An Orthoptist is an allied health professional specialised in investigating, diagnosing and managing ocular disorders affecting both children and adults. This requires high levels of responsibility with complex diagnostic and therapeutic duties in a range of eye conditions, including dysfunctions of vision, eye movement, eye alignment and binocularity. The aim of the European Diploma in Orthoptics (EDORTH) is to achieve a uniformly high standard of knowledge in orthoptics and vision sciences throughout Europe. The EDORTH is a tool for Orthoptic schools to work together and establish a European Orthoptic competency profile with the main aim of harmonizing the profession in Europe, even though there is diversity. This project falls into the context of developing and improving the standard of orthoptic education across Europe. The European Diploma in Orthoptics will be used to certify and verify the competency level of the profession across the different countries in Europe. The objectives of this project are to encourage the Universities to bring the standard of orthoptic education up to the highest level, and to help Universities to benchmark their education program and develop high standard learning outcomes in the Orthoptic degree. It will also encourage free movement in Europe, as a European diploma certifies that a European orthoptist has achieved a high level of approved competency. There are currently eleven countries in Europe with orthoptic training programmes that will actively participate in the project. Countries wishing to establish a national program may also participate as observers, complying with the outcome competencies for the new degree. Representatives from each European country with an Educational programme have already had regular meetings each year within the education group of the OCE (Orthoptistes de la Communauté Européenne) to share educational practices and discuss the standards of the orthoptic education. The partner organizations of this project and the educational wing of OCE will work together and provide open access e-learning packages that can be accessed transnationally, available for teachers, students and professionals. Various modules ensuring certification of knowledge will be established within this project, and form the European Diploma. Expected results of this project is curriculum mapping and review of European educational practices, enabling comparison of European Orthoptic programmes against an agreed international standard. The activity is expected to give continuous quality improvement of the orthoptic programmes in Europe. The impact envisaged is that competency models will be developed to ensure a uniformly high standard of professional health care in orthoptics. The diploma will act as a quality assertion certification. Most importantly, the long-term benefit will be the establishment of strategic Partnerships between the European Institutes, helping to promote and validate the orthoptic profession transnationally. Dissemination of the project will be made through research publications and seminars inviting all the Orthoptics Schools in Europe to join an accreditation system that will help the sustainability of results and amplify the impact of the project.
An Orthoptist is an allied health professional specialised in investigating, diagnosing and managing ocular disorders affecting children and adults of all ages. This requires high levels of responsibility with complex diagnostic and therapeutic duties in a range of eye conditions, including dysfunctions of vision, eye movement, eye alignment and binocular vision such as depth perception. The aim of the European Diploma for Orthoptists (EDORTH) was to achieve a uniformly high standard of knowledge in orthoptics and vision sciences throughout Europe. The EDORTH is a tool for Orthoptic training institutions to work together and establish a European Orthoptic competency profile with the main aim of harmonizing the profession in Europe, even though some diversity of the roles and responsibilities of an orthoptist exists between countries. This project falls into the context of developing and improving the standard of orthoptic education across Europe. The European Diploma for Orthoptists will be used to certify and verify the competency level of the profession across the different countries in Europe. The objectives of this project has been to encourage Orthoptic training institutions (e.g. Universities) to bring the standard of orthoptic education up to the highest level, and to help institutions to benchmark their education program and develop high standard learning outcomes in the Orthoptics degree. It will also encourage free and ease of movement in Europe, as a European diploma certifies that a European orthoptist has achieved a high level of approved competency. There are currently twelve countries in Europe offering orthoptic training programmes. The eight partner organizations of this project and the education committtee of the OCE (Orthoptistes de la Communauté Européenne) have worked together to provide open access e-learning packages that can now be accessed transnationally, available for orthoptic teachers, and professionals trained as orthoptist. The EDORTH project was divided into 3 phases: 1. Survey of Orthoptic Education in Europe In the first phase of the EDORTH project, a survey of current orthoptic programmes in Europe was conducted. 45 training institutions at vocational school, polytechnic and university level from a total of 12 countries in Europe participated in this survey. This survey provides an overview of the nature and level of qualifications and aspects of delivery of orthoptic education across all countries in Europe that qualify orthoptists. Details will be available on the Erasmus+ Project Platform and on the OCE website. 2. European Competence Profile In the second phase, the European Competence Profile was produced. With the cooperation of experts from 12 countries, some with predominantly clinical work experience, others with predominantly academic teaching experience, the project group used a Delphi approach to develop a competence profile for orthoptists in Europe. This sets out knowledge, skills and competences sorted by level of proficiency expected of an orthoptist working or seeking employment in a European country. The document can be viewed on the Erasmus+ Project platform as well as on the OCE website. 3. Online modules and exams In the third phase, learning packages were developed on the basis of the consented competence definition and knowledge of training in Europe. Subject content not taught at the necessary level of competency by some countries and/or institutions but deemed important by clinical and teaching experts in phase 2, enabled the EDORTH project group to choose content for six different learning packages that were developed. The packages were then evaluated by a newly qualified and an experienced clinical orthoptist from six different European countries. The six learning packages can be studied via the online learning platform CANVAS. All content of the CANVAS course is open access and will be available on request from the OCE. When the content in the different modules have been studied and the self-directed activities and Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) been answered, the final EDORTH examination can be taken. An online examination resource with MCQs forms the basis of the European Diploma. Upon passing this exam, one is eligible to receive the diploma as a certificate from the OCE. Sustainability The results obtained from all the work done in this project are unique and has never before been available. To ensure the sustainability of the European Diploma for Orthoptists, the project was officially handed over to the OCE at the Multiplier Event which took place on the 26th of November 2021 in Gothenburg. The OCE Education committee will be responsible for the sustainability of the European Diploma for Orthoptists in the future. Some of the OCE Education committee members were also a member of the EDORTH group thus enabling a smooth transfer and any relevant background information from the EDORTH project is known for successful implementation and continuation of the diploma. The learning packages with the online modules and the examination will in this way be continuously available in the future for the European orthoptist. The content will also be updated regularly regarding new methods and advances of medical and vision research in the field. Les Orthoptistes de la communauté Européenne (OCE) was founded in 1988 and is the representative professional body in the EU and spokesperson for the orthoptic profession on European topics. The education wing of the OCE the Education Committee was created in 2014 and aims to provide a forum for European Orthoptic Educationists to discuss relevant educational issues. Most of the members of the EDORTH group are also members of the Education Committee of the OCE. The other members have been involved in different parts of creating the diploma for orthoptists. The OCE has been an important associate partner, as they will be the professional body responsible for the continuation and sustainability of the EDORTH project in the future. The European Diploma for Orthoptists was officially handed over to the president of the OCE at the Multiplier event on the 26th of November in Gothenburg. This will be a good future collaboration, ensuring that the work is continued on a professional level. There is already great expertise in this group, as some of the members are engaged in both the EDORTH project and the OCE Education committee.