Role call: exploring how terminology shapes public perception in optics

But, for those within the profession, the difference between using the word ‘optician’ and ‘optometrist’ speaks volumes – more than a handful of letters above a shopfront door.

For members of the public, optician arguably remains the more recognisable term. According to Hansard, the term has been used in 25 parliamentary debates since 2019 – with ‘optometrist’ mentioned in a more modest nine debates over the same period.

However, optometrist can be seen as the more aspirational term – a name that the profession is growing into, while still reluctantly responding to optician like a childhood nickname at family gatherings.

OT approached leaders within optics for their views on the words shaping public perception of optometry – and what approach should be taken as the profession evolves.

Name: Nick Rumney

Role: Senior IP optometrist and director of BBR Optometry – a Hakim Group independent practice

Do you prefer the term optometrist or optician? What is your reason for this?

100% optometrist (if you are an optometrist) and dispensing optician. Firstly, because ‘Optician’ is an unprotected title and secondly because it’s potentially confusing for the public as they can't make the distinction (so we must). Thirdly, we are an international outlier missing our terminology; my first degree was from Cardiff, the first optometry school to use that term when everyone else used ophthalmic optician. Now almost all professional, scientific, research and government communication makes this distinction.

Do you use the term patient or customer when talking about people who come into practice? What is your reasoning behind this?

Both; patient when talking clinically because we are a medical optometry practice including diagnosis and treatment options, and customer because we are a business and customer service is at the heart of any business. The NHS almost never talks about ‘patient service’ but we monitor ‘customer service’ as that is how we grow our reputation and patient/customer base. It also allows the public to recognise what and why they come to us.For similar reasons, eye examinations do not have a price; they are ‘fees.’

The global use of ‘optician’ without clarification allows the vital contribution of both professionals to be devalued

How important is terminology? How does it shape and reflect how the public perceive the profession?

The global use of ‘optician’ without clarification allows the vital contribution of both professionals to be devalued.

How has terminology changed over your career? What has influenced this change?

For me it really hasn’t. My granddad and dad were ‘ophthalmic opticians’ but I joined an optometry course in 1977 in Cardiff where the head of school was UK and US trained but originally from Lithuania via France. I embraced the international approach and then I did my MSc in Melbourne (also using the term optometry). I then got my Fellowship of the American Academy of Optometry. I have also served as President of the European Academy of Optometry; the term ‘optician’ is largely unknown in Europe.

Name: Paul Morris

Role: Optometry director of Specsavers Bridgend and Porthcawl, and Specsavers director of professional advancement

“In North America and Australia, the terminology tends to be more optometry-based, despite one state adopting the dispensing opticians as part of their healthcare constitution. Throughout Europe, the use of optometrist and optician depends on which country you are in, indeed – the Netherlands have opticians who refract and optometrists that carry out a role more analogous to the UK. In the UK, there is a legacy to do with us being ophthalmic optician and ophthalmic dispensing opticians in the primary legislation.

“Similar issues around terminology exist in other sectors as well, pharmacy being an example of this where a generation of people refer to them as chemists.

“The sector has a big part to play in how we are spoken about and identified. By way of example, I was talking to a friend who has an independent practice. He was bemoaning that people called it ‘the opticians’ and didn’t see it as a place for healthcare. During the conversation, he realised the sign above the door said optician. In his windows, there wasn’t anything other than point of sale for designer brands and contact lenses. So we all have our part to play.

On a personal level, I don’t mind what they call us, as long as they know we are there for more than checking vision and providing corrective appliances

“We at Specsavers used to be called Specsavers Opticians and used to have that above the door. That hasn’t been the case for a decade, partly because we offer audiology services as well, but also because we recognise the term optician was not synonymous with the profession of optometry. There is far more to be done though.

“We all have a role to educate service users and the public about what we do – on a personal level, I don’t mind what they call us, as long as they know we are there for more than checking vision and providing corrective appliances. I think there’s been huge progress made here.

“When it comes to patients or customers, the NHS at many levels refers to patients as customers because they are users of their services. We are happy to refer to them as either – with clinicians having a preference towards patients. Many people wouldn’t consider themselves to be patients either, they consider themselves to be people looking to buy glasses or contact lenses.”

Name: Dr Valarie Jerome

Role: Optometrist and owner of Valarie Jerome Optometrists

“I had never been referred to as an optician until I moved to the UK from the US. As a matter of fact, when I met my UK husband in America, I told him I was an optometrist and he said: ‘A what?’ I was shocked he had apparently never heard of an optometrist considering he was a -6.00 myope.

“My first job in the UK was with Vision Express, then my career journey took me to Tesco Opticians and a bit of locum work at various places before I opened up my own practice. At each and every practice, I made sure to correct people when they referred to me as an optician. It was like a life purpose – to change the UK public's description of my job to reflect the actual degree I earned – optometry. I could give up being called Dr Jerome like in the US and settle for just Valarie. But I would not give up the ‘optometrist’ designation.

I had never been referred to as an optician until I moved to the UK from the US

“I’m so strict about it that it is in my practice manual to call me and other optometrists, an optometrist not an optician. Our in-house dispensing optician is called the optician. And to further my master plan of educating the masses on the word optometrist, I decided to name my practice Valarie Jerome Optometrists. It is still a work in progress as just last week, I heard a man passing by say, ‘It says optometrists... not sure what they do... but it looks like they also sell glasses.”

“There's a big debate on ‘patient’ vs ‘customer.’ For me, coming from a medical optometry background in the US, it will always be ‘patient.’ When I was locuming, before I opened up my own practice, I was completely burnt out. So burnt out, I referred to a patient as a customer and was shocked the words came out my mouth. That was when I knew I needed a change. I decided to either start a dog walking business or my own practice.

“I chose to brave it and open up a private independent optometry practice where my staff and our staff manual bans the word customer as we only have patients. To each their own, but they are my patients first and purchasers of spectacles second.”

Name: Andrew Bridges

Role: Director of professional services at Leightons Opticians & Hearing Care

Do you prefer the term optometrist or optician? What is your reason for this?

I think it is vitally important to have both the optometrist and optician terms, as it differentiates the critically important and independent professions. When I studied at Aston University it was titled as an ophthalmic optics degree and is now a fully integrated optometry MOptom, which is fantastic development.

At Leightons Opticians & Hearing Care, we are very fortunate to always be working alongside GOC registered dispensing opticians and contact lens opticians. Therefore, ‘optician’ is a very important term and role to be both recognised and understood by the public and the term differentiates the roles.

Do you use the term patient or customer when talking about people who come into practice? What is your reasoning behind this?

Earlier in my career I would have preferred to use the term patient. Although this is commonly used in healthcare and medical settings, patient may now be more usually referred to someone receiving care or treatment.

Quite rightly, with the requirement of informed consent, 'patients' now have a choice as someone who purchases products and services from a provider. Irrespective, our goal should always be to educate and delight our customers - providing an unrivalled customer care experience.

How important is terminology? How does it shape and reflect how the public perceive the profession?

We need to be very careful in the language, terminology and acronyms that we use. In educating and supporting our customers we must share advice and information in clear, easily understood language. There can be misconceptions or a lack of knowledge even in the differentiation of the terms optometrist and dispensing opticians.

How has terminology changed over your career? What has influenced this change?

Progression is key and the change from ophthalmic optics to optometry is a welcome one, as is customers being registered as blind and partially sighted to sight impaired and significantly sight impaired, which is more relevant in modern society.

I am also protective on the use of the term eye examination - in marketing however, eye test or sight test is searched far more often. We need to ensure these terms are carefully selected in the right ways for the correct purpose and outcome.