Advanced Contact Lenses (College of Optometrists Professional Higher Certificate in Contact Lens Practice)

This course will give you the knowledge and skills to provide an enhanced standards of specialist contact lens care. It is for optometrists, ophthalmologists, contact lens opticians and ophthalmic nurses wishing to develop specialist contact lens practice. It prepares you in the development of a detailed knowledge of contact lens design, fitting of RGPs, fitting patients with regular and irregular astigmatism and dealing with presbyopia. It further develops skills in detecting change in clinical status and decision making in patients wishing to wear or wearing contact lenses.

Entry Requirements

• Be GOC registered optometrist or dispensing optician.
• Possess CLO qualification from ABDO with a minimum of 2 years  clinical experience
• Have a minimum of 2 years clinical experience as an overseas equivalent professional - subject to a full CV including details of qualification.

On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• have a detailed knowledge of lens design and manufacture for RGP and hydrogel contact lenses, including verification
• fit and assess a range of RGP lens designs
• fit a range contact lenses to correct regular and irregular astigmatism, such as early keratoconus
• fit a range of contact lenses to correct presbyopia
• have an understanding of myopia control and orthokeratology
• provide ongoing management and advice for maintaining healthy contact lens wear
• detect, assess and manage the impact of contact lens complications on the anterior eye
• manage the dry eye in contact lens practice
• have a detailed knowledge of currently available contact lens care products and ocular lubricants and more

* Please note this course will only run if we have sufficient number of students.

THE COURSE STRUCTURE

The course will be delivered via blended learning; there will be an online and a face to face component.

ONLINE TAUGHT COMPONENT

The online components will be made available to students on the launch date. Therefore, it is expected that students will have a thorough knowledge of the material through self- study before attending the face to face day. Students will be expected to input 8 hours a week on average for study of the online component. There will be assignments and activities that will need to be completed as part of study. There will be online Forums so that students can discuss aspects of the course with each other.

FACE TO FACE COMPONENT

Students will then attend a face to face component which will consist of workshops, tutorials and group case study discussions. This will be undertaken after the online component.

SELF STUDY

You will then get 4-6 weeks after the face to face day to revise what you have learned during the online component and face to face day before undertaking the summative (formal) assessments.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS (EXAMS)

These will consist of a written exam, made up of patient management case scenarios and visual recognition of clinical signs in MCQ format, and a Station Exam. Results of the summative assessment will be released within 6 weeks of the written exam.

Upon successful completion of the assessment:

• CET points for UK registered optometrists will be awarded following successful completion of the programme.
• Students will gain a certificate of participation.

If you wish to apply for this course please contact moorfields.hq@nhs.net for an application form.