Opticianry Department Pilots Telehealth Eye Exam Technology

October 10, 2024

The Opticianry Department at Franklin Cummings Tech has installed an optician-assisted Telehealth Eye Exam Lab, becoming the first Opticianry school in the US to incorporate this state-of-the art technology into the curriculum.

Telehealth eye exams are currently being offered at some eye health practices, such as optical shops. For the exam, patients are assisted on site by an Optician or a technician as they are engaged in an eye exam with a remote refractionist and Optometrist. This interdisciplinary practice allows patients to receive comprehensive eye health and vision examinations and receive new or updated prescriptions for glasses or contact lenses. At the conclusion of the exam, the remote Optometrist may refer the patient to a specialist for an in-person visit as needed.

The Telehealth Eye Exam lab at Franklin Cummings Tech provides students with an identical learning experience as they would be exposed to in real eye healthcare settings.

Students in the Opticianry associate degree program received two days of training last month from representatives of Digital Optometrics, which donated the trainers’ time as well as tablet PCs and other equipment required to connect the optical testing equipment to the telehealth system. The optical testing equipment was purchased with a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ STEM Tech Career Academy program.

Students will be mastering the new telehealth technology as part of their course work over the next semester before rolling it out to any real-world patients. The college is currently exploring opportunities to partner with other education institutions to provide collaborative, interdisciplinary patient care using this new technology.

“This setup is preparation for our new campus, where we plan to serve patients from the community,” said Opticianry Chair Blair Wong. “This is our pilot year.”

The college’s new campus, currently under construction in Roxbury’s Nubian Square, will include a full optical shop providing low-cost services to the local community. The new campus is slated to open in late 2025.

Franklin Cummings Tech is the only college in Massachusetts that offers a degree in Opticianry and 95% of our graduates get a job in their field. Learn more about the Opticianry program at franklincummings.edu/OP.