Some of the worst eye-health conditions suffered by Australians could have been prevented in childhood if early diagnosis and treatment had been provided, a UTS expert has said.
Associate Professor Kathryn Rose who advised on the development of the new orthoptics program at UTS said early identification of some eye conditions meant far worse problems could often be avoided or reduced in impact as we age.
Such early diagnosis she said is now being made in a number of health-care settings in Australia, including The Children’s Hospital at Westmead - with immediate benefits to clinicians and patients alike.
“Conditions such as strabismus (squint) and amblyopia (lazy eye) often associated with childhood have in the past lead to far worse problems in old age,” Professor Rose said. “These and some less obvious and potentially more harmful conditions are now being identified earlier, enabling better treatment.
“A small number of hospitals and clinics in Australia now employ orthoptists to provide triage or initial diagnosis of symptoms caused by a range of eye complaints in children and older patients. It has had an immediate benefit – The Children’s Hospital at Westmead’s wait times are decreasing and priority cases are being seen far more quickly.”
Although most Australians are unfamiliar with orthoptics as a profession, practitioners are a vital force zeroing in on eye conditions sometimes missed in the very young.
However, according to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists only approximately 500 orthoptists currently work in Australia and their ranks are ageing.
“UTS is ready to help swell these ranks,” Professor Rose said. “There is a great opportunity for young people aspiring to a career in an allied health field to get a great education and great jobs. The new UTS graduate entry program that does not require a health or science education background commences student intake in February 2015.
“Australia is the only country in the Asia Pacific region offering orthoptics education and UTS is now one of two Australian universities with graduate programs in this field. UTS will produce graduates in orthoptists who not only go to parts of Australia where they are vitally needed, but also Asia and the Middle East.”
Head of Ophthalmology at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Dr Michael Jones, said all hospitals with ophthalmology services would benefit from orthoptic support. “As well as providing direct patient care, orthoptists provide great efficiencies and cost savings,” Dr Jones said.
“Orthoptists provide direct patient care and significantly raise the standard of the provision of eye care to patients.
“The eye clinic at The Children's Hospital at Westmead is a tertiary referral centre seeing over 8000 patients each year. Waiting lists for new appointments can be long. All referrals are triaged by our orthoptists and this ensures that urgent cases are seen quickly and treatment commenced.”
Orthoptic screening clinics were introduced in 2009 at The Children's Hospital at Westmead for all new referrals with possible strabismus. Early intervention before eight years of age is the only way to prevent permanent vision loss in these children (amblyopia).
The introduction of orthoptic triage has seen 70 per cent of patients being discharged from the clinic as they did not actually present with a true case of strabismus.
People who are interested in knowing more about the new orthoptics program being offered by the UTS Graduate School of Health from 2015 can visit the web page or email orthoptics@uts.edu.au
- From 2015 UTS will offer postgraduate education in orthoptics, an essential allied health career in eye health
- Though many are unfamiliar with orthoptics as a profession, practitioners are a vital force zeroing in on eye conditions sometimes missed in the very young
- People interested in knowing more about the new orthoptics program being offered by the UTS Graduate School of Health can visit the web page