Diploma in Opticianry

Purpose

The purpose of the Diploma in Opticianry is to provide the learners with the minimum requirements for accreditation and registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa as a Dispensing Optician.

Specifically, the role of the qualification will serve to

• Contribute to making vision care accessible by providing the learner with the necessary awareness, understanding, knowledge, skills and values to function as an independent practitioner within the eye care field.
• Provide an opportunity for individuals to realise their full potential and make a significant contribution to society in the field of eye care delivery.
• Ensure professional and clinical responsibilities are upheld within the relevant regulatory frameworks and national health policy.
• Apply scientific health care skills and technologies in the prescription analysis and the provision of appliances for visual correction.
• Interact consultatively in the management and delivery of the appliance for the visual correction, with knowledge of the minimum standards of patient care.
• Record and maintain legible, secure data and patient information while adhering to appropriate medico-legal ethics, health and safety regulations and codes of conduct.
• Manage and administer human, financial, technical and other resources to ensure optimal delivery of eye and vision care products/services.
• Apply self- reflective learning strategies to continually improve the health care services appropriate to the specific needs of the community to ensure professional contribution to the needs of the society.
• To promote health and wellness through eye health education within the Scope of the Profession.

A significant component of the standards and training of dispensing opticians will be devoted to equipping the dispensing optician to function effectively within the South African public health system. This requires skills in the areas of visual screening, management and designated primary eye care functions in order to alleviate the demands within the public health sector. The dispensing optician must also be sensitive and responsive to cultural and community diversity.

Rationale

This qualification is based on principles and guidelines which apply to health professions education and training worldwide with due consideration of the requirements of registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). The rationale for the qualification is to deliver dispensing opticians who can render a professional optical service and act as an optical services manager effectively and efficiently. Dispensing Opticians either work alone, or as part of a team of professionals which may include optometrists and ophthalmologists.

The role of the dispensing optician is to provide the optimum visual correction to patients and to advise on aspects of safety and eye care in the workplace and community. The dispensing optician is ideally placed to function in both private and public health sectors in order to alleviate the burden of decreased vision through refractive error. Successful completion of the qualification will bring with it enrichment of the learner through a highly valued qualification, registration with the professional council and opportunities to help the community in a professional heath field. The overall role of the dispensing optician will be invaluable as a member of the eye care team and in the management of optical services.

As agreed upon after stakeholder engagement, the rationale of this qualification is that a qualified learner will be competent to analyse an optometric prescription and apply ophthalmic and management skills in order to provide the optimum visual appliance. They will be competent to perform visual screening and the qualification will also provide sufficient practitioners to maintain high standards of eye care, in order to address the eye care needs of the community.

Based on extensive stakeholder consultation which included the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and the South African Optometric Association (SAOA), employers of public and private optometric practice, alumni, current learners and staff, the academic department revised the existing qualification to meet national professional body requirements and the needs of stakeholders.

This qualification aims to prepare learners with the required disciplinary knowledge and practice-based skills as well as exposure to the latest technologies in ophthalmic lenses and visual screening techniques. Nationally, this institution is the only higher education institution nationally offering a diploma programme in this field of study. Internationally, the HEQSF aligned Diploma in Opticianry has been benchmarked against several HE institutions.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Recognition of Prior Learning is a process of identifying the knowledge and skills of an applicant against the admission requirements of qualification and/or for credits against a part thereof. The process involves the identification, mediation, assessment and acknowledgement of knowledge and skills obtained through informal, non-formal and/or formal learning. The RPL process is multi-dimensional and multi-contextual in nature, aimed at the individual needs of applicants and is handled in accordance with an institutional RPL policy by a unit dedicated to this activity. The RPL process includes guidance and counselling, as well as the preparation of a body of evidence to be presented by the RPL candidate to meet institutional requirements. An appeal procedure is also in place to accommodate queries. RPL in this qualification will relate to gaining access to the qualification and/or credits/advanced standing as described in institutional guidelines.

Curriculum development and/or curriculum revision as required by the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (2013) is a multi-faceted process that requires the application of educational theories as well as practical processes such as conducting a situational analysis and comparability exercise. While the situational analysis engages various stakeholders that have a direct bearing on the qualification, such as employers, professional bodies and Advisory Committees, comparability refers to drawing comparisons with qualifications, subjects and educational practices at similar institutions, nationally and internationally using particular curriculum components as points of reference.

Entry Requirements

The minimum requirement for admission to a Diploma is

• National Senior Certificate (NSC), NQF Level 4 granting access to Diploma studies.

Or

• National Certificate Vocational (NCV), NQF Level 4 granting access to Diploma studies.

This qualification comprises compulsory modules at Level 5 and 6 totalling 378 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 5, 138 Credits

• General Anatomy and Physiology 1A, 10 Credits.
• Dispensing Optics 1A, 10 Credits.
• General Physics 1, 10 Credits.
• Optics 1B, 12 Credits.
• Ophthalmic Lenses 1B, 12 Credits.
• Visual Optics, 14 Credits.
• Ocular Anatomy and Pathology 1, 12 Credits.
• Dispensing Optics 1B, 10 Credits.
• Optics 1A, 10 Credits.
• Ophthalmic Lenses 1A, 10 Credits.
• Mathematics and Statistics 1, 10 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 6, 240 Credits

• Visual Optics 2, 22 Credits.
• Environmental Optics 2, 22 Credits.
• Ocular Anatomy and Pathology 2, 20 Credits.
• Ophthalmic Lenses 2, 22 Credits.
• Practice Management and Ethics, 12 Credits.
• Dispensing Optics 2, 22 Credits.
• Research Methods and Project 3, 60 Credits.
• Opticianry Practice 3, 60 Credits.

1. Apply professional and clinical responsibilities, scientific skills as well as optical and allied technologies to the benefit of visually compromised patients.
2. Apply scientific health care skills, optical and allied technologies in the interactive consultation and dispensing of optical appliances to the patient while adhering to appropriate medico-legal ethics, health and safety regulations and codes of conduct.
3. Interact consultatively in the management, education and final dispensing of eye care products, to visually compromised patients, with knowledge of the minimum standards of optical care.
4. Record and maintain legible, secure data and patient information while adhering to appropriate medico-legal ethics, health and safety regulations and codes of conduct stated in the patient charter.
5. Manage and administer human, technical and other resources to ensure optimal, delivery of eye and vision care products/services within the context of the public and/or private health sector.
6. Apply self- reflexive learning strategies to continually improve the optically related service within eye care services appropriate to the specific needs of the patient.
7. Perform vision screening procedures in order to identify refractive problems for the purposes of referral to the appropriate eye care practitioners.
8. Complete a comprehensive patient case portfolio consisting of 120 fully supervised patient case records together with a research proposal, presentation and dissertation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Demonstrate a detailed ophthalmic/optical knowledge, clinical and technical skills.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Evaluate developments in clinical and technical knowledge, ophthalmic/optical skills and techniques, and technology for their efficacy and relevance to clinical practice.
• Apply and adapt new and existing procedures and techniques to improve patient care.
• Use a professional approach to communicating and analysing relevant eye health information to improve patient care.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Show professional independence in ophthalmic/optical decision- making and conduct.
• Consider possible consequences of actions and advice and accept responsibility for own actions.
• Seek advice from relevant health professionals when the practitioner deems a further opinion is required.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Understand and utilise the various functions of-and resources available from, ophthalmic/optical and other organisations are understood and utilised.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Demonstrate awareness of the roles of various practice staff.
• Ensure the safe, appropriate and accurate use of tools and equipment, as well as a safe workspace.
• Maintain personal and general hygiene is maintained in practice.
• Understand and adhere to practice administrative procedures.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Understand optometric professional fee structures.
• Demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of vision testing and diagnosis, binocular vision and accommodation anomalies, visual space perception, and motor anomalies of vision.
• Demonstrate Familiarity with relevant National and Health Council Acts.
• Understand statutory and common law obligations relevant to practice.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Provide information on matters of visual health and welfare (including the need for regular eye examinations), and product and treatment developments.
• provide Advice is provided on eye protection in the home, at work and in recreational pursuits.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8

• Demonstrate Social responsiveness to community eye health needs.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the philosophy of health care and the basic principles underlying community eye health.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated assessment forms part of continuous assessment at the institution and takes the form of an appropriate mix of both formative and summative assessment methods. Assessment policy and practices at the institution promote constructive alignment of the curriculum, learner- centredness and assessment, and the importance of feedback to enhance learner engagement. Assessment practices should be fair, reliable and valid. It should also be in keeping with academic disciplinary and professional field norms and standards.

Formative assessment is aimed at enhance learning and provides learners with an opportunity to reflect critically on their own learning and to improve their own levels of personal accountability and time management. Formative assessment usually consists of a variety of assessment tasks relevant to the field of study. This qualification it will consist of a variety of tasks such as problem solving individual and/or group assignments and projects, case studies, portfolio development, class discussions, peer evaluation, quizzes, field trip reports and others.

Summative assessment will take place at the end of a section of work/quarter or semester and is aimed at assessing learner's attainment against the learning outcomes of the qualification and subject(s). Summative assessments are internally and externally moderated based on institutional policy and requirements. Summative assessments usually consist of a variety of formal assessment tasks relevant to the field of study, including written tests, reports and examination. This qualification it will consist of written assessments in the form of written class tests and examination conducted during and at the end of the academic semester/year.

Integrated assessment often cuts across a number of modules of a qualification and is aimed at the holistic development of students and contributes to learner's personal and professional development in the field of study in terms of foundational, practical and reflexive competence. Integrated assessment in this qualification will take place at the third year of study and learners will be assessed holistically by means of project reports, a portfolio of evidence and an oral presentation related to the needs and requirements of the industry and field of study.