“Policy and advocacy play a crucial, visionary role in shaping the future of optometry practice”: Our recent advocacy placement students outline what they learnt during their time with Optometry Australia

In May this year, Optometry Australia hosted a student advocacy placement collaboration with the University of Melbourne and Flinders University.

We were delighted to welcome Safwan Ahmed Khan, Anisha Hakimi, Rainie Wang and Rahul Naiker to work alongside our policy and advocacy team and learn about the work Optometry Australia does to pursue our preferred future for optometry, optometrists and community eye health.

Here, they explain how they spent their time with the organisation and what they learnt.

What specific policies or advocacy initiatives did you work on during your placement with Optometry Australia, and how do you believe they impact the optometry profession?

Safwan: We worked on the Advanced Practice Recognition program, which aims to break the ‘ceiling effect’ in the optometry profession by creating clear career advancement pathways. This program not only aligns the profession with its preferred future but also enhances its overall impact. By enabling optometrists to pursue their passions in specialised areas, we can foster a more vibrant and dynamic workforce.

Anisha: We focused on identifying the next clinical area for the Advanced Practice Recognition program following glaucoma management. We evaluated and analysed various clinical areas using a matrix to determine which had the highest disease burden and the greatest community need.

In your opinion, what role do policy and advocacy play in shaping the future of optometry practice and healthcare delivery? Can you provide examples to support your perspective?

Rainie: Policy and advocacy play a crucial, visionary role in shaping the future of optometry practice and healthcare delivery. It helps optometrists take control of our own professional future and ensures we can provide quality patient-centred care.

Given the relatively small size of optometry profession, our close-knit community benefits significantly from these efforts. Without effective policy and advocacy, optometry might have been excluded from Medicare years ago. However, through advocacy efforts, optometry has achieved significant milestones, such as gaining therapeutic prescribing rights, inclusion in PBS, and securing the removal of fee cap.

Rahul: Policy and advocacy efforts allow optometrist to voice what they need to provide their patients with the best care available, which is ultimately the end goal. The Optometry 2040 project provides an amazing outline of where many optometrists themselves would like to see the profession in the future and without advocacy, this is unlikely to happen.

Policy and advocacy are also important as new technology and treatments develop. If you do not advance with new evidence and technology, you will end up getting left behind and providing below standard care to your patients.

Reflecting on your placement experience, what skills or insights did you gain that you believe are essential for effective advocacy within the optometry field?

Safwan: One of the most valuable skills I gained for advocacy within the optometry field is effective communication. Articulating complex medicolegal and optometric issues to policymakers, healthcare professionals, and patients is essential for effective advocacy. I also gained a deeper understanding of current healthcare policies in optometry. This has helped me to identify areas needing change and how I can propose informed solutions.

Anisha: After participating in WIP meetings and having one-on-one conversations with various OA members, I have realised that several skills and insights are crucial for effective advocacy. A genuine passion for what you want to achieve is vital and drives advocacy efforts forward. Having a deep knowledge of the issue at hand is necessary to craft compelling proposals and persuade key stakeholders. Many OA members come from diverse backgrounds and have years of experience in this field, which is important for bringing different perspectives and expertise to the table.

Finally, persistence and resilience are essential qualities that enable continuous progress toward goals despite challenges and setbacks. Making a change in current policy and practices is not easy and must go through various levels of government. These skills and insights collectively strengthen the impact of advocacy initiatives such as the Advanced Practice Recognition program.

How do you envision incorporating your understanding of policy and advocacy into your future practice as an optometrist? What steps do you plan to take to continue contributing to these efforts beyond your placement with Optometry Australia?

Rainie: In the next five years, I envision applying my interpersonal communication skills in my workplace and actively engaging in optometry community activities such as the Early Career Optometrists Committees and volunteering with non-profit organisations.

With this experience, I aim to contribute even more to the advancement of the optometry profession over the years. In fact, as a start, I am working with my peers to bring some of the fantastic team members of Optometry Australia to be part of the University of Melbourne’s annual Doctor of Optometry Student Conference!

Rahul: I plan to use what I have learned about advocacy and policy in my future practices to help provide the best care for patients and a better working environment for fellow practitioners. I also think that all optometrists should spend some time looking into policy and advocacy and consider what areas of optometry they would like to see advanced.

I plan to keep up to date with OA’s plans for the future of optometry and hopefully can involve myself in these plans in some point in the future. Attending OA events as well as other optometry events and talking to fellow optometrists is another way I can convey ideas to people more directly involved in policy.

Would you recommend this policy and advocacy placement with Optometry Australia to your fellow optometry students or colleagues?

Safwan: I would definitely recommend this policy and advocacy placement. This experience has given me the privilege of engaging with and learning from leaders in the field. It has also provided me with a deeper understanding of optometry’s role in the workforce and the steps we can take to advance the profession.

Anisha: I highly recommend this policy and advocacy placement to fellow optometry students and colleagues. You get to meet the dedicated team behind Optometry Australia and witness their hard work in ensuring members’ voices are heard and securing a sustainable future for the profession.

Rainie: Yes Absolutely! It is an incredibly enriching experience that will provide optometry students with a more holistic view of our profession.

Rahul: 100%. This placement gives you an amazing opportunity to see and understand how change takes place within a profession. You will also get to meet amazing people within OA and get an understanding of all the incredible things OA does for the profession as well as the support they can provide to individual practitioners, which some people may not know about.