ABDO CET for all at 100% Optical

ABDO CET head, Alex Webster, will present in the CET Theatre

ABDO’s CET sessions at 100% Optical will offer valuable learning outcomes for all, reports Nicky Collinson

Alex Webster, Joanne Abbott and Ian Anderson will lead ABDO’s CET programme at 100% Optical in January, with a series of thought-provoking discussion workshops to be held in the ABDO CET Theatre.

There will also be an ABDO CET contact lens session approved for all registered contact lens practitioners, as well as dispensing opticians (DOs), which will take place in the Optical Academy. In addition, Steve Hertz from ABDO College will discuss optical career pathways in the Optical Academy.

Running every day, each ABDO CET discussion workshop has been approved by for three CET points for DOs, contact lens opticians (CLOs) and optometrists.

Putting the patient first

In her discussion workshop, ‘The patient, the ECP and the wardrobe’, Alex Webster, ABDO head of CET, will look at the reasons why practitioners should take a holistic approach to the visual solutions available to serve patients’ needs. Alex will consider current approaches to eyecare solutions and how practitioners do, and can, communicate with patients.

In ‘Do you measure up?’, Ian Anderson will present a practical-based discussion workshop examining the need for taking accurate measurements when dispensing. Delegates will be hands-on in uncovering the implications of missing or inaccurate measurements on the patient’s vision and wearing experience.

The title of Joanne Abbott’s discussion workshop is ‘Add-vantage’. During this session, Joanne will explore the differences in lens designs between progression power lenses, degressive/occupational lenses and low-add boost lenses, considering the visual needs of the patient and the implications of the lens design.

Alex Webster will also lead a contact lens discussion workshop in the Optical Academy on Monday 27 January, titled ‘When will I see you again?’. Exploring the latest evidence available, this discussion workshop will examine factors that impact how practitioners should schedule patient aftercare and the risk analysis this requires.

Also in the Optical Academy on Sunday 26 January, Steve Hertz, head of operations at ABDO College, will present the non-CET session, ‘Continuous opportunities: optical career pathways’. Steve will look at strategies to develop the next generation of talent to maintain growth in the optical sector. He will ask those new to the industry: what opportunities are available and how do you fulfil your potential? Of employers or managers he will pose the question: how do you engage your colleagues to progress and flourish?

The president, board and staff members will meet visitors in the ABDO Lounge

Meeting the teams

As always, ABDO will have a significant presence at 100% Optical on Stand B244 for members, existing and future, to gather to discuss any issues with members of the ABDO board and staff.

ABDO College will also be present at the show with the ABDO College Book and Equipment Shop – showcasing its extensive range of optical books and dispensing equipment. There will also be information on all the range of ABDO College courses, including the new Optical Assistant Course.

Visitors to the stand will be able to have a virtual tour around the ABDO National Resource Centre, talk to exams staff about exam and PQP queries and find out more about Dispensing Optics and the new member resource launched this summer, DO Online.

Varied insights

In addition to the education opportunities being offered by ABDO, 100% Optical partner the Association of Optometrists (AOP) has put together a CET programme of more than 130 session. Topics cover myopia with case-led discussions and lectures that guide practitioners on how to take an evidence-based approach to myopia management. Glaucoma will feature a masterclass in patient examination, and dry eye will be tackled during a discussion-based session on patient management.

A forum for the whole practice team to understand how to use social media, and ensure that appropriate boundaries are followed, will also be available.

Additional seminars include a focus on new business standards, which will enable practice owners, managers, and registered professionals to ensure that workplace policies, practices, and systems are consistent with the GOC Business Standards.

Using case illustrations primarily in relation to primary open angle glaucoma, Professor John Wild, a professor of clinical vision sciences at the Cardiff School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, will cover the different techniques available for the detection of visual field loss using standard automated perimetry, the corresponding interpretation, and the relationship to the structural dysfunction by optical coherence tomography.

During the final day of the event, Dr Lisa Hill, a lecturer at the University of Birmingham, will explore emerging therapies to treat ocular surface scarring after infection or trauma to the eye. New for 2020, the Future Practice Hub will bring to life future practice on the show floor, via a consulting room,

Register for 100% Optical, taking place from 25-27 January 2020 at the ExCeL London here.