Preface

It has been over 30 years since the publication of the first edition of Clinical Procedures for Ocular Examination and 7 years since the publication of the fourth edition. This fifth edition marks the first time that the text was edited by someone other than one of the first four founding authors of the original publication. The goal of this new edition was to expand upon the foundation developed by the previous authors and incorporate newer technology and advanced procedures while staying true to their primary mission: to describe how to perform a wide variety of useful tests without a large body of theory.

Technology in healthcare continues to rapidly evolve and instrumentation for ocular imaging has become common place in optometric practice. The fifth edition includes this advanced instrumentation due to its expanding role in comprehensive eye care. While the general procedures for ocular imaging are outlined, it is always recommended that the manufacturer instructions are followed when using this highly technical instrumentation.

Increasing access to eye care has been the underlying common goal of expanding the scope of optometric practice in many states across the country. Optometrists who are appropriately trained and certified are now performing anterior segment laser and microsurgical techniques in several states. Two new chapters have been added to this text to incorporate diagnostic ocular imaging and advanced therapeutic ophthalmic procedures, respectively.

Reviewing peer-reviewed literature, evidence-based medicine, and modern trends in eye care were key drivers to the rewrite of this text. It was intentional to include several techniques that pertain to myopia management such as ocular biometry and fit and assessment of orthokeratology (ortho-k) lenses, as the need for such management is on the rise. This text also includes two new sections on best practices for patient privacy and infection control.

One of the key motivations for the 1990 first edition of this book was the lack of standardization for many clinical procedures. Books such as this one attempt to alleviate the problem to some degree. Nevertheless, it remains true now as it did at the time of the first four editions: there is still more than one acceptable way to perform many of the procedures included in this text. In some of these instances, we have added variations in the step-by-step procedures, clearly indicating that there is a valid, alternate way to perform that step or procedure.

The movement to standardize optometry on a national level continues. The intellectual foundations of optometric practice have been strengthened by an ever-growing body of scientific literature. Consequently, we have updated the reference sections with recent citations and added or modified procedures in accordance with contemporary concepts and knowledge.