OPT025: Medical Retina
This module will enable optometrists or allied health care professionals to refresh and enhance their knowledge and clinical skills in the area of medical retina.
The aim of the course is to you with knowledge of common medical retina conditions and includes topics covering screening, referral and treatment pathways, with an emphasis on optical coherence tomography (OCT) interpretation and diabetic retinopathy grading. It aims to enable you to make accurate and appropriate referral decisions for patients with medical retina conditions and prepares you for working under supervision in medical retina, new patient triage clinics and AMD treatment-retreatment clinics.
In addition, this course has been developed to incorporate all of the competencies required, so that on successful passing of the module, you will have an equivalent qualification to the Level 3 Diploma for Health Screeners (Diabetic Eye). The course will be run entirely online and will not require attendance in Cardiff for assessment.
There are CET points available on completion of applicable elements of the module.
This module runs over one semester.
This module is accredited by the College of Optometrists for the College's Professional Certificate in Medical Retina.
| Start date | September and March |
|---|---|
| Duration | One academic term |
| Credits | 20 credits - CET points available |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Module tutors | Jeenal Shah (Leader) |
| Tuition fees (2024/25) | £1340 - Home students £2500 - International students |
| Module code | OPT025 |
Learning objectives
Following completion of the programme you should be able to:
- Critically reflect a knowledge of complex, controversial and/ or contentious issues related to anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of the retina and the care of patients with medical retina disorders in optometric practice.
- Explore, critically analyse, synthesis and evaluate evidence-based literature, guidelines and underpinning theories in medical retina care and apply this knowledge to given scenarios, demonstrating how you would determine the most appropriate solutions for a patient accessing ophthalmic care.
- Evaluate and apply modern key concepts of medical retina care and be able to apply them to challenges within your own environment and practice.
- Address and reflect on the benefit of inter-professional teamwork in the delivery of medical retina care in optometry
- Present balanced and informed arguments, incorporating critical judgment and decision making in practical assessments.
- Effectively reflect on and evaluate learning.
- Assess the signs and symptoms of medical retina disorders, including the patients’ response to treatment, to make a differential diagnosis and to rank options for management.
- Problem solve and develop solutions/ management plans in medical retina cases based on evidence, knowledge of current treatments and sound professional and clinical judgment.
How the module will be delivered
This module is taught via distance learning lectures and Xerte tutorials delivered via Learning Central, the University’s e-learning system, with supporting resources and references supplied.
Throughout the course there will be medical retina cases to work through to help you to develop and then test your feature recognition and then management decisions.
You will have webinars with the module leaders to support your learning.
How the module will be assessed
Summative assessment occurs at the end of the semester and comprises:
Online Multiple Choice Test (45%): This is a multiple choice online test that will assess comprehension and application across the entire syllabus which you will take at the end of the semester.
Online Case Scenario Test (45%): This is a series of case scenario assessments that may incorporate key feature recognition/multiple choice questions that will assess comprehension and application of your clinical management knowledge gained throughout the course.
Communication assessment (10%): You will sit an online assessment where the ability to understand, interpret and communicate regarding complex medical retinal related information will be assessed at the end of the semester.
Syllabus content
Anatomy and Physiology of the Macula
- Imaging and Interpretation
- Age-related Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
- AMD mimics and differential diagnosis
Diabetes
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Diabetic Retinopathy features and grading
- Diabetic Eye Screening principles and protocols
- Diabetic Retinopathy management
Vascular Conditions
- Vascular Abnormalities
- Vein Occlusion
General
- Vitreoretinal pathology and Retinal dystrophies
- Uveitis
- Risk factors and differential diagnosis of medical retina conditions
- Primary and secondary care management of medical retina conditions
- Acute retinal conditions
- Communication
- Guidelines and referral pathways
Skills that will be practised and developed
Academic skills
- Advance your own knowledge and understanding
- Collate and synthesise information from several resources to improve learning
- Write concisely and clearly for the academic and clinical community
- Interpret data
Subject specific skills
- The enhancement of clinical examination techniques
- To develop practical skills to assess and manage people with acute eye problems
- Appropriate referral pathways for acute eye problems
Generic skills
- Manage projects and time
- Work independently
- Use a range of IT software packages and online resources
- Problem solve
