Program Overview

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Course Plan for Diagnostic Optometry

Introduction

The course plan for Diagnostic Optometry is designed to provide advanced education for licensed opticians with contact lens specialization. The program aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform comprehensive eye health examinations, diagnose, and manage various eye conditions.

Basdata

Course Information

• Course code: 9K8133
• Course name: Diagnostisk optometri (Diagnostic Optometry)
• Credits: 45
• Education form: Commissioned education (higher education credits)
• Main field of study: Optometry
• Level: Advanced level
• Grading scale: Fail (U) or Pass (G)
• Responsible department: Department of Clinical Neuroscience
• Decision-making body: Education Committee CNS
• Date of approval:
• Revised by: Education Committee CNS
• Latest revision:
• Course plan applies from: Autumn semester 2024

S酺skild beh顤ighet

Special Eligibility

• License as an optician with contact lens specialization.

M嶚

Objectives

After completing the education, the participant should be able to:

• Use diagnostic ocular pharmacological preparations in an individualized and patient-safe manner.
• Perform and interpret the results of advanced optometric examinations and be able to relate to the medical technological development in their professional practice.
• Act as a primary care provider in eye care and manage patients with conditions related to eye diseases, neuro-optometry, deviations in binocular vision, and pediatric optometry.
• Demonstrate skills and ability to participate in, plan, and develop collaborations with other professional categories in the care chain.
• Assess patients' care needs and determine adequate care level in relation to current regulations and care guidelines.
• Understand their importance for the development of their own profession and contribute to the competence development of their surroundings by spreading knowledge and information based on science and evidence.
• Reflect on the need for adapted approach when caring for individuals with special conditions and provide examples of what considerations should be taken.

Inneh嶚l

Content

The course aims to further educate licensed opticians with contact lens specialization and provide them with a readiness for action for future challenges in eye care and prerequisites for continued learning. Participants are prepared to independently perform and interpret the results of a comprehensive eye health examination using advanced examination techniques, with emphasis on collaboration with other professions. The course meets the requirements of the National Board of Health and Welfare for the issuance of prescription rights for opticians, and students are equipped to work with diverse eye care and a broad patient group within primary care activities for vision and eye health. The course is divided into six moments/areas, each including practical and theoretical in-depth studies within the respective area:

Okul酺 farmakologi och diagnostisk unders闥ningsmetodik (7.5 hp)

Ocular Pharmacology and Diagnostic Examination Methodology

• The moment includes the following parts: general pharmacological principles, how different drugs interact, diagnostic drugs, and their areas of use, as well as side effects when using these.
• Techniques for examining and assessing the eye's anterior and posterior segments, such as applanation tonometry, 90D lens, and advanced imaging techniques.
• The moment provides in-depth knowledge of structure and function measurements, such as ocular coherence tomography (OCT) and visual field examination.

Neurooptometri (7.5 hp)

Neuro-Optometry

• The moment covers diseases and injuries to the brain's visual system with a major focus on the most common injuries and diseases that can be encountered in an eye/optician practice.
• Participants learn common symptoms and deviations in brain damage and the challenges this poses in examination, communication, and treatment of the patient.
• The moment includes active work with case analysis and choice of treatment strategies.

狿ats sjukdomar och diagnostik (7.5 hp)

Eye Diseases and Diagnostics

• The moment covers diseases in the eye's anterior and posterior segments with a major focus on the most common age-related eye diseases.
• Participants learn differential diagnosis based on clinical expressions, the relationship between structure and function, and symptomatology.
• Results from diagnostic tools are interpreted and evaluated.

Binokul酺seende och behandling (7.5 hp)

Binocular Vision and Treatment

• The moment covers several methods for investigating binocular symptoms and provides knowledge about which symptoms should be further investigated with suspicion of neurological cause.
• Theoretical parts provide in-depth knowledge of binocular case types, comitant and incomitant strabismus, microtropias, and sensory adaptations to binocular deviations.

Pediatrisk optometri (7.5 hp)

Pediatric Optometry

• The moment covers several areas to provide participants with knowledge about examination and management of children's visual development.
• Theoretical parts provide in-depth knowledge of development, diseases, refraction, and congenital conditions in children.

Diagnostisk klinik (7.5 hp)

Diagnostic Clinic

• The moment is clinical and based on work-integrated learning (WIL) through patient care in the optician education clinic.
• Participants perform eye health examinations and thus put theory from the course's other moments into practice.

Arbetsformer

Working Methods

During the course, great emphasis is placed on the participant's own active learning with the support of study materials and assignments made available via a digital learning platform. Practical and clinical skills are stimulated through practical clinical skills training and patient reception in the optician education clinic. Participants compile a clinical portfolio with an emphasis on reflection.

Examination

Examination

The course is examined in the following ways:

1. Okul酺 farmakologi och diagnostisk unders闥ningsmetodik:
   • Written examination, graded as U or G.
   • Mandatory assignments.
   • Practical skills test, graded as U or G.
   • Mandatory attendance with active participation in patient reception (WIL) and seminar.
2. Neurooptometri:
   • Written examination, graded as U or G.
   • Mandatory assignments.
   • Mandatory attendance with active participation in seminars.
3. 狿ats sjukdomar och diagnostik:
   • Written examination, graded as U or G.
   • Mandatory assignments.
   • Ongoing assessment of clinical skills and patient care during WIL, graded as U or G.
4. Binokul酺seende och behandling:
   • Written examination, graded as U or G.
   • Mandatory assignments.
   • Mandatory attendance with active participation in seminars and laboratory work.
5. Pediatrisk optometri:
   • Written examination, graded as U or G.
   • Mandatory assignments.
   • Ongoing assessment of clinical skills and patient care during WIL, graded as U or G.
   • Mandatory attendance with active participation in seminar.
6. Diagnostisk klinik:
   • Written examination, graded as U or G.
   • Mandatory compilation of a clinical portfolio.
   • Ongoing assessment of clinical skills and patient care during WIL, graded as U or G.
   • Mandatory attendance with active participation in seminars.
   • Mandatory assignment.

For a passing grade (G) on each moment, a passing grade (G) is required on all examination tasks with grades, as well as completion of mandatory educational components according to instructions. For a passing grade (G) on the entire course, a passing grade (G) is required on all moments.

琌riga f顤eskrifter

Other Provisions

The course may be partially taught together with regular teaching for the Master's program in Clinical Optometry. Course evaluation is carried out according to guidelines established by Karolinska Institutet. Compilation of participants' answers in course questionnaires and the course manager's analysis of these are published on KI's open course web.

Teaching in English may occur.

Litteraturlista och 饘riga l酺omedel

Literature List and Other Teaching Materials

Mandatory Literature

Articles and other teaching materials may be added according to the teacher's instructions.

• Ansons, Alec M., Diagnosis and management of ocular motility disorders / Alec M. Ansons, Helen Davis.
• Clinical ophthalmology :a systematic approach , Kanski, Jack J.; Bowling, Brad; Nischal, Ken K.; Pearson, Andrew, 7. ed. : Edinburgh : Butterworth-Heinemann, 2011.
• Harvey, William; Gilmartin, Bernard, Paediatric optometry , Edinburgh : Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2004.
• Hopkins, G. A.; Pearson, R. M.q (Richard M.); Davies, P. H. O'Connorq (Patrick Henry O'Connor), Ophthalmic drugs :diagnostic and therapeutic uses , 5th ed. : Edinburgh : Butterworth Heinemann/Elsevier, 2007.
• Newman; Biousse, Neuro-Ophthalmology Illustrated, 2nd Ed , Thieme Medical Publishers Incorporated, 2015.
• Optometry :science, techniques and clinical management , Rosenfield, Mark; Logan, Nicola; Edwards, Keithq (Keith H.), 2nd ed. : Edinburgh ;a New York : Butterworth Heinemann Elsevier, 2009.
• Scheiman, Mitchell; Wick, Bruce; Steinman, Barbara A., Clinical management of binocular vision :heterophoric, accommodative, and eye movement disorders , Fifth edition : Philadelphia, PA : Wolters Kluwer, [2020].