Join expert speakers as they deliver presentations on a variety of current clinical topics. Free to Members, these monthly online seminars are provide an opportunity to expand your knowledge. Members can access seminar recordings through the ACO Membership portal for up to 12 months.

Not an ACO Member? Learn more here.

On the plus side… (Online via Zoom)

Elisse Higginbotham

Tuesday 15 October 2024

Time: 8pm – 9pm AEST

CPD: 1.5C

Tired of hearing about myopia control?

What about all the patients on the other end of the refractive spectrum?

What do we know about hyperopia, the issues it causes, and how it changes over time?

How does testing for hyperopia change visual and clinical outcomes?

Why is testing for hyperopia important for holistic management of visual, developmental and educational challenges?

Elisse Higginbotham is a lecturer at the University of Western Australia optometry program whose expertise in paediatrics is well known to ACO audiences. Elisse will take us on a scenic tour of hyperopia from infancy to adulthood, with some well-known highlights but also some hidden gems and clinical pearls.

Corneal neuropathic pain: enhancing patient care and quality of life (Online via Zoom)

Dr Leigh Plowman

Tuesday 10 September 2024

Time: 7.30pm – 8.30pm AEST

CPD: 1.5T

Bewildered by patients where subjective symptoms appear NOT to correlate with objective indicators of dry eye?

This presentation explains how the homeostatic mechanism regulating the sub epithelial corneal nerve plexus can breakdown and produce aberrant stimuli such as pain.

Developing a comprehensive framework for peripheral- and central-based corneal neuropathic pain (CNP) will guide selection of topical, oral and/or other novel treatment options. Paradoxically, similar insult caused by diabetes might not cause pain, however, can be just as devastating to corneal integrity. Learning to recognise the early symptoms and patterns in CNP and providing timely intervention can have a significant impact not just on a patient’s quality of vision, but just as importantly quality of life.

Managing psychological variables for successful clinical outcomes in optometry (Online via Zoom)

Dr Kevin Hsieh

Tuesday 13 August 2024

Time: 7.30pm – 8.30pm AEST

CPD: 1.5C

While most optometrists would subconsciously acknowledge the potential for a patient’s mindset to influence both the consultation process and response to treatment, this presentation aims to provide a conceptual and practical framework to assist with managing this aspect of the consultative process. The psychological processes of transference, projection and countertransference will be discussed within the context of health care practitioner-patient interaction. Dr Kevin Hsieh, a psychiatry trainee/registrar at Northern Health, will use both his experience as a doctor and knowledge of evidence based psychological medicine to educate and advise optometrists.

Avoiding Atlantis: Detection and Management of Progressive Glaucoma (Online via Zoom)

Dr Bob Wang and Janelle Scully

Tuesday 16 July 2024

Time: 7pm – 8.30pm AEST

CPD: 2Ti

Atlantis was a mythical utopian city whose refined and progressive civilisation burned brightly around 9500 BCE. However, the descent of the city’s inhabitants into excessive pride and immorality angered the ancient gods, who punished the city with one terrible night of fire and earthquakes causing Atlantis to sink into the sea.

Conceptually, the Hill of Vision upon which the science of perimetry rests could be analogous to the ancient city of Atlantis. For our glaucoma patients, we want to avoid their Hill of Vision slowly sliding or suddenly sinking into the sea of blindness. We should appease the “Gods of Glaucoma” by taking good care of intraocular pressure targets, detecting key signs such as peripheral anterior synechiae, and being alert for the early warning signs, or “tremors”, of glaucoma progression so as to avoid the cataclysmic “earthquake” of irreversible vision loss.

Join Dr Bob Wang (fellowship trained glaucoma specialist) and Janelle Scully (Manager, Ocular Disease and Diagnostic Services at ACO) in a gentle yet discerning analysis which considers the various risk factors for progression of glaucoma. This discussion will be complimented by a series of case study presentations which investigate the potentially nuanced development of progression in glaucoma.

Managing ischaemia of the eye and visual pathways in practice (Online via Zoom)

Professor Michael Kalloniatis

Tuesday 11 June 2024

Time: 7:30pm to 9pm AEST

CPD: 2.0Ti

Ischaemic stroke is a leading cause of death and may impact the eye in a range of eye conditions.  Optometrists as primary eye care practitioners are in a unique position to assess and manage ischaemic events.  This course will integrate the plethora of imaging modalities, core clinical results and visual function to allow optometrists to identify patients at risk of ischaemic stroke and initiate referral pathways.

The vascular supply of the eye will be reviewed with an emphasis on understanding changes evident in the retina or optic nerve secondary to ischaemic events and assess visual field (VF) results to identify likely location within the visual pathway.  Through clinical presentations, examples will be provided to assist practitioners to diagnose and suitably manage patients presenting with ischaemic events.

Maximising clinical care standards for patients with diabetes and glaucoma (Online via Zoom)

Professor Isabelle Jalbert

Tuesday 9 April 2024

Time: 7:30pm to 8:30pm AEST

Upto 1.5 T CPD hours

Given the increasing health care needs of an aging population, ensuring high standards of clinical care in optometry is desirable both on an individual and population level. The iCareTrack studies were designed to analyse the clinical routines of optometrists caring for patients with either diabetes or glaucoma, to both assess current optometry clinical care standards and investigate the impact on practising patterns derived from self-assessment of care provided, targeted learning activities, and subsequent clinical auditing.

Professor Isabelle Jalbert from UNSW will detail the key findings from the iCareTrack group of studies and provide strategies that can be adapted from this study for optometrists to become more aware of and implement changes to practising patterns for patients with diabetes or glaucoma. Given some commonalities in the pathophysiology of diabetes and glaucoma, Professor Jalbert will also discuss the co-morbidity of glaucoma and diabetes and how optometrists can identify and manage risk.

Clinical Showcase: ACO graduates share standout cases (In-person)

Tuesday 12 March 2024

6pm to 8pm AEDT

Note: This is an in-person event taking place at ACO Carlton, 374 Cardigan St, VIC 3053. This event is open to optometry students and ACO Members

Student register here.

ACO Member register here.

Join us as ACO graduate optometrists present a single standout case study from their first year of practice.

As part of a leading public health eye care provider, these early career optometrists have navigated rare conditions, challenging diagnoses and innovative treatment plans often unexplored in other optometry settings.

This evening seminar is ideal for optometry students preparing to launch their career. Learn directly from the experiences and insights of recent graduates who have successfully tackled complex cases. Likewise, this seminar is perfect for experienced optometrists interested in discussing complex case management and nurturing the growth of new talents in the field.

Emerging treatments for age-related macular degeneration (Online via Zoom)

Dr Carla Abbott

Tuesday 13 February 2024

7:30pm to 8:30pm AEST

Upto 1.5 T CPD hours

For the first time, there are approved treatments for atrophic AMD available in the USA, and it is expected these treatments will also be considered by Australian regulators in the coming months. Having access to potential new treatment options means it is imperative optometrists are ready to respond with changes in clinical management to ensure our patients can access them.

This talk will cover the diagnosis, treatment and clinical record keeping needs in this new era of AMD management, including the importance of ensuring correct differential diagnosis of AMD from inherited retinal disease, the need for multimodal imaging to help with decisions regarding treatment options, and collaborative management with ophthalmology. The talk will also discuss the emerging treatments for AMD for both atrophic and neovascular disease, an update on trial outcomes, regulatory approvals and also new studies with real-world data. Finally, there are many opportunities for patients in Australia to be involved in cutting-edge clinical trials for AMD, and the referral process for patients to access these will be outlined.