Want to test your glaucoma diagnostic skills? As the advertising says … there’s “an App for that”.
In a world-first, the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) has launched a free iPad training application – the Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy Evaluation (GONE) App – to enable practitioners to hone their skills in optic nerve evaluation, a key factor in glaucoma diagnosis and management.
The App, a mobile version of the GONE training website, asks participants to grade characteristics and score glaucoma likelihood on a series of disc photographs. Once complete, the participant can compare their ratings with those of an international panel of glaucoma subspecialists.
CERA Ophthalmologist Associate Professor Michael Coote said the GONE App will help to improve practitioners diagnostic skills and subsequently increase the rate of accurate glaucoma diagnosis.
The App aims to highlight the sometimes subtle characteristics of glaucoma and give practitioners greater confidence to diagnose glaucoma and refer patients to specialists
“Glaucoma can be difficult to diagnose and clinically manifest cases are often missed,” Associate Professor Coote said.
“Diagnosing early glaucoma is best achieved by assessing the structure and function of the optic nerve and nerve fibre layer yet identifying these subtle changes can be tricky.
“The App aims to highlight the sometimes subtle characteristics of glaucoma and give practitioners greater confidence to diagnose glaucoma and refer patients to specialists,” he said.
Australian optometrists will benefit from two Continued Professional Development (CPD) points on completion of the assessment.
The GONE Project is a collaboration between CERA, the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and the University of Melbourne.
