Finding an Eye Care Professional

The National Eye Institute does not provide referrals or recommend specific eye care professionals. However, you may wish to consider the following ways of finding a professional to provide your eye care.

The National Eye Institute (NEI), a part of the National Institutes of Health, is the Federal Government's principal agency for conducting and supporting research on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of eye diseases and disorders of the visual system. Inclusion in this resource sheet does not imply endorsement by the National Eye Institute or the National Institutes of Health.

• Ask family members and friends about eye care professionals they use.
• Ask your family doctor for the name of a local eye care specialist.
• Call the department of ophthalmology or optometry at a nearby hospital, university medical center or medical
• Contact a state or county association of ophthalmologists or optometrists. These groups, usually called academies or societies, may have lists of eye care professionals with specific information on specialty and experience.
• Contact your insurance company or health plan to learn whether it has a list of eye care professionals that are covered under your plan.
• At a bookstore or library, check on available journals and books about choosing a physician and medical treatment. Here are some examples:

Most large libraries have the reference set The ABMS Compendium of Certified Medical Professionals, which lists board-certified ophthalmologists, each with a small amount of biographical information. A library reference specialist can also help you identify other books on finding health care professionals or help you seek additional information about local eye physicians using the Internet.

Each year usually in August the magazine U.S. News and World Report features an article that rates hospitals in the United States.

• The American Academy of Ophthalmology coordinates FIND AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST an on-line listing of member ophthalmologists practicing in the United States and abroad. This service is designed to help the general public locate ophthalmologists within a specific region. Website: http://www.eyenet.org/
• The International Society of Refractive Surgery maintains comprehensive directory of surgeons around the world who are currently performing refractive surgery. Telephone: (407) 786-7446. E-mail: isrshq@isrs.org. Website: http://www.isrs.org.
• The Blue Book of Optometrists and The Red Book of Ophthalmologists, now available online, can be used to find doctors in U.S. Puerto Rico, and Canada. This resource is helpful when you know the doctor's name, but need contact information. Website: http://www.eyefind.com/.
• Administrators in Medicine and the Association of State Medical Board Executive Directors have launched DocFinder, an online database that helps consumers learn whether any malpractice actions have been taken against a particular doctor. The site provides links to the licensing boards in the participating states. Website: http://www.docboard.org/.
• The American Association of Eye and Ear Hospitals (AAEEH) is comprised of the premier centers for specialized eye and ear procedures in the world. Association members are major referral centers that offer some of the most innovative teaching programs, and routinely treat the most severely ill eye and ear patients. Telephone: (202) 347-1993. A list of member facilities is available online at http://www.aaeeh.org/locations.html.