with the choice of appropriate procedures and techniques, is communicated to the prescribing doctor. An orthoptic assessment involves studying the sensory, motor and functional aspects of vision. As part of this…

The orthoptist alone is authorised, on medical prescription and after carrying out the assessment described in Article R. 4342-2, to provide orthoptic treatment for : 1° strabismus ; 2° oculomotor paralysis ; 3° amblyopia ; 4° Heterophoria ; 5° Binocular vision disorders and imbalances; 6° neurosensorial, fusional and accommodative disorders; 7° Eye orientation and eye movement disorders; 8° Neuro-ophthalmological or neuro-visual disorders; 9° Neuro-ophthalmological consequences of general pathologies; 10° Visual…

On medical prescription, or within the framework of an organisational protocol defined in this section, the orthoptist is authorised to : 1° Determining visual acuity and refraction, with or without dilatation, the medicines required for this being prescribed by the doctor; 2° Irrigate the eye and instil eye drops; 3° Collecting lacrimal secretions; 4° Carry out training sessions in the handling and fitting of ocular contact lenses and scleral lenses.