Glaucoma Level 2 (College of Optometrists Professional Higher Certificate in Glaucoma)

Glaucoma Level 2 (College of Optometrists Professional Higher Certificate in Glaucoma) is organized by Moorfields Education and will be held from Jan 13 - Jun 12, 2025.

Description:
The course is designed to build up from level 1 to further develop skills in detecting change in clinical status and decision-making in patients at risk of developing glaucoma.

This course has been accredited by the College of Optometrists in the United Kingdom for GOC registered optometrists only. You can gain the College’s Professional Higher Certificate in Glaucoma on completion of this qualification and carrying out a clinical placement examining 150 suitable patients. Experienced practitioners can APL this component. You will be required to arrange the placement yourselves with your local hospital eye department and arrange for a clinical mentor (consultant ophthalmologist) to support your placement. In the United Kingdom, this qualification will give you the knowledge to participate in community or hospital-based schemes involving the diagnosis of ocular hypertension and preliminary diagnosis of chronic open angle glaucoma when not working under the supervision of a consultant ophthalmologist.

Benefits of Attending:
Following completion of the programme, you should be able to:

• Perform a gonioscopic examination of the anterior chamber angle.
• Identify anatomical structures.
• Grade the angle width.
• Interpret the significance of clinical findings.
• Diagnose Ocular Hypertension (OHT) or Chronic Open Angle Glaucoma (COAG) through an integration of clinical observations/results of clinical investigations.
• Make appropriate management decisions in a patient with OHT.
• Monitor the response to treatment in a patient with OHT and modify the management plan or refer if necessary.
• Be aware of the contraindications of anti-glaucoma medications and be able to detect and manage drug-induced side effects.
• Inform patients of the rationale for monitoring their condition and an ability to explain the risk of developing glaucoma.
• Counsel patients regarding the risk of blindness associated with glaucoma, risk to family members, and potential impact of the disease on lifestyle.

Featured Topics:

• Unit 1: Patient examination.
• Unit 2: Gonioscopy
• Unit 3: Optic nerve head imaging techniques.
• Unit 4: Risk factors.
• Unit 5: Physiology of intraocular pressure.
• Unit 6: Glaucoma medical therapy.
• Unit 7: Lifestyle & social aspects of glaucoma.
• Unit 8: Clinical governance.
• Unit 9: Clinical decision making.