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Doctors of Optometry (O.D)   at
Located in 100 Alberta Communities
Estimated time to routine appointment: Varies by Clinic
Local optometry clinics can be found in multiple settings across Alberta
SERVICE DESCRIPTION
There are more than 920 optometrists located across the province. Healthcare providers can refer their patients to an optometrist for various eye concerns.
Optometrists are trained to assess, diagnose, treat, and manage diseases and disorders of the eye. During a comprehensive eye exam, optometrists look for eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration, as well as tears in the retina, bleeding and tumors. More common conditions such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatisms, and presbyopia are reviewed and monitored. They also look for retinal signs of conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and neurological diseases during an exam. Optometrists can see patients of all ages. 

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when there is a weakening or swelling of the blood vessels in the retina resulting in blood leakage, the growth of new blood vessels and other changes. If diabetic retinopathy is left untreated, blindness can result. Most of the time, there are no symptoms until the vision starts to change when the disease is already severe. One way that diabetic retinopathy can be slowed or prevented is through an annual diabetic retinal exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Please see the Diabetes Eye Care Clinical Pathway for more details. All Albertans have full or partial Alberta Health Care Insurance coverage for urgent/medically necessary optometry appointments, including diabetic retinal exams; however it is recommended that patients inquire about any additional fees.

In addition to diagnosing and treating eye health conditions noted above, optometrists also:
  • Prescribe Schedule 1 and 2 drugs within the practice of optometry;
  • Order and analyze laboratory tests;
  • Order or perform ultrasound imaging; and
  • Collaborate with family physicians, ophthalmologists, other specialists and allied health care providers to ensure optimal patient care.
See Optometric Referral Guidelines below.
There are more than 920 optometrists located across the province. Healthcare providers can refer their patients to an optometrist for various eye concerns.
Optometrists are trained to assess, diagnose, treat, and manage diseases and disorders of the eye. During a comprehensive eye exam, optometrists look for eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration, as well as tears in the retina, bleeding and tumors. More common conditions such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatisms, and presbyopia are reviewed and monitored. They also look for retinal signs of conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and neurological diseases during an exam. Optometrists can see patients of all ages. 

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when there is a weakening or swelling of the blood vessels in the retina resulting in blood leakage, the growth of new blood vessels and other changes. If diabetic retinopathy is left untreated, blindness can result. Most of the time, there are no symptoms until the vision starts to change when the disease is already severe. One way that diabetic retinopathy can be slowed or prevented is through an annual diabetic retinal exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Please see the Diabetes Eye Care Clinical Pathway for more details. All Albertans have full or partial Alberta Health Care Insurance coverage for urgent/medically necessary optometry appointments, including diabetic retinal exams; however it is recommended that patients inquire about any additional fees.

In addition to diagnosing and treating eye health conditions noted above, optometrists also:
  • Prescribe Schedule 1 and 2 drugs within the practice of optometry;
  • Order and analyze laboratory tests;
  • Order or perform ultrasound imaging; and
  • Collaborate with family physicians, ophthalmologists, other specialists and allied health care providers to ensure optimal patient care.
See Optometric Referral Guidelines below.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
REFERRAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
A routine, comprehensive eye exam is important in a patient’s overall health. This eye exam can aid in detecting sight threatening conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Albertans under the age of 19 years and over 65 have a partial Alberta Health Care Insurance coverage for a comprehensive eye exam; however, it is recommended that patients inquire about any additional fees.

Providers can use the Optometrist Eye Health Exam Referral Form, designed to help improve care coordination and ensure outcomes of the patient’s eye exam are communicated back to the referring provider.
Providers can complete the form and EITHER:
  1. Find an optometrist location for their patients at the Alberta Association of Optometrists website and fax the completed referral form to the location. The clinic will contact the patient to book the appointment.
  2. OR provide the completed referral form to their patient who will book an appointment with their optometrist of choice.
All Albertans have a partial Alberta Health Care Insurance coverage for urgent/medically necessary optometry appointments; however, it is recommended that patients inquire about any additional fees.
A routine, comprehensive eye exam is important in a patient’s overall health. This eye exam can aid in detecting sight threatening conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Albertans under the age of 19 years and over 65 have a partial Alberta Health Care Insurance coverage for a comprehensive eye exam; however, it is recommended that patients inquire about any additional fees.

Providers can use the Optometrist Eye Health Exam Referral Form, designed to help improve care coordination and ensure outcomes of the patient’s eye exam are communicated back to the referring provider.
Providers can complete the form and EITHER:
  1. Find an optometrist location for their patients at the Alberta Association of Optometrists website and fax the completed referral form to the location. The clinic will contact the patient to book the appointment.
  2. OR provide the completed referral form to their patient who will book an appointment with their optometrist of choice.
All Albertans have a partial Alberta Health Care Insurance coverage for urgent/medically necessary optometry appointments; however, it is recommended that patients inquire about any additional fees.
REFERRAL PROCESS - FOR SELF-REFERRAL
Patients can self-refer without the referral form by booking an appointment with their optometrist of choice.  Find an optometrist location at the Alberta Association of Optometrists website.
Patients can self-refer without the referral form by booking an appointment with their optometrist of choice.  Find an optometrist location at the Alberta Association of Optometrists website.
ADDITIONAL SERVICE DETAILS
All Albertans have a partial Alberta Health Care Insurance coverage for urgent/medically necessary optometry appointments however, it is recommended that patients inquire about any additional fees.  

Eye See . . . Eye Learn™ is a program that provides kindergarten-aged children with a free pair of eye glasses if they are required after a comprehensive eye exam by a doctor of optometry. No forms are necessary, just book an appointment with your optometrist and tell them you would like to take part in Eye See  . . . Eye Learn™. Find an optometrist in your area at Alberta Association of Optometrists website.

Eyesafe™ is a prescription safety eyewear program that’s free for employers to join. It manages compliance, provides significant savings, and offers the best level of services in the industry. Find an Alberta Eyesafe™ optometrist in your area at Alberta Association of Optometrists website.
All Albertans have a partial Alberta Health Care Insurance coverage for urgent/medically necessary optometry appointments however, it is recommended that patients inquire about any additional fees.  

Eye See . . . Eye Learn™ is a program that provides kindergarten-aged children with a free pair of eye glasses if they are required after a comprehensive eye exam by a doctor of optometry. No forms are necessary, just book an appointment with your optometrist and tell them you would like to take part in Eye See  . . . Eye Learn™. Find an optometrist in your area at Alberta Association of Optometrists website.

Eyesafe™ is a prescription safety eyewear program that’s free for employers to join. It manages compliance, provides significant savings, and offers the best level of services in the industry. Find an Alberta Eyesafe™ optometrist in your area at Alberta Association of Optometrists website.
 
REFERRAL FORM
Optometrist Eye Health Exam Referral Form
Optometrist Eye Health Exam Referral Form
LINKED SPECIALISTS
CLICK + TO VIEW REFERRAL GUIDELINES
+-
Routine Reason for Referral
Access Targets convey the clinically appropriate timeframe patients should be seen within, by reason for referral and priority level.
Access Target
Required Information/Investigations
Investigation Timing
Additional Details
+-
Blepharitis
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
Relevant
+-
Cataract
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
Relevant
+-
Child examination: eyes
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
Relevant
+-
Cyst of meibomian gland
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
Relevant
+-
Degenerative disorder of macula
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
Relevant
+-
Diabetic retinal eye exam
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
Relevant
+-
Dry eyes
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
Relevant
+-
Episcleritis
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
Relevant
+-
Glaucoma monitoring
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
Relevant
+-
Headache
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
Relevant
+-
Visual field testing
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
Relevant
+-
Urgent Reason for Referral
Access Targets convey the clinically appropriate timeframe patients should be seen within, by reason for referral and priority level.
Access Target
Required Information/Investigations
Investigation Timing
Additional Details
+-
Adverse drug effect
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
Specifically patients on the following prescribed medication treatments:
Hydroxychloroquine
Ethambutol
Topiramate
Gilenya
Tetracyclines
Ozempic
+-
Angle-closure glaucoma
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Anterior uveitis
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Bacterial keratitis
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Blurring of visual image
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Conjunctivitis
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Corneal foreign body
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Diplopia
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Double vision
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Eye pain
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Eyelid inflammation
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Flashing lights seen
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Floaters in visual field
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Foreign body
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Functional visual field loss
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Headache
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Hordeolum
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Infection of skin of eyelid and periocular region
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Ischemic optic neuropathy
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Keratitis caused by infection
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Loss of part of visual field
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Open-angle glaucoma
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Optic neuritis
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Red eye
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Retinal artery occlusion
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Retinal detachment
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Scleritis
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Sudden visual loss
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Thrombosis of retinal vein
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
+-
Viral keratitis
Define current symptoms patient is experiencing
 
relevant
PATIENT APPOINTMENT INFORMATION
Email
Print
 
MISSED APPOINTMENT GUIDELINES
Please provide clinic with at least 24 hours notice to reschedule or cancel an appointment.
Please provide clinic with at least 24 hours notice to reschedule or cancel an appointment.
 
HOURS OF OPERATION
Operates 24/7:
Please check with clinic for specific hours of operation.
 
ADDRESS
Confidential Address
PATIENT APPOINTMENT INSTRUCTIONS
When booking your appointment with your optometrist, please ask the clinic staff about how early to show up for the appointment, parking availability, and if there is any information the doctor may need (medications) or you may want to know prior to attending the clinic. The staff are very helpful.
When booking your appointment with your optometrist, please ask the clinic staff about how early to show up for the appointment, parking availability, and if there is any information the doctor may need (medications) or you may want to know prior to attending the clinic. The staff are very helpful.
 
DIRECTIONS
Directions will be provided to the patient by the optometry clinic at the time of booking, if requested.
Directions will be provided to the patient by the optometry clinic at the time of booking, if requested.
 
PHONE
 
PARKING INSTRUCTIONS
Applicable parking instructions will be provided to the patient by the optometry clinic at the time of booking, if requested.
Applicable parking instructions will be provided to the patient by the optometry clinic at the time of booking, if requested.
 
EMAIL
WEBSITE
https://www.optometrists.ab.ca/
VIRTUAL APPOINTMENT INFORMATION
 
PARKING MAP
 
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY
Please enquire when booking appointment with clinic. Some clinics offer appointments that allow patients to remain in their wheelchairs during exams.

The primary purpose of the All Locations list is to let the user easily access any location of a healthcare service without going back to the main search screen.

The locations listed have 3 background colors:
  • Green means the healthcare service@location has referral information attached to it.
  • Brown means the healthcare service@location never had referral information attached to it, or it has unpublished referral information.
  • Red means
    • IA changed the healthcare service@location's status to something other than Current
    • It was deleted if it is an ARD healthcare service@location.
Green  and Brown are always at the top of the list. These are the Healthcare Service@Locations with the status of Current.
The Red list at the bottom consists of non-current Healthcare Service@locations that once had Published referral information in the ARD.
If the referral information was never published in ARD the Healthcare Service@location will not show in the Red list.

The secondary purpose of the All Locations list is to allow ARD Administrators to recover (copy) referral information from the non-current Healthcare Service@Locations to ones that are current.

Common Scenario:
A Healthcare Service moves from one location to another. In this case the IA Healthcare Service@Location record will be made defunct (non-current) and a new Healthcare Service@Location record will be created with a current status. In this scenario the captured referral guidelines in ARD can become "orphaned" as they are not attached to any current IA healthcare service.

Categories of non-current or orphaned referral guidelines: INDIVIDUAL and COMMON.
The REFERRAL GUIDELINES section of the profile has the prefix INDIVIDUAL or COMMON to help you choose the method below when transferring referral guidelines from a non-current Healthcare Service@Location to a current healthcare service@location.

Individual referral process
  1. Click on a non-current (Red) Healthcare Service@Location at the bottom of the All Locations list.
  2. The non-current referral info is displayed with the link Copy this Referral Process to another Healthcare Service@Location link on the upper right hand corner. Click on the copy link.
  3. Choose a current location (Green or Brown) from the All Locations list. This will be the Healthcare Service@Location you are pasting the referral info into.
  4. The system will display the Edit Referral Info screen populated with the referral info from the non-current Healthcare Service@Location you viewed in the first step.
  5. Click Save and the referral info is transferred from the non-current Healthcare Service@Location to the current one.
  6. Repeat these steps for each Healthcare Service@Location that needs attention.

Common referral process - 2 sub cases.
Case 1: At least 1 current Healthcare Service@Location with common referral info is with current status for this healthcare service; One or more Healthcare Healthcare Service@Locations where replaced by new one.
  1. Click on any current Healthcare Service@Location whether it has referral info (Green) or not (Brown).
  2. The healthcare service location opens in the Edit Referral Info screen populated with the current common referral info.
  3. Save it. 
  4. All locations will be updated with the common referral information, including all the locations that don't have referral info yet (Brown). The non-current referrals (Red) will also be updated.
Case 2:  All Healthcare Healthcare Service@Locations for a healthcare service are set to a non-current status and replaced by new ones. In this case there is no current additional referral info to copy from, so the only alternative is to pick up the non-current common referral process (Red). Follow the steps described in the section Individual Referral Process above to copy/paste the non-current common referral info to the current healthcare service locations.
Generally we want to replicate current common referral info to new or replaced healthcare service locations. We only resort to copying non-current common referral info if there is no other option.

Remember: Some fields can be location specific with the common referral process:
Parking Instructions, Directions, Parking Map, Wait Time, Referral Phone or Referral Fax.
To update these items you have to edit each Healthcare Service@Location separately.

ADDITONAL NOTES:
  • The info icon after the All Locations drop down will be visible to ARD Administrators.
  • The system doesn't allow you to copy referral information from one non-current Healthcare Service@Location to another.

 

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