Workshop Abstracts
1. Strong Eyes, Strong Communities - an opportunity for input
FACILITATOR: Janine Sherrard and Roman Serebianik, Vision 2020 Australia
Strong Eyes, Strong Communities (SESC) is the Vision 2020 Australia sector-endorsed national plan for 2019-2024 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health. This workshop will provide an overview of SESC and talk about progress in acceptance and implementing the recommendations. Key features of the plan include a stronger Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice and participation in Indigenous eye health and development of Indigenous leadership of the work. Vision 2020 Australia would appreciate conference delegate input to a number of challenges and questions, as we work with our members and the sector to advance the plan.
Please join us in this workshop to learn more about Strong Eyes, Strong Communities and share your thoughts and ideas in an interactive exchange around implementation of the plan.
2. Diabetic retinopathy screening, assessment and treatment
FACILITATOR: Neville Turner, Australian College of Optometry and Dr Kristin Bell, Royal Hobart Hospital
In this workshop, participants will enhance their skills and knowledge of diabetic retinopathy screening in primary health care and extend this to the assessment, management and treatment provided when retinopathy is detected. The workshop will cover capturing images and the MBS 12325 item; triaging retinal photos and referral decisions; embedding retinal photography as a part the work of a clinic; what happens when you refer your patient with retinopathy; diabetic retinopathy treatment options and delivery.
3. Eye Care 101
FACILITATOR: Dr Tim Henderson, Alice Springs Hospital NT and Mitchell Anjou, Indigenous Eye Health, The University of Melbourne
Yes, we are back again… Are you interested in learning a little bit more about eyes and eye care? This workshop will provide an overview of eyes and vision and the eye care system including the key causes of vision loss for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the current initiatives and resources available to support provision and coordination of Indigenous eye care. Learn how the inclusion of simple eye assessments and understanding where and how to get assistance can help reduce unnecessary vision loss from trachoma, refractive error, cataract and diabetes and help close the gap for vision. Please think about your eye care questions – we will be pleased to try to answer as many as we can.
4. Deadly Sights - improving eye care in primary care
FACILITATOR: Sarah Fraser, Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia (AHCSA)
AHCSA’s Deadly Sights guide is a broad-based set of recommendations combining clinical, practical and technical information relating to screening, referrals and principals for management of non-acute visual impairment in primary health care settings. This dedicated resource, published in 2019, guides healthcare professionals on how best to use practice management software (Communicare), along with relevant eye care pathways and corresponding Medicare items. AHCSA has trained healthcare providers in the use of the resource and developed an off-site quality improvement webinar series to support the use of the non-mydriatic retinal cameras and work with fundholders to ensure the effectiveness of visiting specialist services. This workshop will present the key elements of the resource and learnings that are applicable in all primary care settings.
5. A focus on the young mob
FACILITATOR: Dr Shelley Hopkins with Cameron Leon, Lisa Penrose. Contributors: Dr Marjad Page, Rebecca Cox, Associate Professor Scott Read, Professor Joanne Wood
Previous population-level reports suggest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have fewer vision problems than non-Indigenous children; but a recent Queensland University of Technology study has found similar levels of vision problems. Furthermore, those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with correctable refractive error were found to be largely uncorrected. The workshop will present this data and then consider appropriate approaches to vision screening and how this can be integrated into children’s health care, particularly child health checks. Gidgee Healing in Queensland has developed, designed and delivered a training package in children’s eye screening to primary health care staff, including a useful visual acuity (VA) referral protocol tool. Through this community led project, we have been able to detail eye screening methods and referral protocols. The importance of standardised measurements and processes will be discussed, along with how Gidgee Healing has integrated eye health screening into the care model for FASD and other children experiencing learning delays/difficulties. The importance of cultural safety in screening process design, the role of the REHC in children’s eye health, children’s eye screening as part of an integrated care model, and the role of screening in maximising the visiting optometrist’s effective service delivery, will also be explored.
6. Exploring telehealth and eye care in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary care settings
FACILITATOR: Sarah Davies, Optometry Australia and Anita Mills, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists
Speakers: Dr Rowan Porter, A/Prof Angus Turner, Ben Hamlyn
Telehealth offers a unique opportunity to improve patient outcomes and progress efforts to improve eye health outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. To be most effective, telehealth solutions must be determined locally in ways which respond to identified opportunities, barriers and gaps in service provision.
This workshop aims to support primary care providers to identify the opportunities and barriers for telehealth in supporting access to culturally safe eye care services via optometry and ophthalmology. Participants will be encouraged to look ‘beyond’ the current Australian context for telehealth and to consider the future of telehealth in eye care in its fullest definition, as ‘the use of telecommunication techniques for the purpose of providing telemedicine, medical education, and health education over a distance’.
7. The challenge and imperative of evaluation
FACILITATOR: Dr Tessa Saunders, Indigenous Eye Health, The University of Melbourne
Supported by ARTD Consultants and Clear Horizons
Evaluation is hard – it is complex, and it is poorly resourced…but it is important to inform future work and we need to try to do it better. Please come and join us in this workshop if you would like to learn more about approaches to evaluation. We would like to share our current experiences in developing an evaluation of regional implementation of the Roadmap to Close the Gap for Vision and introduce some experienced independent evaluators to help sort out some of the challenges in this area of work. Are you evaluating a program or activity in your work? Are you thinking of building an evaluation into a future activity? We will aim through this exchange to add value to your current and future work in evaluation.
8. Jurisdictional approaches to coordinating and improving eye care
FACILITATOR: Nick Schubert, Indigenous Eye Health, The University of Melbourne.With presentations from 7 jurisdictions WA, NT, SA, QLD, NSW/ACT, VIC, TAS
This workshop will provide participants with an understanding of how jurisdictional stakeholders are working to improve and support eye care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia. It will look at the different models in place across the states and territories, the challenges and successes experienced and provide an opportunity to develop strategies and make recommendations to strengthen and sustain eye care into the future.
9. Health Promotion 101
FACILITATOR: Emma Stanford, Indigenous Eye Health, The University of Melbourne
Are you interested in designing your own health promotion campaign? There are many different approaches to creating effective health promotion and this workshop will walk through a practical step by step guide to start developing a program of your own. We will illustrate effective campaigns using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health trachoma and diabetes campaigns as examples. Milpa the trachoma goanna might even make an appearance to help out!