News - Centre For Eye Health

Optometrists give Centre for Eye Health tick of approval

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -1000

The Centre for Eye Health has scored high marks for service, staff expertise and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, according to a recent survey of optometrists suggesting the new service is well placed to support improvements in eye disease detection and management within the profession.

Conducted during May and June this year, the online survey by market research company EMC was distributed to OAA NSW/ACT members and completed by 313 optometrists from across NSW and the ACT. It revealed that nearly all those surveyed (97 per cent) were aware of CFEH and two-thirds (67 per cent) had registered to use the free referral service since the Centre opened for business in late 2009.

More than one-third of optometrists based in NSW and the ACT are now referring patients to the newly established Centre with most (98 per cent), saying it provides an excellent or above average service. Further, over 90 per cent said they value the Centre’s large range of testing equipment, its staff expertise, free service and the availability of consultant ophthalmologists to review test results.

Respondents said they would be most likely to refer patients to CFEH if they were suspected of, or at risk of, having eye disease – especially those who couldn’t otherwise afford the advanced diagnostic testing that is available at CFEH.

CFEH Deputy Director David Pye said he was pleased with the high level of awareness about the Centre and positive perceptions of its standard of service: “The survey reveals that a large majority of optometrists know about CFEH’s services and the appropriate types of patients to refer to us.”

However, the survey suggest CFEH needs to do more to educate and inform optometrists about patient referrals.

“There’s a mismatch between patient referral patterns for conditions such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy compared to their prevalence in the community,” says Associate Professor Pye. “We are very excited about playing a key role in enhancing knowledge of detecting and managing eye disease within the profession and assisting practitioners to provide improved patient care.”

CFEH hopes to do this through continuing ophthalmic professional education events, newsletters and other interactions with optometrists.

Another challenge for CFEH is to address a perception among some regional optometrists that the Centre is too far away for their patients.

“The geography of NSW and the ACT means that distance was always going to be a potential referral barrier in the minds of optometrists and patients,” says Pye.

“We need to speak further with optometrists in regional centres about our patient assistance programs, and to canvass their suggestions for making the Centre more accessible to patients and practitioners outside of the greater Sydney area.”

CFEH is a new initiative providing an integrated approach to reducing preventable vision loss from eye disease through early detection. CFEH is the world’s first referral facility providing an extensive range of state-of-the-art eye imaging and visual assessment services in one location and at no charge to the patient or Medicare. More than 650 optometrists have registered with CFEH and more than 1000 patients have been referred for testing.

Big turnout reveals demand for professional development: optometrists

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -1000

Strong turnout at a recent professional development event suggests optometrists' value information about the latest news about eye imaging and the detection of eye disease.

They came, they saw, they liked it.

A recent professional development event for NSW/ACT optometrists has proven a popular success, attracting more than 100 attendees to the sold out event.

Hosted by the Centre for Eye Health, the June 20 event comprised workshops, talks and tours, and was the first in a Series of Continuing Ophthalmic Professional Education (SCOPE) events staged by CFEH.

Prominent ophthalmologists and optometrists gave presentations about current and emerging trends in detection and management of eye disease and ran workshops on ocular imaging and image-interpretation about leading eye conditions.

"The strong attendance was very pleasing and indicates strong positive interest in our services and a healthy culture of continuing professional development among NSW/ACT optometrists," said Centre Director Professor Michael Kalloniatis.

"We look forward to adding further to the knowledge base within the profession. We want to make these events as inclusive as possible and optometrists who were unable to secure a place at the first SCOPE event have been given priority for the next one."

Feedback from optometrists attending SCOPE indicated strong demand for further workshops with a hands-on component focused on interpretation of eye imaging results.

Attending optometrists earned 10 continuing professional development points and were given a tour of CFEH's facilities, which includes 24 state of the art eye testing and diagnostic instruments.

Optometrists must complete a minimum of 40 CPD points annually for continuing professional registration. A minimum of 12 points annually must be achieved through face-to-face education and no more than ten points may be obtained from courses hosted by suppliers and manufacturers of optical goods.

Centre for Eye Health is an initiative of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and The University of New South Wales. CFEH aims to reduce preventable blindness within NSW and the ACT by offering state-of-the-art eye and visual system diagnostic services to everyone, in one location, at no charge.

Praise as Centre assesses more than 600 clients

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -1000

Glenda, CFEH's 600th client assessed at CFEH, was referred in May by her optometrist for a glaucoma assessment and was thrilled with the service.

"My optometrist had noticed a red spot in the back of my eye, on the retina, and felt it needed further investigation - and it's been years since I've been thoroughly checked out," says Glenda, a disabled pensioner with diabetes who retired two years ago.

"The number of tests done at CFEH was very comprehensive and there was no pain involved. The equipment there was far more advanced than any other place I'd been to, and far more accurate."

Glenda's father suffered from diabetes and glaucoma, "and had all sorts of eye problems," she says. "I just think if these sorts of things could be diagnosed earlier then you wouldn't have these problems later in life."

"I was thrilled with the service. My goodness, I thought ‘this place is incredible' - the service and professionalism was the best by a mile. I was really blown away. I would hope a lot more people take advantage of the service you provide. I am a disabled pensioner and to have this service provided free of charge - well it was an amazing extra bonus."

Glenda isn't alone in her praise, according to Centre Director Professor Michael Kalloniatis: "We invite all our clients to complete a feedback form after their appointment and I'm pleased to say that the Centre is receiving extremely positive comments. Our clients keep telling us how impressed they are that such a high quality service is provided free of charge and they particularly value the staff's professionalism and courtesy."

CFEH is an initiative of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and The University of New South Wales. It aims to reduce preventable vision loss through early detection of eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.

Practitioner registrations exceed expectations

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -1000

More than 650 optometrists and ophthalmologists have registered with Centre for Eye Health (CFEH) and referred more than 950 patients for testing since the Centre's official opening late last year.

Centre Director Professor Michael Kalloniatis is pleased with the registration and referral numbers: "Following our three month trial, where we tested and refined our processes, we invited all optometrists in NSW and the ACT to register and refer patients to the Centre. More than 40 per cent of NSW and ACT-based optometrists have now registered with the Centre and account for 95 per cent of our referrals. This is a great response and highlights the unmet demand for an advanced eye imaging and visual assessment referral service," he says.

From an equity standpoint, it is significant that two-thirds of CFEH-registered practitioners are Sydney-based while one-third are from regional NSW and the ACT. That is reflective of the demographic distribution of the practitioners.

"We are now targeting ophthalmology and I have recently written to 300 NSW and ACT-based ophthalmologists inviting them to register and refer patients for additional testing. Interestingly, three per cent of ophthalmologists in NSW and the ACT have already registered of their own accord and account for five per cent of referrals," says Prof. Kalloniatis.

To access CFEH's services, individuals must be referred by an optometrist or ophthalmologist who is registered with the Centre. The referring practitioner specifies the required tests and results are then sent back to the referring practitioner. Patient management remains with the referring practitioner and the Centre does not initiate, carry out or suggest treatment for patients.

Glaucoma tops Centre’s referral list

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -1000

Requests for glaucoma and optic nerve-related tests and assessments account for more than half of the 950 referrals to Centre for Eye Health (CFEH) since its official opening late last year. Retina and macular testing are the next most common, accounting for nearly one in three referrals.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. At present, an estimated 50 per cent of people with glaucoma in Australia are undiagnosed. Age, elevated intraocular pressure and family history are the major risk factors for developing the condition, which affects vision by damaging the optic nerve.

Optometrist Kyriacos Mavrolefteros has referred 18 patients to the Centre. He describes CFEH as "a valuable tertiary referral resource that enables our practice to more confidently take care of our patients' ocular health." "Through CFEH, we now also have access to equipment we cannot afford," he notes.

"We've requested CFEH to perform a glaucoma workup for patients with a family history of glaucoma, perhaps slightly suspect discs, no ophthalmoscopically visible RNFL defects, below average (corrected for corneal thickness) pressures and normal fields," he says. "Being able to refer patients for these services adds to our confidence in taking care of their ocular health."

CFEH aims to reduce preventable blindness through early detection of eye disease. It uses the latest diagnostic instrumentation for assessing the structural and functional integrity of the eye and visual pathways.

CFEH placements add value for UNSW optometry students

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -1000

A new clinical placements program at Centre for Eye Health (CFEH) is enhancing the clinical education of final-year optometry students.

For a two-week period, each final year optometry student attends clinics at CFEH. During this time, the students can discuss with staff optometrists test results and findings, and they are also shown how to use and interpret data from the Centre's advanced eye-imaging instruments. At the end of their placement the students give two case presentations to CFEH's clinical staff to demonstrate their understanding and analysis of client test results.

"Feedback from students to date is that CFEH is exposing them to a considerably larger range of clinical case experience than they have had to date," says Associate Professor David Pye, CFEH's Director of Clinic Operations and Teaching. "This is a real benefit to senior students as it provides them with information as to how advanced ocular images are obtained, interpreted and possibly used in the management of patients."

Final year Optometry student Sahar Falahati was delighted by her clinical placement at CFEH. "The Centre is impressive in so many ways," she says. When you combine the expertise of the staff, the wide array of hi-tech diagnostic equipment and the fact that clients get a free service, it's really an amazing facility for clients, students and the teaching of clinical optometry.

With the UNSW School of Optometry and Vision Science graduating 40 per cent of Australia's new optometrists annually, the placements at CFEH are also extremely valuable in developing the patient management skills of the optometric profession as a whole.

CFEH is an integrated referral facility providing state-of-the-art eye imaging and visual system diagnostic services to the community, at no charge. Clients referred to CFEH frequently have a complex clinical presentation requiring a broad range of tests to provide informative data for the referring practitioner.

Partnership approach needed to reduce preventable vision loss

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -1000

Many Australians are at risk of developing eye disease. Without early detection, and appropriate management and treatment, irreversible vision loss may occur for a large portion of our community.

This is a significant public health challenge requiring collaborative action by all service providers in the eye health arena, and one that can now be addressed with recent advances in technology and our understanding of eye disease.

Centre for Eye Health (CFEH) aims to complement established eye health referral pathways and add resource capacity at a time when demand for eye health services is mounting.

Providing advanced testing at no charge to patients, CFEH also adds value to existing eye health services in NSW and the ACT by ensuring that greater numbers of people can access advanced eye imaging and visual assessment services.

The Centre is keen to work in partnership with people and organisations with a stake in improving eye health in Australia.

"CFEH is a new approach to reducing preventable vision loss from eye disease in Australia and the world. While our model is similar in some ways to say the Moran Eye Centre in the United States, this is the first time such an extensive range of state-of-the-art eye imaging instruments is available in one location to all eye-care practitioners to refer their patients at no charge to them or the patient," says Centre Director Professor Kalloniatis.

"In addition, we have a team of specially trained staff, a funding commitment from Guide Dogs NSW/ ACT for 10 years and a partnership with a major Australian university, the University of New South Wales.

"When you combine this all together with our emphasis on continuous improvement and our openness to engage with interested parties, we should be able to make a significant impact in improving eye health in NSW/ACT," Prof. Kalloniatis notes.

Inaugural SCOPE sold out but more coming

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -1000

Centre for Eye Health's first continuing professional development (CPD) event for optometrists sold out within days of being advertised and the waiting list is very long - suggesting strong demand for CPD about the latest in ocular imaging and the detection and management of eye disease.

One hundred and ten optometrists will attend the June 20 event, which is the first in an ongoing Series of Continuing Ophthalmic Professional Education (SCOPE) events hosted by CFEH.

Planning is already underway for further SCOPE events and optometrists who were unable to secure a place to the June 20 event will be given priority to attend future SCOPE lectures and workshops.

"It's a very pleasing response and indicates strong positive interest in our services and a healthy culture of continuing professional development among NSW/ACT optometrists. We look forward to assisting in growing the knowledge base within the profession," says Centre Director Professor Michael Kalloniatis.

The six-hour SCOPE event on June 20 will provide optometrists with an opportunity to:

Hear prominent ophthalmologists and optometrists speak about current and emerging trends in eye disease detection and management
Join interactive workshops on image interpretation as applied to the leading eye conditions
Develop knowledge of the capabilities and application of advanced ocular imaging
Earn ten CPD points
Meet with the Centre's staff
Learn about the benefits of referring to CFEH
Tour the Centre's facilities

SCOPE June 2010: Lectures and Workshops

Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 -1000

Registered optometrists are invited to attend the inaugural CFEH SCOPE (Series of Continuing Ophthalmic Professional Education) lectures and workshop on Sunday, 20 June 2010. There will be two sessions on the day, and optometrists can either attend workshops in the morning (option 1 from 8:55am to 2:45pm) or afternoon (option 2 from 10:55am to 4:45pm).

The lectures and panel discussion will be held during the middle of the day with participants from both options.

This six-hour CPD event will provide you with the perfect opportunity to:

Hear from prominent ophthalmologists and optometrists on the latest in eye disease detection and management
Develop your knowledge of the capabilities and application of advanced ocular imaging
Participate in interactive discussions on image interpretation as applied to specific eye conditions
Gain nine CPD points
Meet with the Centre's staff
Learn about the benefits of referring to CFEH
Tour the Centre's facilities

Lunch and other refreshments will be provided.

To learn more about the benefits of referring to CFEH, three of the Centre's top referring optometrists will discuss how they have made use of the advanced eye-imaging and visual assessment services available through CFEH.

Note: Spaces are limited to 100 optometrists and registrations will be taken on a first come basis.

Find out more about this SCOPE event and register online.

CFEH already adding value to eye health services

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -1000

The number of eye-care practitioners who have registered with Centre for Eye Health (CFEH) is exceeding expectations, and continues to grow, six months after its official opening. In addition, optometrists are already singing the praises of the Centre and how it is helping them to build their practice.

To date, more than 450 optometrists and ophthalmologists have registered with CFEH and over 350 patients have been referred for specialised eye imaging and visual assessment. Two-thirds of CFEH-registered practitioners are Sydney-based while one-third is from regional NSW and the ACT.

The Centre provides state-of-the-art eye imaging and diagnostic services to the community, at no charge. Its mission is to help reduce the incidence of blindness through early detection of eye diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. The Centre sees itself as adding value to eye healthcare services within NSW and the ACT.

Optometrist Kyriacos Mavrolefteros registered soon after CFEH opened, and has referred 12 patients to the Centre since December last year. He describes CFEH as "a most valuable tertiary referral resource that enables our practice to more confidently take care of our patients' ocular health. "Through CFEH, we now also have access to equipment we cannot afford," he notes.

Mavrolefteros has run an optometry practice in Maroubra, in Sydney's eastern suburbs for 16 years. He has found CFEH especially useful for evaluating suspected cases of glaucoma.

"We've requested CFEH to perform a glaucoma workup, including OCT, HRT and GDx, for patients with a family history of glaucoma, perhaps slightly suspect discs, no ophthalmoscopically visible RNFL defects, below average (corrected for corneal thickness) pressures and normal fields," he says. "Being able to refer patients for these services adds to our confidence in taking care of their ocular health."

Mavrolefteros has also made referrals to CFEH for patient baseline monitoring, such as those presenting with early macular retinal changes. "When a referral to a retinal specialist is required, it means that we can also supply OCT baselines such macular or retinal structures sourced from CFEH," he says. Mavrolefteros says he plans to keep referring patients to CFEH to optimise patient care, while saving them money and time.

Located at the Kensington campus of the University of New South Wales (UNSW), CFEH is a joint initiative of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and UNSW.