Review of a Spectacle Technician Training Course in Vietnam

Jodi Martin

Introduction• Brien Holden Vision Institute program to

address uncorrected refractive error in Vietnam

• 8 spectacle technician courses conducted since 2009

• 67 participants• Course assessed against trainee

performance and satisfaction

Results• Trainee performance:

• 97% passed the course, • The average theory mark was 80%

• There was no significant difference by gender, rural/urban workplace or previous experience in eyecare

Results

Edging and fitting SV

lenses

Edging and fitting BF

lenses

Focimetry of SV lenses

Focimetery of BF lenses

Measuring PD and Heights

Repairing frames

Aligning frames

Knowledge of optics

and the eye

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Pre course Almost Always and Always Confident

Post course Almost Always and Always Confident

•Self-rated trainee confidence rose across all skills

Results• Trainee feedback:

• 96% rated the course excellent or very good• 62% were satisfied with the course length,

while 38% rated course length as too short• Nurses and technicians most likely to still

be using spectacle technician skills 6-12 months post-course

Discussion and Conclusion• The course was successful in producing

competent spectacle technicians• High course satisfaction and confidence• Appropriate trainee selection is essential to

continued use of spectacle technician skills• Further examination of barriers and

facilitators to using skills in the workplace in required