Standards for professional title of Class III Ophthalmologist in Vietnam

Standards for professional title of Class III Ophthalmologist in Vietnam (Internet image)

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. Standards for professional title of Class III Ophthalmologist in Vietnam

The standards for the professional title of Class III Ophthalmologist are specified in Article 4 of Circular 14/2021/TT-BYT as follows:

* Standards of professional ethics

- Being devoted to the cause of caring for, protecting, and improving people's health;

- Complying with the code of conduct of health officials;

- Practicing profession in accordance with regulations, professional and technical processes, and other provisions of law;

- Constantly researching and learning to improve professional qualifications and capacity;

- Honesty, solidarity, respect, and cooperation with colleagues.

* Standards of training and retraining qualifications

Having graduated from university with a major in refractive ophthalmology or above.

* Standards of professional competence

- Understanding the viewpoints, guidelines, and lines of the Party, policies and laws of the State on the protection, care, and improvement of people's health;

- Knowledge of health, eye diseases, refractive errors, use of diagnostic procedures, and treatment of refractive errors;

- Performing ophthalmic refractive techniques, correcting refractive errors, and correcting glasses;

- Having skills in counseling, health education, and effective communication with patients and the community; 

- Having skills in training, coaching, scientific research, cooperation with colleagues, and professional development;

- Having basic information technology skills; being able to use foreign languages at a level equivalent to level 3 of the Vietnamese Foreign Language Competency Framework or being able to use ethnic minority languages for officials working in ethnic minority areas as required by the job position.

2. Duties of professional title of Class III Ophthalmologist in Vietnam

According to Article 3 of Circular 14/2021/TT-BYT, the professional title of Class III Ophthalmologist in Vietnam has the following duties:

- Monitoring, analyzing, and diagnosing refractive errors and binocular vision, rehabilitation of visual impairments, common eye diseases

+ Diagnosing, prescribing glasses, and taking care of refractive errors;

+ Diagnosis and early detection of eye complications caused by refractive errors and referral to an ophthalmologist;

+ Diagnosing and detecting abnormalities of binocular vision by optical correction methods, prisms, and visual exercises;

+ Diagnosis and rehabilitation of visual impairment by optical and non-optical devices and visual exercises;

+ Measuring, testing, and ordering independent contact lenses; diagnosis and early detection of complications from contact lenses and referral to an ophthalmologist;

+ Performing eye examination techniques: examining the anterior part, posterior part, and retina, detecting eye disease abnormalities, and transferring to an ophthalmologist;

+ Performing subclinical techniques in ophthalmology: field measurement, corneal mapping, fundus photography, OCT, and other techniques;

+ Coordinating with ophthalmologists to monitor, treat, and care for diseases related to refraction, binocular vision, and visual impairment;

+ Implementing and coordinate the implementation of measures to prevent and combat blindness in the field of refraction and binocular vision, visual impairment and common eye diseases.

- Follow-up, primary eye care

+ First aid, emergency eye injury, eye burns, accidents when using drugs in the eye, and transfer to an ophthalmologist;

+ Coordinating with ophthalmologists to examine and perform paraclinical tests to detect vitreous - retinal diseases, glaucoma;

+ Examining to detect cataracts and transfer to a doctor for treatment; correction of glasses after cataract surgery;

+ Monitoring and detecting problems with primary eye care, monitor the patient's progress and participate in consultation with an eye specialist.

- Communication, counseling, and health education about refractive diseases and eye health care in the community

+ Participating in the development of programs and documents on communication and health education for refractive and binocular vision diseases;

+ Organizing communication and health education on refractive errors and binocular vision;

+ Health counseling and education for refractive errors and binocular vision; advising the patient or the patient's family on the eye health condition; and guiding and advising on appropriate eye care services;

+ Consulting, guiding eye care for patients with visual impairment, and consulting blind services;

+ Developing and implementing a school refraction prevention program;

+ Developing plans, organizing programs, coordinating with ophthalmologists to screen for diseases - refractive errors and binocular vision in the community.

- Training and scientific research

+ Participating in compiling professional documents; construction training program; professional technical regulations and processes in the assigned field;

+ Participating in scientific research projects;

+ Participating in, implementing patent applications, quality improvement in refractive care and binocular vision, rehabilitation of the blind, and vision correction treatment;

+ Participating in professional training in refraction and primary eye care.

Thanh Rin

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