April 2021

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report provides a review of evidence-informed approaches to teleglaucoma (TG) care in Canadian contexts as of January 2021. TG is defined as a spectrum of options that adapts telemedicine approaches to enhance care for glaucoma patients (those diagnosed with as well as at risk for developing glaucoma). The objective of this document is to act as a foundation for Canadian ophthalmologists who wish to establish their own TG practice.

This work was undertaken by the Canadian Glaucoma Society Teleglaucoma Working Group, comprised of glaucoma specialists and comprehensive ophthalmologists from across the country.

Many physicians have transitioned to a partially virtual care paradigm since the onset of COVID-19. The rationale for widespread adoption of TG is three-fold. First, the demand for ophthalmic services in Canada is projected to increase with our ageing population and rising prevalence of sight-threatening conditions such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and cataract. Enhancing access to these services with a limited budget and supply of providers remains critically unresolved. Second, rural and remote communities continue to grapple with underservicing for specialist care, leading to poorer health outcomes. For many decades, health equity has been a central focus of Canadian health policy with limited progress. Third, there is a strong patient and provider preference for virtual care as it is more time- and cost-effective. Virtual care offers a feasible solution to meet the health needs of our population while allowing our health systems to optimally utilize finite resources.

This report outlines three models of care in TG with sample case scenarios and offers a template for a standardized TG setup. The models of care elaborated upon include modular extension, in-office, and collaborative.12 These models describe how clinicians can accomplish virtual screening (including triage), consultation and monitoring of patients. Clinicians may wish to incorporate one or more elements of these models into their practice depending on their own situational context. This report also acknowledges an important gap in TG, which is the absence of gonioscopy. Clinicians should consider alternative methods to evaluate the risk of angle closure glaucoma.

This report also offers suggestions for practice patterns, outlines tools for remote assessment, summarizes licensure, medicolegal and safety considerations (including missing angle closure and other secondary glaucomas), reviews merits and challenges of TG (including the billing landscape), considers the promising future of TG, and offers suggestions on how to overcome barriers in order to optimize care for patients in the virtual environment.

COVID-19 has illuminated the ways in which limitations to virtual care have been largely self-imposed. Much of our advocacy in advancing virtual care must occur at the health systems level. We hope that this document can equip providers with the knowledge and inspiration to carve their own path in the realm of teleglaucoma and teleophthalmology at-large.

Read the full report here.

One-day online interactive case-based workshop for developing approaches for good record-keeping. This workshop addresses the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario Medical Record Keeping Policy. Pre-workshop and post-workshop assignments are required.

2021 Upcoming Dates

• Friday, April 23, 2021
• Wednesday, May 12, 2021
• Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Access Details

Visit the University of Toronto CPD website for registration details.

About the Strategies for Managing Unprofessional Behaviour online program.

This is a comprehensive program that supports healthcare managers and leaders, as well as those who wish to grow into leadership positions, in recognizing and addressing unprofessional behaviour. The course is offered online, as five 2-hour sessions delivered over the course of five weeks.

CPD Credits

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada MOC Program 30.0 credits (Section 3)

Access Details

Visit the Saegis website for course information, dates and costs.

Educational Resources

TheEyesHaveIt (umich.edu)

Supercharge your ophthalmic imaging knowledge

Learn Ophthalmology Efficiently – EyeGuru

Educational Resources

http://eyerounds.org/index.htm

Medical Student Online Ophthalmology Curriculum

http://webeye.ophth.uiowa.edu/eyeforum/article/online-ophthalmology-curriculum/index.htm

Author: Pavlina Kemp, MD

Resident contributors: Karam Alawa, MD; Justine Cheng, MD; Salma Dawoud, MD; Ryan Diel, MD; David Ramirez, MD

This workshop-style online program provides practical strategies for effectively interacting with colleagues in a team environment. Participants will be equipped with skills that ensure clearer communication between healthcare colleagues, reduce risk and lead to improved patient safety. The program was developed in partnership with the CMPA, this program leverages the CMPA’s breadth of knowledge and understanding of physicians’ needs and healthcare safety issues

Topics Covered

• Team communication in the context of safe patient care
• The concept of psychological safety allowing team members to raise concerns
• Active listening and assertive communication skills
• Situational awareness

Duration

Seven hours. Currently offered online as three 2-hour online sessions and one 1-hour session delivered over the course of four weeks.

Learning Objectives

• Explain how the attributes of effective teams contribute to reliable patient outcomes
• Demonstrate communication strategies that support effective team functioning
• Identify opportunities for teams to implement psychological safety
• Demonstrate effective use of one structured communication tool to accurately, clearly, and efficiently share information within a healthcare team
• Demonstrate assertive communication approaches for addressing a healthcare-related safety concern
• Develop a clear and actionable change plan to improve team communication

CPD Credits

Accredited through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, this course offers 10 MOC credits (5.5 credits Section 1 and 4.5 credits Section 3)

Access Details

For more information visit the Saegis website.

Exploring ophthalmology and pursuing an interest in the specialty can be challenging for medical students. The Canadian Ophthalmology Student Interest Group is a student-led organization that works to enhance the learning of medical students interested in ophthalmology by sharing resources, facilitating connections, and supporting research and advocacy efforts.

Access Details

cosig-gecio.com

Online module “Our best shot at beating COVID-19: Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy in 2021”

This module provides health care professionals with the tools and skills they need to discuss new COVID vaccines with people they see in practice and to address concerns about safety, efficacy, and access.

This module provides health care professionals with the tools and skills they need to discuss new COVID vaccines with people they see in practice and to address concerns about safety, efficacy, and access.

Learning objectives
After completing this online learning module, you will be able to:

1. Counter misinformation about COVID-19 with clear, evidence-based information
2. Initiate discussions regarding specific vaccine issues
3. Recognize personal skepticism regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines
4. Respectfully address vaccine-hesitancy, using clear, evidence-based information
5. Build public confidence regarding the safety and efficacy COVID-19 vaccines

Accreditation
This online CME event has been approved by the Canadian Paediatric Society for a maximum of 1 credit hour as an Accredited Self-Assessment Program (Section 3), as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of
Canada (RCPSC). Remember to visit MAINPORT to record your learning and outcomes. Activity ID: 00013073

Access Details

https://pedagogy.cps.ca/#/online-courses/2dcbed20-a8f3-4471-9d78-70a11043bbf1.