Average time it takes to be seen by a provider
Verified providers with a 4.8 average rating
In the business of finding quality care for patients
On average, patients who use Zocdoc can search for an Optometrist in Philadelphia, book an appointment, and see the Optometrist within 24 hours. Same-day appointments are often available, you can search for real-time availability of Optometrists in Philadelphia who accept your insurance and make an appointment online.
Zocdoc lets you search specifically for a Philadelphia Optometrist who takes your insurance. Just choose your carrier and plan from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. If you’re not sure which plan you have, you can use Zocdoc’s insurance checker to find out.
Zocdoc is a free online service that helps patients find Optometrists in Philadelphia and book appointments instantly. You can search for Philadelphia Optometrists by symptom or visit reason. Then, choose your insurance plan. Based on that information, you’ll see a list of providers who meet your search criteria, along with their available appointment slots.
When you search for Philadelphia Optometrists on Zocdoc, you can filter your results by gender, in addition to other criteria. That way, you’ll only see Optometrists in Philadelphia who match your preferences.
On Zocdoc, you can search specifically for Philadelphia Optometrists with availability after 5 p.m.
You can use Zocdoc to find Optometrists in Philadelphia who are highly rated by other patients. These ratings are based on verified reviews submitted by real patients. Every time a patient completes an appointment booked on Zocdoc, they’re invited to review their experience. Each review must comply with Zocdoc’s guidelines.
Optometrists in Philadelphia on Zocdoc who see patients through online video visits will have a purple video icon on their profiles. You can also filter your search results to show only Optometrists who offer video visits.
Most insurers provide coverage for video visits at the same cost as in-person visits. You can search on Zocdoc specifically for Optometrists in Philadelphia who accept your insurance for video visits by selecting your carrier and plan from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. We recommend you check with your insurance carrier directly to confirm your coverage and out of pocket costs for video visits.
Zocdoc lets you search specifically for an Optometrist who has appointments available before 10:00 am, or after 5:00 pm. Just choose the special hours filter at the top of our search page.
Zocdoc let's you see real-time availability for Optometrists in Philadelphia. Many Optometrists offer appointments on Saturdays and Sundays.
Doctors of Optometry (ODs) are primary eye care providers. These physicians, commonly known as optometrists, are trained to evaluate, diagnose, treat, and manage diseases, injuries, and abnormalities of the visual system, the eye, and adjacent structures. They also identify and treat relevant systemic ailments that impact the eye.
Advancements in technology have aided the profession in broadening its scope and improving efficacy—the various developments in eye care and medical technology aid optometrists in delivering better treatment to their patients. For example, in recent years, the types of contact lenses and lens treatments have grown and improved. New techniques like laser surgery to repair vision and disorders like glaucoma have given patients more options.
Optometrists are the primary health care practitioners who advise patients on new technology and therapies to treat their visual system. The functions of optometrists include:
- Diagnosis, examination, treatment, and management of diseases, injuries, and abnormalities affecting the visual system, eyes, and related structures
- Advise patients on surgical and non-surgical options for meeting their visual needs
- Detect systemic disorders that affect the eyes, such as diabetes or high blood pressure
- Prescribe drugs or prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lens
- Carry out minor surgical procedures
- Provide low-vision rehabilitation and vision therapy
- Assist patients in post-surgery recovery
Aspiring optometrists must first complete their graduation and earn a bachelor’s degree in pre-med or science. They must then enroll in a four-year optometry doctoral program by clearing the Optometry Admission Test (OAT).
After clearing the optometry program and earning a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree, students must take the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) exams. Before beginning their practice, all optometrists must clear a stringent state-level licensure examination.
Some optometrists prefer to study and train further to specialize in a specific area of optometry after gaining their license by completing a specialty fellowship. Alternatively, they can take up additional clinical training.
Ophthalmologists are medical doctors specializing in eye surgery and detecting and treating eye diseases.
On the other hand, dispensing opticians are technicians who fit eyeglasses and contact lenses according to prescriptions drawn by an ophthalmologist or an optometrist.
Optometrists work in hospitals, the military, and retail optical stores. Many optometrists partner with one or more other optometrists or ophthalmologists to create a private or group practice. Further, some optometrists work in research at a university or for a firm.
Many eye illnesses can result in permanent vision loss if not detected and treated early. For this reason, going for a routine eye exam is an excellent preventive practice. An eye exam includes a range of tests and involves a lot. An eye exam is about much more than testing a person's vision and calculating their eyeglass prescription (refraction). Routine health insurance usually includes -
1. Comprehensive eye exams for children ages 18 and up and seniors ages 65 and up
2. Medically necessary/urgent care for sudden vision impairments; red-eye, infection, foreign body removal; chronic eye disease management (Glaucoma, macular degeneration, inflammatory conditions)
3. Monitor the patients taking specific systemic drugs like Plaquenil and tamoxifen
4. Medical eye surgery follow-up visits
Identifying the right physicians is crucial to receiving the best patient care. Optometrists are trained specialists who can collaborate with other healthcare professionals, such as ophthalmologists, general practitioners, nurses, and pediatricians, to provide the best possible care to patients. Like other healthcare professionals, optometrists must complete specialized training before treating patients.
You can consult an optometrist if you are suffering from any of the following conditions -
i) Astigmatism: Astigmatism usually materializes as blurred vision, headaches, squinting, eyestrain, etc. It results from mismatched curves of the cornea or the lens inside the eye. Astigmatism is a treatable weakness of the eye. It is a common condition that can exist at birth. It can also be due to anisometropia - a combination of nearsightedness and farsightedness.
ii) Myopia: This eye disorder creates difficulty for a person to focus on distant objects. Commonly known as nearsightedness, the condition requires eyeglasses, contact lenses, corneal refractive therapy, etc.
iii) Hyperopia (farsightedness): This is when nearby objects appear blurry, but things afar appear clearly visible. This condition is usually present at birth or is inherited.
An optometrist is also qualified to diagnose and treat conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal tears, hemorrhage, and tumors. They also help detect early indicators of significant medical disorders like high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease during an examination.
Examining the eyes through routine tests is the best way to identify and treat vision issues that may crop up without our knowledge. We should examine our eyes whenever we suffer injury to the eyes or any symptoms of vision problems. It is typically recommended that children should get their eyes checked during their first year of life and every one or two years after that until age 55. Those above 55 should get their eyes tested every year.
If you wear glasses or contacts or use a visual aid of any kind, it is better to get routine eye checkups more often. An optometrist or primary care provider can advise you on the preferred frequency of such tests.
Some people believe it is only necessary to visit an optometrist when they have vision problems. This is not so. Routine check-ups with an optometrist can help detect eye illnesses and conditions early and preserve your vision.
You must see an optometrist if you take prescription medication that affects your eyes or have a family history of eye disease or vision loss. Similarly, if you have a chronic illness such as diabetes, you have a greater risk of eye disease, so visiting an optometrist will help detect these illnesses or deteriorating vision. You should also see an optometrist if you think you need glasses or contacts or if you wear corrective lenses.
Knowing and acknowledging your eye symptoms is the first step toward recovery. The next is to find an eye doctor with whom you share a rapport. Zocdoc can help you search for top-rated optometrists in your neighborhood in Philadelphia.
At Zocdoc, we care deeply about finding the right provider to meet a patient's needs. With the help of the Zocdoc platform, you can easily find a high-quality optometrist in Philadelphia in just a few clicks. You can filter optometrists based on location, insurance network, availability, and other preferences.
We understand the importance of patients making informed choices about their medical providers. This is why Zocdoc maintains details profiles of healthcare professionals in its database. These profiles show verified information about a provider's education, training, experience, hospital affiliations, specialization, honors, awards, and accreditation on their profile.
The profiles also feature verified reviews and ratings by past patients that you can refer to while deciding on a provider. You can also find information such as the languages spoken by the physicians, their gender, and whether they treat children.
You can also book an appointment on your phone or any other digital device directly on the platform. You can book an in-person or online appointment as needed. Look for a purple button on the profiles of optometrists who offer video consultations.
Depending on the optometrist's availability, you can book an appointment during office hours, before 10 am, after 5 pm, or even on weekends.
Booking appointments on Zocdoc is safe, secure, and free.
In a vision screening conducted by the Wills Eye Vision Screen Program, 13.1 percent of 18,974 children had incorrect refractive errors. About 9.4 percent of children had myopia, 2.4 percent were diagnosed with hyperopia, 7.8 percent had astigmatism, and 4.5 percent had anisometropia.
A study conducted to evaluate cases of glaucoma-related diagnosis with 1649 participants found the detection rate as high as 39.1 percent for glaucoma-related diagnoses.
National Library of Medicine[1]
National Library of Medicine [2]
The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.