Orthoptists

Diagnose and treat visual system disorders such as binocular vision and eye movement impairments.

The occupation "Orthoptists" has an automation risk of 44.6%, which is closely aligned with its base risk of 45.3%, suggesting that nearly half of the tasks within this role could potentially be automated in the future. The nature of the work performed by orthoptists—focusing on the diagnosis and management of disorders related to eye movement and visual dysfunction—blends routine procedures with complex interpersonal interactions. The most automatable tasks involve standardized processes such as examining patients with issues like ocular motility or strabismus, evaluating and diagnosing visual disorders, and providing instructions to patients or family members regarding diagnoses or treatments. These activities often follow defined protocols and rely on established clinical guidelines, making them susceptible to automation via advances in medical imaging, decision support systems, and AI-driven patient communication tools. Conversely, some tasks inherent to orthoptists remain highly resistant to automation. Assisting ophthalmologists in diagnostic procedures like ultrasonography, fundus photography, and tonometry requires a level of precision, adaptability, and hands-on problem-solving that current technology struggles to replicate. Participation in clinical research projects and the presentation or publication of scientific papers also represent tasks that depend heavily on human creativity, analytical thinking, and advanced communication skills. These resistant activities ensure that the profession cannot be fully automated, as they require subjective judgment, critical interpretation of novel findings, and the capacity to contribute to the advancement of medical knowledge through research and scholarly dissemination. The key bottleneck skill impeding further automation of the orthoptist role is originality, reflected at levels of 3.0% and 3.1%. While relatively low compared to some innovation-driven professions, this degree of originality is significant in medical roles where individualized problem-solving and the customization of treatment plans are crucial. The necessity for original thinking becomes particularly apparent in atypical or complex patient cases, as well as in the design and execution of clinical research. Consequently, even as technology continues to evolve and automate routine elements, the requirement for original analytical contributions and adaptive communication maintains a substantial human element within the orthoptist occupation.