Download Work, Interaction & Technology The practical work of the optometrist

Work, Interaction & Technology
PRINCIPAL RESEARCHERS
The practical work of the optometrist
Professor Christian Heath
Dr Dirk vom Lehn
Dr Helena Webb
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
COLLABORATORS
Dr Will Gibson (University of
London)
Professor Bruce Evans (Institute of
Optometry)
Professor David Thomson (City
University London)
Dr Peter Allen (Anglia Ruskin
University)
The College of Optometrists (Project
partner for ‘The practical work of
the optometrist 2’)
FUNDERS
Optometry is a form of healthcare practice that
provides patients/clients with checks of their vision
and eye health. Despite being a major field of
healthcare in the UK and beyond, it has so far
received very little attention in the social sciences.
Our research contributes a broad, rich, unique and
practical range of empirical findings on optometry
as a profession. Our studies are concerned with:

the social and sequential organisation of
eye examinations;

the generic practices through which
optometrists assess vision and ocular
health in interaction with clients across a
range of settings, plus possible reasons for
variations from these generic practices;

the use of tools and technologies as
resources in the conduct of eye
examinations;

the use of video-based analysis to inform
optometric practice.
Economic and Social Research
Council - ‘The practical work of the
optometrist’ 2009-2011.
The College of Optometrists – The
practical work of the optometrist 2’
2013.
DURATION
2009 - present
APPROACH
We have so far undertaken a two year project on
‘The practical work of the Optometrist’ funded by
the ESRC, and a second project – ‘The practical
work of the optometrist 2’ will take place in 2013
to enhance the practical application of these
findings. The initial project involved the videorecording and analysis of over 60 consultations in
a range of optometric practices, including ‘highstreet’ optician chains, commercial community
practices and student clinics. The video recordings
were augmented by fieldwork observations and
narrative interviews with optometrists. Drawing on
relevant insights from ethnomethodology,
conversation analysis and workplace studies, the
issues addressed by the study include:


CONTACT
Professor Christian Heath
Department of Management
King’s College London
The Franklin-Wilkins Building
150 Stamford Street
London SE1 9NH
Tel: + 44 20 7848 4496
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.kcl.ac.uk/witrg/
the practices through which optometrists
initiate consultations – in particular how
the attempt to elicit and identify any
difficulties that clients are experiencing;
the contingent deployment of standard
tests and procedures, and the ways in
which the accomplishment of tests and
their ‘reliable’ outcomes emerges through,
and is dependent on, interaction.

the proper deployment of tools and
technologies as establishing situationally
appropriate conduct in the examination.

The performance of specialised tasks as
reliant on, and embedded, the interaction
al organisation of the consultation.
IMPLICATIONS
Our project findings have made a substantial
empirical contribution to our understanding of
healthcare, professional practice, work and
organisation. They have also made a distinctive
conceptual and theoretical contribution to social
science research and studies of interaction as well
as demonstrating the methodological relevance of
video-based analyses to in-depth, inductive
qualitative analysis that scrutinises the
interactional role of vocal and visible phenomena
in everyday practice. Our findings offer a range of
practical applications and we have enjoyed
building up strong working relationships with
professional optometrists and optometric
organisations. These implications and relationships
will be maximised in the forthcoming knowledge
exchange project ‘The practical work of the
optometrist 2’ in 2013. In partnership with the
College of Optometrist we will prepare and
disseminate a communication skills package based
on our project findings that will benefit optometric
practitioners, trainers and organisations.
KEY PUBLICATIONS
Webb, H., vom Lehn, D. and Heath, C.C. (in press)
‘Engendering Response: professional gesture
and the assessment of eyesight in optometry
consultations’. Symbolic Interaction .
Webb, H., vom Lehn, D., Heath, C.C., Gibson, W.
and Evans, B.J.E. (2013) ‘The Problem With
‘Problems’: The Case of Openings in Optometry
Consultations’. Research on L anguage and
Social Interaction 46, 1,1-19.
Gibson, W., vom Lehn D., and Webb, H. (2012)
‘Ethnomethodology and Work-based Learning’.
In: Work based learning in clinical settings
Cook, V. Daly, C. and Newman, M. (eds.)
London. Radcliffe Publishing Ltd.
Gibson, W. Webb, H. and vom Lehn, D. (2011)
‘Re-constituting social praxis: an
ethnomethodological analysis of video data in
optometry consultations’. The International
Journal of Social Rese arch Methodology 14(3)
209-220.