When it comes to our eyesight, there is little margin for error. A single mistake during surgery can change a person’s life forever.
Because of that, patients rightly expect the person operating on their eyes to have gone to medical school and specialize in eye surgery. That is why lawmakers in Tennessee should reject HB1952/SB2076, legislation that would expand optometrists’ scope of practice to include laser surgeries and injections into the eye – procedures that only specially trained medical doctors are properly qualified to perform safely.
A bill that lowers surgical training standards
Supporters of this bill frame it as a harmless way to improve access to care.
But the reality is that this legislation increases risks and threatens patient safety standards for Tennesseans across the state. Access to care is an important issue, but lowering surgical training standards is not the solution. At the end of the day, would you want anyone other than someone who went to medical school to make a surgical cut into your eye?
Ophthalmologists vs. optometrists: The difference in training matters
Optometrists provide essential services. They examine eyes, diagnose vision problems, prescribe glasses and contact lenses and identify signs of eye disease. However, they are not medical doctors or trained surgeons…