Clinical Management Guidelines

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.

Timetable

Term 1

Online Launch Date:
Sep: Thursday 22 September 2022
(Module will go live on Moodle only)

Online Synchronous Teaching Dates:
Oct: Thursday 20 and Friday 21 October 2022

Assessment Dates:
Online Discussions: Monday 24 October to Friday 4 November 2022
Written Exam: Thursday 12 January 2023

Exam Resit: Thursday 30 March 2023

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.

This short course module is designed to be flexible in allowing you to study and reach your goals at your own pace. Our health CPD courses are credit-bearing modules that contribute to a University degree or award.

Transfer course credits towards postgraduate taught degree

As a health care professional, once you've completed this course you could offset 15 credits as part of a postgraduate programme, continuing your study with further modules to make up a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) 60 credits, Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) 120 credits or Master of Science (MSc) 180 credits qualification (all credits must be awarded within five years of study commencing).

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.

Teaching

During the first three weeks of this Clinical Management Guidelines course, material is available online using our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), called Moodle, and focuses on background information - 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 consists of two days of online and face-to-face learning in lectures, tutorials and discussions using hypothetical clinical cases. Following this, the course continues with two weeks of online discussion, which also forms part of assessment.

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.

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.

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