care of the contact lens - american optometric …（隐形眼镜的护理u2014u2014美国眼科u2026）.pdf

OPTOMETRY: OPTOMETRIC CLINICAL THE PRIMARY EYE CARE PROFESSION PRACTICE GUIDELINE Doctors of optometry are independent primary health care providers who examine, diagnose, treat, and manage diseases and disorders of the visual system, the eye, and associated structures as well as diagnose related systemic conditions. Optometrists provide more than two-thirds of the primary eye care services in the United States. They are more widely distributed geographically than other eye care providers and are readily accessible for the delivery of eye and vision care services. There are approximately 35,000 full-time equivalent doctors of optometry currently in practice in the United States. Optometrists practice in more than 6,500 communities across the United States, serving as the sole primary eye care provider in Care of the more than 3,500 communities.