Evaluation of the Possibility to Delegate Glaucoma Surveillance to Orthoptists in Hospital

Glaucoma is a progressive optical neuropathy, generally associated with ocular hypertension. The treatment aims to stabilize the visual field deficiencies by lowering the intraocular pressure. Due to the fluctuation of the visual field test and re-test measures, the European recommendations are to obtain 6 visual field tests in 2 years (or one every 4 months) in order to know if the pathology is progressing despite the current treatment (or if the treatment is necessary, in cases of intraocular hypertensions). The lack of ophthalmologists renders the monitoring of a beginning glaucoma, rarely compatible with the present recommendations. It is therefore crucial to evaluate new therapeutic alternatives, when faced to a decreasing medical demography and an increase the patient's needs.

This study should allow to validate the possibility to delegate monitoring tasks to orthoptists during glaucoma surveillance. To organize the delegation of this surveillance to orthoptists would permit a better distribution of the ophthalmologist's activities.