Anthea L. Cochrane

Professionalism is fundamental to an effective relationship between optometrists and their patients. It embodies conduct and behaviour by an optometrist that assures patients that they are receivin...

Technology enhanced learning (TEL) refers to any digital technology that improves the educational experience of learners. Optometry schools have adopted a range of TEL as part of their contemporary curricula. Comprehensive frameworks exist to enable TEL interventions to be evaluated across studies and institutions, but have not consistently been applied in optometry education. Thus, this review systematically collated and evaluated the range of published TEL in optometric teaching across Australia and New Zealand against two established frameworks: the Cook and Ellaway TEL-specific evaluation framework and the more general Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation. Of the 17 papers included, each paper met at least four of the seven evaluation activities of the Cook and Ellaway TEL evaluation framework, including reporting a needs analysis and describing the implementation of the TEL approach. Nearly all studies evaluated the participant experience, and none met all seven criteria. Areas lacking consistency of reporting were consideration of learning outcomes, sustainability and/or cost, and usability. Of the four Kirkpatrick training evaluation levels, most studies demonstrated evidence for levels 1 (reaction), 2 (learning) and/or 3 (behaviour) but none addressed level 4 (results). Future TEL publications in optometric education could consider how well their approach aligns with evaluation frameworks, such as the Cook and Ellaway and Kirkpatrick frameworks as modelled here, for wider application and adoption. Educators could consider greater stakeholder engagement for inclusive practice, other than the immediate perceptions of participants, for a more comprehensive evaluation. This will ensure that TEL innovations are sustainable and transferable across optometry education programmes.

Interpersonal skills are crucial for successful clinician-patient interactions. To prepare future optometrists for clinical practice, pedagogical evaluation is important to support the implementati...

Access to culturally safe health services is a basic human right, however through the lasting effects of colonisation, oppression, and systemic racism, the individual and community health of Indigenous peoples in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand have been severely impacted. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy of the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency, and the Standards of Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety of the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board of New Zealand, recognise the importance of access to safe health care for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori patients, which encompasses both clinical competency and cultural safety. Universities have an ongoing responsibility to ensure their learning and teaching activities result in graduates being able to provide culturally safe practice. This article highlights the emergence of culturally safe practices in the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand optometry curricula over the last five years incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing into the curricula, understanding the local Indigenous histories and contexts, the adoption of online cultural education modules, and clinical placement partnerships with local Indigenous communities. Whilst there is still much work to do to achieve the goal of graduating culturally safe optometrists, this paper focuses on features that enable or impede progress in the development of culturally safe practices within the optometry programmes to improve eye health equity for Indigenous recognise the diversity of Indigenous cultures across Australia and NZ.

Professionalism is an essential component of the relationship between optometrists and their patients. It is key to the trust that the public places in the profession; nevertheless, there is a lack...

AIM To determine the most reliable and consistent method and time interval over which to implement a vision impairment quality of life assessment tool. METHODS 117 patients with low vision aged 9–101 years were assigned into three age, sex, and visual function matched groups (n = 39 in each) to answer the Low Vision Quality of Life (LVQOL) questionnaire by post, telephone, or in person. The LVQOL questionnaire was completed on four occasions, each separated by four weeks. RESULTS Postal implementation was the most cost effective method, showed the highest internal consistency of LVQOL items, but resulted in a lower apparent quality of life score than either telephone or in-person interviews (pCONCLUSION Posting may be the method of choice for clinical measurement of vision related quality of life. Patients with greater visual impairment were no less likely to complete a questionnaire when implemented by post and there was no apparent bias from other people assisting them. The quality of life measure can occur at any time up to 2 months after low vision rehabilitation for the progressive nature of conditions causing low vision not to cause a decreased baseline score. The LVQOL was shown to be a highly internally consistent and reliable method for measuring quality of life in the visually impaired.