Michael Yapp brings his experience in glaucoma and collaborative care to AVC

Optometry Queensland Northern Territory’s (OQNT) popular hybrid conference Australian Vision Convention (AVC) is only a few weeks away, taking place 6-7 April 2024.

The conference features a comprehensive program, which has been quality assured by Optometry Australia. There’s up to 24.75 CPD hours to be gained, including 6 interactive hours available to those who attend in-person.

AVC speaker Michael Yapp recently spoke about glaucoma and collaborative care ahead of his presentation on Sunday 7 April.

As the Head of Clinical Operations at the Centre for Eye Health (CFEH) at UNSW, Michael has been running glaucoma collaborative care programs in conjunction with ophthalmologists since 2015. In addition to this, he has been inherently involved in developing the CFEH’s intermediate tier care glaucoma service for community optometrists since 2009, incorporating ophthalmology telehealth.

‘The ‘gold standard’ diagnosis and management of glaucoma can sometimes not be definitive given the large number of variables involved in the process,’ Michael said.

‘My presentations are designed to provide practical, evidence-based clinical tips on glaucoma management and collaborative care aimed at improving optometrists knowledge and patient outcomes.

‘While this presentation is most relevant to optometrists currently involved in glaucoma management, it’s also designed to assist those who would like to increase their involvement in this critical part of optometric community practice.’

Michael brings his extensive experience in glaucoma and collaborative care to AVC, presenting on two topics; ‘Xalatan is not working. What do I do next?’ and then participating in a panel discussion with two local prominent ophthalmologists on 7 April at 2:00pm and 2:30pm respectively.

Delegates attending Michael’s presentation have the opportunity to gain an improved understanding of the adverse reactions of Xalatan (Latanoprost), and a detailed stepwise plan on how to manage patients where Latanoprost is not as effective as required.

About Michael Yapp

Michael joined CFEH at its inception in 2009 and has played a central role in the introduction of various collaborative models of eye care where optometrists and ophthalmologists work together diagnosing and treating a range of ocular conditions at no cost to patients. He commenced his role as Optometry Development Advisor at Optometry Australia in early August, while also continuing in his role with CFEH.

Michael has practised across a diverse array of clinical settings in private and public optometry around Australia and internationally. He honed his diagnostic skills working with a corneal specialist ophthalmologist in Sydney and has had a longstanding interest in education of the profession from early in his career working as a staff optometrist at UNSW. He has continued to pursue his passion of educating future generations of fellow optometrists through the CFEH as well as his numerous lecturing and speaking engagements at Australian and international conferences.

About AVC

Taking place at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on 6-7 April, AVC is organised and proudly hosted by OQNT, promising an exceptional experience for both in-person and virtual attendees. 

Both registration options also include access to the AVC 2024 Virtual Platform for four months post-conference, enabling delegates to watch on-demand CPD presentations, including workshops and plenary sessions from the convention weekend. 

Registration for AVC 2024 is essential and more information about the process can be found here.

Attendees are encouraged to check the AVC website regularly for updates on the event, information about presenters and much more.