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Primary eye health training
(08/03/16)
Primary eye health training and Outreach upskilling sessions
Attendees and trainers of the Role of Primary Health Care Workers upskilling session at Orange Aboriginal Medical Service. Photo by Colina Waddell.
RDN’s needs assessment for the Visiting Optometrist Scheme (VOS) found most Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) in NSW have access to primary eye care services through visiting or local optometrists and relationships with ophthalmologists. However, improving primary care workers’ confidence in basic eye care screening was identified as a need across Western NSW through the Western NSW Eye Health Partnership that is funded by the Fred Hollows Foundation and facilitated by RDN.
In response, RDN and the Partnership worked with the Brien Holden Vision Institute and Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service to conduct the Role of Primary Health Care Workers in Eye Care training program at Orange Aboriginal Medical Services in October. The training session was attended by primary health care (PHC) workers from the region. The aim of this training was to provide these workers with the knowledge, skills and confidence required to provide basic vision assessments, refer patients to the appropriate eye health practitioner and to support comprehensive eye care for their communities.
Primary health care workers workshopping patient eye health pathways. Photo by Colina Waddell.
The session was well-attended, with 28 participants from nine ACCHSs and staff from Western NSW Local Health District, Marathon Health, Outback Eye Service and Dubbo TAFE. Other PHC services are encouraged to check out the training package and resources that have been developed in partnership with ACCHSs in NSW over the past few years as part of a Vision CRC action research program. This package has recently been released online as the Eye & Vision Care Toolkit.
The eye care assessment and referral skills transferred to PHC workers in Western NSW is one example of a range of upskilling sessions that RDN is working with local partners to deliver before 30 June 2016. If you would like more information about eye health training or would like to host a session in your region, please contact Claire O’Neill, Eye Health Coordinator on 02 8337 8100 or email her.
