COURSE OUTLINE
Hands-on Frame Fitting

INTRODUCTION

This course will fulfill 2 hours of continuing education requirements pending approval by the Board of Opticianry. The course will meet these requirements by providing a) practical training in the all important 'Full Discovery and Disclosure' Patient Interview, b) instructional and direct hands-on experience in the assessment of eyewear while in-place, on-the-face of the Patient, and c) the application of handcrafted fitting skills to the Patient's frame. See example below.

Example of Old Fashioned
Hands-on Craftsmanship
"The temple-ends cannot hold an eyeglass frame
in-place comfortably if they do not touch the skull."

Every Patient deserves a sufficiently handcrafted,
multi-dimensional, personalized frame fitting, e.g.,
gaps and spaces are removed from between the frame's
temples and the skull behind the ears, in order to enhance
comfort, stability, and long-term wear-ability. Full contact, with
a light touch of the skull, NOT THE EARS, is the primary means
by which the frame should be held in place for long-term comfort.

    

'Before' temple-end is in out-of-the-box condition.
As such, it makes little contact with this Patient's skull,
whereas the 'After' temple-end has been customized.
It now fits the mastoid bone like a glove since it has been
shaped to make full, direct contact with this Patient's skull.
The customized temple-ends become invisible when worn
by the Patient and the resultant fit is extremely comfortable.

Objectives

Although the Full Discovery and Disclosure Interview, and Frame Fitting Techniques are not the only aspects of what is called Ophthalmic Dispensing, today they are much underrated, even subordinated skills. Frame fitting skills, which can be acquired only through direct, practical experience, must include a) visual as well as tactile, 'touch and feel,' Hands-on Assessment of the eyewear, b) Gross Frame Alignment, i.e., correcting the most obvious misalignments, and c) Subtle Frame-Temple Adjustments, i.e., hand crafted multi-dimensional adaptations such as reshaping the temple ends relative to the head and mastoid, and then conversely, 90 degrees, relative to the ears, is one of the most important considerations for comfort and long term wear. Not only is a poorly fitted frame likely to cause discomfort, and inconvenience to the Patient, but in cases of higher lens powers and high astigmatic corrections it can even adversely effect the prescription, thus creating additional visual problems. See example above.

Upon completion of this course the Licensed Dispensing Optician will:

Be more familiar with the basic parts of the ophthalmic frame and its measurement criteria.

Appreciate the various frame styles, nose piece-bridge designs, and types of temples currently available.

Appreciate the importance of providing the Patient with assistance in the selection of the proper frame size and style.

Be more familiar with proper frame selection using the shape of the face and head, placement of the eyes and ears, and the nature of the prescription as criteria, with emphasis on the adverse consequences of a poorly designed and-or fitted frame.

Appreciate the qualitative aspects of dispensing corrective eyewear using tactile, hands-on, in-place, on-the-face eyewear assessment and touch and feel, frame fitting techniques.

Be more familiar with the tools and conditions that are necessary for the application of hands-on frame fitting skills, i.e., proper placement of tools and instruments, dispensing table design, etc.

Observe and experience hands-on, in-place, on-the-face, touch and feel frame fitting techniques whereby comfort, prescription integrity, and frame wear-ability are achieved and-or sustained.

Experience and appreciate the difference between Gross Frame Alignment and Subtle Frame Adjustments.

Be better able to serve Patients with handcrafted, personalized, custom fitted eyewear and frame adjustments. See example above.

Experience and appreciate the distinction between an Optician professionally custom fitting corrective eyewear on a Patient versus a Merchant casually delivering merchandise to a Customer.

Course Materials

This course will explore the assessment and hands-on frame fitting techniques, which attendees may never have experienced or never even had the opportunity of seeing demonstrated, first hand. A small number of frames, hand tools and instruments will be provided in order to demonstrate these techniques. Attendees will act in alternating roles as 'Dispenser' and 'Patient' in order to acquire a direct 'touch and feel' experiential perspective. --

Opticians: Are they Vendors or Healthcare Providers?