College of Optometrists

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Commissioned Research

Commissioned projects represent the most recent part of the College’s Research Strategy. The aim of this strand is to identify and commission research projects in order to build a scientific evidence base to inform and influence College and national policies on all aspects of optometry.

Commissioned research that is able to both extend the evidence base for optometric practice and demonstrate the potential impact of optometry as a healthcare profession is vital to the profession’s ability to challenge accepted attitudes and to position the profession to take advantage of and proactively create future opportunities.

This work began with two Phase 1 projects in 2010 and has now moved into Phase 2, with four new projects commissioned in 2011.

Phase 1 Projects

The icons below provide more information about the two projects that formed Phase 1.

Phase 2 Projects

Four projects have been commissioned as part of Phase 2:

• The impact of equipment on eye care - a PhD study looking at how the use and availability of different equipment affects the provision offered
• An evaluation of the quality of ready-made reading spectacles - undertaken by Bradford University
• The Northern Ireland Childhood Errors of Refraction (NICER) Study, Phase 3 - the College is part-funding this study at the University of Ulster, which will build on the project's earlier work investigating the incidence and progression of myopia in children
• The Enhanced Scheme Evaluation Project - the College recently received a number of proposals to conduct this project, which wil evaluate different 'enhanced' eye care service models from around the UK.

More information about each of these projects will appear here soon.