Course: Effective Remote Patient Consultations (June 2020 Webinar), Section: More information

General

Domains: Communication, Leadership & accountability

No CPD Points

Conducting remote consultations and triaging patients presenting with acute ocular symptoms is now common in optometric practice. Being able to identify key signs and symptoms and understand when further investigation is required to make a provisional differential diagnosis can be challenging without the ability to examine a patient directly.

This recorded lecture by Dr Michael Johnson was filmed during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the principles are relevant in general to remote consultations. It will cover the key points to consider during a remote consultation including:

Remote consultation etiquette
Key questions to ask
Red flag symptoms and related ocular disease
Referrals and management
Patient advice and follow-up
Record keeping.

Since the pandemic, remote consultations have become more common. You should use your professional judgement to decide whether it is in the patient's best interests to offer remote consultations, but they should not be used for conducting an eye examination or sight test.

First published: June 2020
Last reviewed: September 2024

More information

Programme references and information
URLCollege of Optometrists. Clinical Management Guidelines. [Accessed Sep 2024] URL Opens in a new window.
URLCollege of Optometrists. Infectious diseases. [Accessed Sep 2024] URL Opens in a new window.
URLCollege of Optometrists (2020) Remote consultations during COVID-19 pandemic. [Accessed Sep 2024] URL Opens in a new window.
URLGeneral Optical Council. Standards of practice for optometrists and dispensing opticians. [Accessed Sep 2024] URL Opens in a new window.
URLCollege of Optometrists. Remote consultations and the delivery of virtual care. [Accessed Sep 2024] URL Opens in a new window.
Docet would like to thank the following for his contribution to this programme:
Dr Michael Johnson, an IP optometrist who worked for many years in the optometry and medical clinics at Bristol Eye Hospital and has his own independent practice.