Key Project Areas

The project seeks information from the optometry profession and optometric education in New Zealand and Australia about the perceived essential requirements for the preparation, attraction and retention of graduate optometrists to remote area practice and provision of service for the elderly and low vision patients.

These requirements will then be compared to the current skills, knowledge and attitudes of optometry graduates.

Based on this information, the project aims to develop improved teaching approaches and learning activities for potential implementation within undergraduate optometry curricula. Recommendations will be provided for the future direction of optometric education in Australia and New Zealand to meet the ever increasing eye health needs of our rural, remote and ageing populations, and improve accessibility of low vision services.

Project investigations will also draw on existing educational approaches of other health-disciplines both locally and internationally, all of whom face similar challenges in the servicing of the rural sector and special populations.

Other key outcomes of the project will include:

1. The creation of the first cross-discipline team of optometric educators in Australia and New Zealand.

2. Updated mapping of optometrist distribution between urban and rural and remote locations within Australia and New Zealand, with additional data on optometrist demographics, scope of services and education history.

3. Collation of learning, teaching and assessment approaches presently applied by the four schools of optometry to prepare students for rural practice and geriatric and low vision service, and identification of relevant educational practices in international schools of optometry within these areas.

4. Drafting of proposed entry-level clinical competencies relating to rural optometry practice and elderly and low vision patient services.

KEY PROJECT AREAS

Does the student experience during undergraduate optometric education influence their desire to practice in rural areas or with low vision patients?

By better preparing students with a wider range of essential community-oriented practical skills and attitudes, it is expected that graduate optometrists will be more confident and willing to deal with the needs of patients from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, and more aware of the vision and eye care requirements of an ageing population and how they can effectively address these.

Did you know:

● 72% of the New Zealand population live in the country’s main urban areas. 69% of Australians live in a major city.

● 13.3% of the Australian population, and 12.3% of the New Zealand population, is aged 65 years or above.

● In 2004 there were an estimated 48,0000 Australians who were visually impaired, including over 50,000 (10.5%) who were legally blind (presenting visual acuity <6/60).

● The estimated indirect financial cost of visual impairment in Australia in the year 2004 was $3.2billion. This includes factors such as cost of care-givers and visual aids, and lost income for those with impaired vision.

● Five conditions – age related macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and undercorrected refractive error – cause over 80% of vision impairment and 78% of blindness.

Taylor HR, Keeffe JE, Vu HTV, et al. Vision loss in Australia.

Med J Aust 2005; 182: 565-8.

Taylor HR, Pezzullo ML, Keeffe JE.

The economic impact and cost of visual impairment in Australia. Br J Ophthalmol 2006; 90: 272-275.