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Optometry Australia today launched the Optometry Australia Institute of Excellence, a new online destination created to meet members’ learning needs and the place where they can access a comprehensive suite of quality and online resources anytime, anywhere.

The Optometry Australia Institute of Excellence takes a prominent place within the organisation’s new website, highlighting Optometry Australia’s promise to expand its member-centric digital footprint and to provide optimal member value.

The Optometry Australia Institute of Excellence replaces the CPD, events & CPD publications section of our website and now incorporates a new, fully integrated online learning platform where courses can be launched and assessment undertaken anywhere, anytime.

Optometry and optometrists matter!

CEO, Lyn Brodie said that, ‘Our unwavering commitment has been to assist members meet their CPD obligations and to support this we continue to evolve our digital footprint to encourage more and more online educational opportunities, planning and audit tools.’

‘The Optometry Australia Institute of Excellence amplifies this commitment’.

The launch of the Optometry Australia Institute of Excellence responds to the recent announcement by the Optometry Board of Australia (OBA) [1] that continuing professional development requirements for registered optometrists will change from 1 December 2020, moving from a points-based system to a self-learning, time-based system.

Ms Brodie said that, ‘While Optometry Australia did not fully support these changes during the OBA’s consultation process conducted in 2018 – advocating for the OBA to reconsider some elements – we did recognise that change was likely and that members would need additional support to meet their CPD needs.’

‘We were fairly sure that the OBA would deliver on its goal to bring optometry in line with other health professions by changing CPD assessment from points to time-based. As a result, we developed the Institute to not only support members through this change, but to ensure that they are provided with immediate access to quality CPD.’

What’s new for members in the Optometry Australia Institute of Excellence?

Through the Optometry Australia Institute of Excellence members can immediately:

  • Search for thousands of courses from hundreds of providers using our recently-enhanced online CPD calendar and sort these courses by location, date, topic and provider, honing in on programs that best suit their needs.
  • Register for Optometry Australia, state organisation, partner or supplier CPD programs.
  • Access a comprehensive array of Optometry Australia’s member-only, online CPD offerings – including webcasts, online courses, Pharma and Clinical & Experimental Optometry. These resources are freely available to members all within the one digital platform – www.optometry.org.au/. And if a member completes one of our member-only online courses, their CPD hours will be automatically recorded for them.
  • Print out their CPD certificate and check their CPD points record on the My CPD Record portal.

Simon Hanna, Professional Development and Clinical Policy Manager, said the Optometry Australia Institute of Excellence’s online learning platform is already populated with many quality courses, including Optometry Australia branded programs, and the course catalogue will continue to grow over time.

‘Courses on offer now are points-based, designed to meet current CPD standards and from 1 December 2020, will convert to time-based programs.’

‘The platform will also continue to incorporate optometry’s most comprehensive calendar of CPD programs, promoting all accredited optometry courses, from any CPD provider.’

‘Through our online offering, Optometry Australia will continue to position itself as the best ally for all CPD providers and we welcome the opportunity to promote any provider’s course, and aligned assessment program, within our online catalogue’ Mr Hanna said.

“Providing the right education to members is key”

From its experience in accrediting CPD over the past four years, and in receiving feedback from members (including the bi-annual member surveys), Optometry Australia recognised a gap in the market for short-format but maximum impact programs.

This was the driver behind the organisation’s 2018 decision to introduce a rolling program of member-only webcasts (that generate on average over 800 participants). These webcasts are designed to complement the state organisations’ quality program of CPD as well as Pharma magazine, providing members with additional access to CPD including therapeutic CPD.

For CEO, Lyn Brodie, ‘providing the right education to members is key. And Optometry Australia is committed, through the Optometry Australia Institute of Excellence, to creating a quality online destination to support our members educational requirements, available with the click of a mouse’.

Visit the new Optometry Australia Institute of Excellence.

For any queries or questions about the Optometry Australia Institute of Excellence, please don’t hesitate to contact Optometry Australia’s Member Support and Optometry Advancement team on (03) 9668 8500 or via cpd@optometry.org.au

[1] OBA is the optometry regulator and their functions are supported by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Filed in category: CPD, conferences & events, General news, Member resources, Sector news, Therapeutics
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Acknowledgement of Country

In the spirit of reconciliation Optometry Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.