1:30min
Following the success of the Glaucoma, Rural Care, and Paediatric optometry Communities of Practice and Education (COPE) groups, Optometry Australia is convening a new Group of Practice with a focus on practitioners who are involved in providing eye care within the public healthcare system (either within hospital eye departments or as an adjacent service).
Optometry Australia acknowledges the important role that optometrists play in public eye health, and the potential for improving patient care and reducing waiting lists where effective collaborative pathways exist between optometrists and hospital eye departments. Optometrists working in the public health system have unique demands in terms of their roles and an increased focus on the medical aspects of optometry.
What is a Community of Practice and Education (COPE) group?
COPE groups are designed to be a unique delivery of CPD, where practitioners with similar interests can discuss cases, challenges and new evidence that is relevant to their area of practice. The groups are designed to foster learning, inter-collegiate connections and facilitate upskilling amongst practitioners. COPE groups typically meet for approximately one hour every 4-6 weeks, via Zoom. Meetings are designed to be held in the evenings for those living in Eastern states (usually around 7:00 or 7:30pm) and late in the afternoon (at or after 4:30pm) for those in Western Australia.
This group is open to any optometrist working within, or alongside, a hospital eye service. The group, which will run for two years, will have virtual meetings designed to foster support, mentorship and education in evidence-based practice, via peer-to-peer virtual interactive CPD meetings.
Who may be keen to participate in such a group?
We are looking to speak to optometrists who:
- Currently work within a hospital eye department OR have a collaborative/shared care model with their local health network;
- Have the desire and capacity to enact change in their practice and within the optometry public health space;
- Are willing to contribute to projects to assist with advocacy and expansion of current programme;
- Are keen to meet other practitioners practicing in the public health system; and
- Are members of Optometry Australia.
We especially encourage experienced practitioners and those practicing in unique situations or rural/remote settings to apply.
To express your interest, please email policy@optometry.org.au with the subject line ‘CO-COPE group application’ before 5pm on Monday, 4 March 2024. In the email, please include:
- Your name
- Practice location
- Member number
- A few sentences about your experience in hospital-based eye care and why you would like to join the group