The Ophthalmologist Local Education and Engagement Program (OLEEP) – a collaboration between the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) and Specsavers, is being rolled out across Australia Having been successfully piloted in 2018.
OLEEP connects groups of Specsavers optometrists with local RANZCO ophthalmologists for a series of ophthalmologist-led education and professional development events.
the focus of OLEEP sessions is ongoing patient outcome-based and feedback-based education
Rather than one-off CPD evenings, the focus of OLEEP sessions is ongoing patient outcome-based and feedback-based education. Each session involves reflection on both individual and group changes in referral patterns, as well as patient outcomes, using Specsavers’ professional benchmark summaries.
The reflection guides the development of future OLEEP sessions, ensuring they continue to target participating optometrists’ needs.
Following the OLEEP pilot in June 2018, sessions were held in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia during May. At Eastside Eye Specialist Care in Queensland, ophthalmologist Dr Joshua Hann disscussed the appropriate diagnosis of glaucoma, referral and co-management within the RANZCO pathways.
At a session at Sydney Eye Surgeons in New South Wales, Dr Mitchell Lawlor and Dr John Leaney discussed glaucoma cases and management, while Dr Brighu Swamy and Dr Peter Heydon spoke about diabetic retinopathy and referrals.
In Western Australia, at Northern Eye Surgeons, Dr Joshua Yuen discused best-practice use of OCT in glaucoma diagnosis, along with an update on the medical and surgical management of the condition.
A further 50 OLEEP sessions have been planned.
According to Specsavers, the 2018 OLEEP pilot sessions heralded impressive results, with a consistent increase in referrals seen from the practices that attended. Three months after the pilot events, total referrals for the participating stores increased from 5% to 6.3% of all patients, with glaucoma referrals increasing from 1.1% to 1.5% of all patients.
RANZCO ophthalmologists who are interested in being involved in the OLEEP sessions can email [email protected] for more information.
