RELATED CONTENT



Download a PDF of Niche by Niche, Optometry is Expanding.



NEW YORK—Optometry has seen significant gains in the widening of its practice scope across most states in the U.S. and primary eyecare remains the focus of many practitioners. However, specialization, or the adoption of ‘subspecialties’, driven by new clinical and treatment options, the advent of innovative technologies and, importantly, changing priorities among new generations of ODs for how they want to build their experience and service as optometrists, have been driving a growing interest in specialties.

More ODs are seeking to add a new dimension to traditional primary care practice, and practitioners are seeking to differentiate their vision care practice by specializing in certain sectors. As the profession looks to advance a broader recognition in delivering medical eyecare, the trend is gaining ground.

Some sub-specialties, like pediatric care, contact lenses and low vision or vision therapy have been active for a while. Others that are seeing new participants include sports vision, neuro-optometry, senior care, dry eye, aesthetics and myopia management.

In this special feature, VM’s contributor, Julie Bos, shares how some individual optometrists view the commitment to specialties in their practices to serve patients.

And Jack Persico, editor-in-chief of Review of Optometry, a sister publication of Vision Monday, dives deep into just-released exclusive Jobson research exploring optometrists’ and optometry students’ current attitudes towards sub-specialties to offer fresh and important perspective on this fast-moving topic.

– VM Editors