Below is a list of online courses on eye health and vision care available to access via other e-learning platforms.
These have been developed by Vision 2020 Australia through the work of the Vision Initiative program and with the support of the Vision Initiative partner organisations.
Each of these modules is designed to assist practitioners with embedding eye health in their day-to-day conversations with patients, identifying patients at risk of vision loss and referring patients to the appropriate eye care services.
Primary health care professionals can play a significant role in reducing rates of blindness and vision loss in Australia.
For diabetes educators
Diabetes and eye health is available from the Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA).
Access is free for all diabetes educators.
Accredited: 3 CPD points.
Duration: 3 hours
On completion of this course, diabetes educators will have an understanding of:
- The anatomy of the eye.
- Common causes of vision loss in Australia.
- The impact of diabetes on the eyes and vision.
- How to interpret visual acuity measurements and other relevant test results.
- The role that diabetes educators have in vision loss prevention.
- The role of eye health professionals.
- The recommended screening intervals for people living with diabetes.
- The National KeepSight program.
Diabetes and eye health podcast (31 minutes) is available from the Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA)
Access is free.
Accredited: 0.5 CPD points in Category 1.
Discussion on the critical role Credentialled Diabetes Educators play in preventing vision loss amongst people with diabetes. Host Jan Alford is joined by Associate Professor Peter van Wijngaarden, who also introduces KeepSight, an eye check reminder program for people with diabetes.
For Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners
Looking Deadly is available for Aboriginal health workers/Aboriginal health practitioners and health professionals that work with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander clients/patients.
Access is free
This self paced activity (duration approximately 2-3 hours) will cover the following topics:
- Eye health statistics
- Anatomy of the eye
- Common eye conditions
- Eye health and vision care
Click here to gain access to the training.
Completion of Looking Deadly counts toward CPD as endorsed by the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP).
For Pharmacists
Shared focus on better patient care – Eye health for pharmacists is available from the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.
Access is free.
This activity has been accredited for 1 hours of Group 1 CPD (or 1 CPD credits) suitable for inclusion in an individual pharmacist’s CPD plan, which can be converted to 1 hours of Group 2 CPD (or 2 CPD credits) upon successful completion of relevant assessment activities.
After completing this activity, pharmacists should be able to:
- Describe common causes of, and appropriate management for, red eye(s)
- Identify when a patient requires referral to eye care services
- Identify systemic risk factors for eye disease
- Explain the role of the optometrist
- Discuss the role pharmacists can play in preventing avoidable blindness and vision loss
- Indicate how pharmacists can promote eye care health with consumers.
For eye health professionals
Smoking Cessation Brief Advice training is available from Quit. Newly released in October 2020. Also includes a range of free resources available for use in your practice.
Free for Victorian and South Australian optometrists, and Victorian orthoptists.
A registration fee of $20 applies for other states and territories.
Accredited: 1 CPD point for optometrists and orthoptists.
The education package provides eye health professionals the knowledge and skills required to use Quit’s brief advice model: Ask, Advise, Help to identify patients who smoke and help them access best practice tobacco dependence treatment.
The brief advice model provides a simple framework for having a conversation about quitting smoking with patients and is easily integrated into a normal consultation. It’s fast, simple and effective.