The purpose of this poster is to advance the audience’s knowledge of the various roles of ophthalmic personnel and aid the practitioner in evaluating his/her practice with regard to productivity, salary and benefits, employment and retention, certification, and career background education. Statistics accumulated over a ten year period are used to illustrate the various components of ophthalmic medical personnel. These statistics are a combined effort of the Joint Commission on Allied Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO) and John T. LiVecchi, MD, FACS. The results will demonstrate the method of eligibility pathway to JCAHPO certification, educational level achieved, average number of years in ophthalmology, and average number of years in the same position.

Abstract

JCAHPO is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that provides certification to OMP and performs other educational and credential-related services. JCAHPO is governed by a volunteer board of directors, composed of representatives from participating ophthalmic organizations, and a public member. Certification serves important public needs, as well as those of the ophthalmic assisting community by:

• Setting specific and measuring standards for OMP knowledge and skills;• Formally recognizing OMP who have met those standards;• Providing official confirmation of certificants’ qualifications to employers and the public.

Overview of the JCAHPO Certification Process

JCAHPO’s three levels of certification comprise a solid ladder for progressive career development.

Core Levels of Certification

Sub-Specialty Certification

A certification for employees of companies that supply products and services to the ophthalmic community.

A specialized certification for OMP who perform ultrasound on the eye.

A specialized certification for OMP who perform B-Scan ultrasound on the eye.

A sub-specialty area of certification for OMP who assist in ophthalmic surgical procedures.

The Association of Technical Personnel in Ophthalmology (ATPO) conducts a national salary and benefits survey every two years, in collaboration with the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO). The 2009 survey presents the results from June and July 2009, and is designed to give employees and employers an informative analysis of the salary, wages, and benefits for OMP.

The results are divided into 5 sections: Demographics, Professional and Educational Information, Practice Information, and Benefits and Compensation.

The survey was open to all JCAHPO certificants and ATPO members, with a potential total population of 25,416 OMP who could have completed the survey. A total of 2,672 people were surveyed and there was a 90% (2,339) response rate.

2009 National Report: Salary & Benefits for Ophthalmic Medical Personnel (OMP)

The sample was completed by 88% female and 12% male. A total of 2,317 respondents provided their age. Of these, the average age was 43. A detailed distribution is seen below in Figure 1. The ethnic background of the sample was predominantly Caucasian (Table 1).

Demographics

Figure 1 Table 1

The most common method of initial JCAHPO eligibility for certification (1,962 respondents) was through home study courses and work experience. A total of 314 respondents attended formal training programs; 22 respondents met JCAHPO eligibility for certification through other certifications. Respondents also had a wide array of other certifications in the ophthalmic field as shown in Table 2. Reasons for pursuing certification were varied (Table 3). It is important to note that the least important reason was “Required by employer.” Most OMP obtained certification for the personal and professional benefits.

Professional and Educational Information

Table 2 Table 3

The respondents were also highly experienced. They averaged more than 16.5 years in ophthalmology and 8 years in their current position. Respondents were also stable in their positions; the average tenure with their current employer was more than 9 years, and on average, respondents only changed employers twice. More than 30% have never changed employers. (Table 4)

Approximately one-third of the sample were employed in supervisory positions (Figure 2), and about half of these supervised six or more employees.

Table 4

Figure 2

Possibly the most important quantification of practice efficiency was the average number of patients seen per hour. OMP saw approximately 6 patients per hour (Figure 3), while the ophthalmologists they worked with saw approximately 7 patients per hour (Figure 4). However, there was a substantial spread in both.

Figure 3 Figure 4

The mean annual salary and hourly wage for the 3 primary JCAHPO certifications are listed below. (Table 5) Of the 2,672 respondents, they reported either an annual or hourly salary.

Financial Compensation

Most ophthalmologists (91%) justify paying certified OMP more than non-certified OMP.

Table 5

In addition to monetary compensation, nearly all respondents who were not self-employed received additional benefits. The most common benefits were paid vacation, paid holidays, and health insurance. (Table 6)

Benefits

Table 6

Ultimately, certification of OMP should help ophthalmology continue to be a leader in high quality patient care. According to a study by KE Woodworth, Jr., COMT, COE, et al, data clearly shows that ophthalmologists who supervise both certified and non-certified OMP identified certified OMP as more likely to have desirable professional attributes and have a greater effect on practice productivity measures than non-certified OMP. In no case did an ophthalmologist indicate that non-certified OMP contributed more. The relationship of OMP certification to practice productivity indicates that certification is a good investment with recognizable benefits, and that the use of certified OMP is a vital part of providing efficient, high-quality patient care. The involvement of OMP in eye care will continue to grow, and the same emphasis that physicians place on improving patient care through their own certification should be applied to the certification of OMP. Certification of OMP adds value to a practice, to patient care, and to the eye care profession at large. None of the ophthalmologists surveyed selected “non-certified more” on any of the attributes or productivity measures. This provides clear evidence that ophthalmologists believe certification of OMP is advantageous to their practices.

Discussion on Practice Productivity

ConclusionThis poster demonstrates that certified OMP are generally preferred by ophthalmologists over non-certified OMP, by virtue of our findings. Where “Location, Location” is the key to successful real estate transactions, we have found that “Education, Education”, as obtained through certification of OMP, is key to a high level, professional, and productive practice. The bottom line is that the patient should always come first. Therefore, it is essential that we think along the lines of “when” OMP should be certified rather than “if.” It is the strong opinion of the authors, that education and certification of OMP should not only be a standard, but a requirement.

ReferencesAssociation of Technical Personnel in Ophthalmology Incorporated. National Salary and Benefits Report. 2009

Brennan TA, Horowitz RI, Duffy FD, et al. The Role of Physician Specialty Board Certification Status in Quality Movement. JAMA 2004; 292:1038-1043.Joint commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology. Criteria for Certification & Recertification. 2007

Moss R The Future of Learning: Building a Bridge between Competency and Patient Safety Think Tank. Post event white paper 16A 2005: Competency and Credentialing Institute available at www.ccinstitute.org/educ_rsrc_pubw.aspx. Accessed July 12, 2006.

Woodworth KE, Donshik PC, Ehlers WH, Pucel DJ, Anderson LD, Thompson NA. A Comparative Study of the impact of Certified and Noncertified Ophthalmic Medical Personnel on Practice Quality and Productivity. Eye and Contact Lens 2008; 34(1): 28-34.