Expressions of interest open for Advisory Committee: Digital Health in Optometry

Optometry Australia is seeking expressions of interest to form an expert Advisory Committee on Digital Health in Optometry (ACDHO). Please review the ACDHO terms of reference. If you wish to express interest in joining this committee, complete and submit the details below before 5pm on 19 April 2024.

Background

In 2018, Optometry Australia (OA) acknowledged that rapid change was disrupting primary eye care in Australia. In response, OA launched the Optometry 2040 project to identify key trends shaping the future of eye health and eye care, plausible futures for optometry, and key steps to realising the preferred future for optometry in 2040.

One opportunity identified was effectively leveraging Australia’s digital health transformation to enable the preferred future for optometry. Our profession is already highly engaged in the use of technology, so is ready to embrace digital health opportunities, and more likely to be impacted by advances in digital health technology. Supporting and protecting the profession requires OA to be aware of, and respond to, changes and opportunities within digital health.

To be aptly informed and well advised, OA is forming the ACDHO Committee.

Committee selection criteria

We are seeking expressions of interest from OA members who are experienced optometrists and understand emerging technologies and the implications of its use on the landscape of eye care in Australia.

Specifically, we are seeking members who can provide advice and insights into:

• topics of interest relevant to guiding optometrists into a highly digitalised era of practice
• the advantages, risks and ethics surrounding technology-enabled service delivery for optometry, optometrists and community eye health
• appropriate advocacy and communication about relevant digital health advancements to OA’s key stakeholders and members.

This role will involve meetings, tele/videoconferences, and email exchanges as appropriate. The initial term will commence at the inaugural meeting in early June 2024 and will conclude on 30 June 2025.

To express interest, please email policy@optometry.org.au with the subject line ‘ACDHO committee application’ before 5pm on 19 April 2024. In the email, please include:

• Your name
• Practice name and location
• Member number
• An outline (under 300 words) of your experience and knowledge regarding digital technologies, as set out in the selection criteria above.
• A summary (under 200 words) about why you are interested in bringing your digital health experience to the ACDHO Committee.