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This course uses hypothetical clinical cases to address a range of topics, including the role of research evidence in eye care, evidence-based practice and clinical decision-making.

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Course overview

The purpose of this course is to enhance your skills in evidence-based clinical decision-making, advancing your ability to use the College of Optometrists’ clinical guidelines and other high-level forms of evidence.

Who is it for?

This course is for GOC-registered optometrists working in community or hospital practice. Those completing the prescribing programme will also benefit from this additional resource focused on the College of Optometrists’ CM Guidelines. The course is also suitable for ophthalmic nurses wishing to improve their knowledge of eye disease/differential diagnosis.

Benefits

The key takeaway from this course are enhanced evidence-based clinical decision-making skills, and more skillful use of the College of Optometrists’ clinical guidelines and other high-level forms of evidence.

This course is fully accredited for CET points.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

What will I learn?

By the end of the course you will be able to:

  • Critically understand the concept of evidence and its role in clinical decision-making
  • Synthesize and critique current practice and clinical research, including making sense of research results
  • Critically understand the links between evidence-based practice and clinical decision-making
  • Demonstrate a critical awareness of clinical guidelines relevant to optometry
  • Demonstrate skills in the application of clinical guidelines in decision-making
  • Appreciate the role and significance of best evidence in ophthalmic practice, and the potential ethical implications of a non-critical approach.

Assessment and certificates

Teaching

The first day of this Clinical Management Guidelines course is delivered online using our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), called Moodle, and focuses on background materials - allowing you to study in your own time and as needed.

This flexible approach also reduces time away from your practice. The remainder of the course is two days of face-to-face learning in lectures, tutorials and discussions within small groups using hypothetical clinical cases. Following this, the course continues with two weeks of online discussion, which takes the form of case studies.

Assessment

Assessment will consist of two written exams and one online discussion. Questions will test your critical thinking and evaluative understanding, clinical recognition skills, ability to differentially diagnose and your application of knowledge. The assessment will consist of:

  • 35 MCQs (1 hour) (based on all aspects of the course)
  • 5 PMCS (1 hour) (which test your ability to analyse clinical results and manage patients appropriately)
  • Online discussion (based on a specific question or scenario and will require a critical approach. You will be involved in discussions with class colleagues and with the course leader)

The module can be completed as CPD or as part of the MSc in Clinical Optometry.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

Eligibility

Course Requirements Include:

  • You should normally be a UK-registered optometrist satisfying all legal requirements to be eligible to practice in the UK
  • You should also be registered with the General Optical Council
  • Overseas optometrists will be accepted on an ad-hoc basis providing your undergraduate syllabus and clinical responsibilities are similar to those of a UK optometrist
  • If applying as an ophthalmic nurse you should have at least 2 years’ experience in ophthalmic nursing and have a relevant first degree (minimum 2.1 or above) or higher level 7/MSc qualification.

English requirements

If your first language is not English, one of the following is required:

  • A first degree from a UK university
  • A first degree from an overseas institution recognised by City, University of London as providing adequate evidence of proficiency in the English language, for example, from institutions from Australia, Canada or the United States of America.
  • International English Language Test Service (IELTS) a score of 7.0 is required with no subtest below 7.0
  • Pearson Test of English (Academic) score 72 required
  • TOEFL 100 overall with 24 in Writing, 20 in Listening, 19 Reading and 20 Speaking
  • Other evidence of proficiency in the English language, which satisfies the board of studies concerned, including registration with your professional regulator.

Recommended reading

The Course Leads will suggest reading material and additional resources during the course.

Tutors

  • Dr Michelle Hennelly

    MSC Programme Director

    Dr Hennelly is the MSc Programme Director for the MSc in Clinical Optometry and MSc in Advanced Ophthalmic Nurse Practitioner (Health and Social Care). Following her pre-registration year at Moorfields Eye Hospital, she completed her PhD at City, University of London in 2002. Dr Hennelly is a Fellow of the College of Optometrists and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

    During her time at City, she has been a Clinical supervisor, Contact Lens Referral Clinic Co-ordinator and Practitioner, UG Year 2 Clinical Skills teacher, MSc and UG dissertation supervisor and UG year 3 lecturer in Eye Disease and Therapeutics. She is currently the co-Module Lead of PG Principles of Therapeutics, Principles of Prescribing, Independent Prescribing, Clinical Management Guidelines and Advanced Ophthalmic Techniques. She is also the VISION 2020 Curriculum Director and has contributed to the development of current eye care curriculums in various African countries.

    She is a member of Editorial Board of Community Eye Health and is currently the Consultant Editor for the Community Eye Health journal. Dr Hennelly is a member of various advisory boards, including the GOC and the College of Optometrists

  • Dr Catherine Suttle

    Senior Lecturer

    Catherine is an optometrist who joined City University London in 2013, having previously worked at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

    Catherine studied dispensing optics by correspondence at City College, graduating in 1980. She then enrolled at City University London as an Optometry student, and graduated in 1992. Her PhD research was conducted from 1994 to 1997, on the development of colour vision, at Aston University in Birmingham. She took a post-doc position at the School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, from 1997 to 2000, then moved to Sydney, Australia to take a lectureship in optometry at the University of New South Wales. In 2013 she returned to City University London as a Senior Lecturer in Optometry and Visual Science.

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