New format and new venue a success for Canberra conference

The third annual Optometry Australia NSW/ACT conference was considered a great success in part because of a different approach to the format and the venue.The October conference held at Canberra’s National Gallery of Australia was the first conducted as a full-day session compared to previous events, which had half-day sessions over two days. It played host to four polished speakers and delivered a wealth of knowledge to the audience of around 40 optometrists from all over Australia.Event host and Optometry Australia NSW/ACT CEO, Mr Andrew McKinnon, said, “Because our organisation covers mbers in both NSW and the ACT, we felt it was important to offer mbers in Canberra and the surrounding areas a conference on their own account.”{{quote-A:R-W:450-I:2-Q: Everyone I spoke to said it was one of the best conferences they’d been to in ages and when delegates actually go out of their way to tell you how much they liked the venue, you know it had an impact, -WHO:Mr Andrew McKinnon, Event host and CEO of Optometry Australia NSW/ACT}}He added that while many mbers enjoy visiting Sydney for a weekend conference, local professional events are also important.When asked about the success of the conference compared to previous venues and format, McKinnon said, “In broad terms they are quite comparable – a full-day conference with a range of speakers drawn from optometry and ophthalmology backgrounds. However, the most obvious difference this year was the venue.“We found that the National Gallery had a conference venue, so we decided to try it. It was a sensation! Not only did the usual things like catering go well, but delegates also took part in a private tour of the gallery.Everyone I spoke to said it was one of the best conferences they’d been to in ages and when delegates actually go out of their way to tell you how much they liked the venue, you know it had an impact,” he continued.The conference kicked off with a presentation by Mr Jack Phu, staff optometrist at the Centre for Eye Health in Sydney. He has spent his career working for several independent private practices with a focus on ocular diseases.Phu became a Fellow of the American Acady of Optometry and completed his degree for Master of Public Health in 2014. Aside from practicing as a staff optometrist and undertaking a PhD, he is a faculty mber at the UNSW and teaches an undergraduate program on ocular diseases, therapeutics, and clinical optometry.{{quote-A:L-W:450-I:3-Q: In these patients with pre-perimetric or mild glaucoma, two key risk factors for progression have recently been identified. -WHO:Mr Jack Phu, staff optometrist at the Centre for Eye Health in Sydney}}He gave two presentations: Pre-perimetric glaucoma: insights from a referral clinic and Glaucoma therapeutic managent: back to basics.The first detailed how glaucoma presents a conundrum for clinicians over both diagnosis and managent. He talked about this subset of glaucoma using a case-based approach with an phasis on how additional testing can aid in stratifying the risk for patients.Phu’s second lecture on glaucoma therapeutic managent considered that, as the scope of optometric managent for glaucoma widens, it is important to consider the science behind treatment. He discussed how optometrists play a critical role in the ongoing managent of chronic disease due to contact time with patients, and gave a refresher on glaucoma medications and how they can be applied in clinical practice.“A subset of patients with glaucoma seen in our practices may not exhibit statistically significant visual field loss using current testing paradigms. In these patients with pre-perimetric or mild glaucoma, two key risk factors for progression have recently been identified: a lower intraocular pressure reduction and the presence of Drance haorrhages. Hence, these patients still need close follow-up and a clear managent plan,” Phu said during one of his lectures.Dr Caroline Catt, a specialist paediatric ophthalmologist who completed her ophthalmology training at the Sydney Eye Hospital where she worked as a professor and senior registrar during her final year, gave the second lecture.She holds medical and Master’s degrees from the University of Sydney and Flinders University in Adelaide.{{quote-A:R-W:450-I:4-Q: An accurate diagnosis and timely treatment can have a profound impact on vision and visual function for the rest of their lives. -WHO:Dr Caroline Catt, a specialist paediatric ophthalmologist}}Catt received a Fellowship grant in paediatric ophthalmology and strabismus at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. She is also studying paediatric ophthalmic disease. Additionally, Catt is a consultant ophthalmologist at the Sydney Eye Hospital and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead while also being a partner in Sydney Ophthalmic Specialists.Catt’s first lecture, ‘The first year of life through the eyes of a child’ addressed common and rare ocular probls that occur in the first year of life. The focus was on early diagnosis to increase chances of survival and having a good visual outcome. She presented the common symptoms and signs, clinical findings, and managent strategies.“Because the visual syst is very plastic in young children, an accurate diagnosis and timely treatment can have a profound impact on vision and visual function for the rest of their lives.“It is therefore important to take any parental or professional concerns seriously and perform a complete and thorough ophthalmic assessment on every young child. Having a low threshold for involving a paediatric ophthalmologist in the care of your young patients is supported,” she stated during her presentation.Her second topic covered adult strabismus surgery and discussed how the surgery is frequently referred to as a ‘dark art’ because it is sometimes complex, potentially complicated, and occasionally unpredictable.Catt also raised issues about the common indications for strabismus surgery in adults, a strategy for assessment and surgical techniques.The conference concluded with presentations from Ms Paula Katalinic, principal staff optometrist at the Centre for Eye Health, and Ms Kathleen Watt, clinic director at the UNSW Optometry Clinic.{{quote-A:L-W:450-I:5-Q: The technique is giving us interesting and often clinically relevant insights into conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and neovascular AMD -WHO:Ms Paula Katalinic, principal staff optometrist at the Centre for Eye Health}}Katalinic is also the professional services manager at Optometry Australia NSW/ACT, and has worked in both rural and urban optometric practices. Her clinical interests include retinal pathology with a particular interest in diabetic retinopathy and the early diagnosis of vision threatening eye diseases.Her presentation, ‘OCT Angiography’ discussed how new technology allows practitioners to visualise the retinal and choroidal circulation without having to inject any dye. How the technology works, its limitations, how it differs from pre-existing angiography techniques, and its potential applications in clinical practice were also detailed.“While OCT angiography is still an erging technology, the technique is giving us interesting and often clinically relevant insights into conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and neovascular AMD. Image artifacts and limitations in visualising the vasculature of the choricapillaris and choroid pose some challenges when interpreting the images,” Katalinic said.This was followed by two presentations by Watt titled Myopia progression – what can we do? and BV testing in optometric practice to solve clinical dilmas.Watt is currently undertaking a professional doctorate in optometry through the London South Bank University, investigating binocular vision and accommodation in orthokeratology. This relates to her research interests, which include orthokeratology contact lens wear and the effects of yoked prism on binocular vision functions.Her initial presentation on BV testing, used real–world case studies to donstrate where binocular vision testing was crucial in making the correct diagnosis. The presentation enhanced attendee’s knowledge in several areas including an understanding of the importance of binocular vision testing in optometric practice and recognising when more in-depth binocular vision testing might be appropriate.Watt’s final presentation on myopia progression discussed effective strategies for myopia control, a crucial topic given the increasing prevalence of myopia around the world. She also discussed the evidence behind current optical and pharmacological myopia control strategies.* The 2017 Optometry Australia NSW/ACT Canberra Conference is scheduled for Sunday 15 October.Written by: < style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128);">Joshua Pettit