Clinical skills ‘brought to life’ in expanded suite of Optometry Today skills guides

Optometry Today (OT), in collaboration with the Association of Optometrists (AOP), has released two new video skills guides series. This adds four new resources to its growing education library.

Ceri Smith-Jaynes, OT Multimedia Clinical Editor, said: “These four new additions to the OT skills guide library expand the current offering to 52. We created these short videos with students, newly-qualified and career-break optometrists in mind, but they are open access and can be watched by all practitioners. Seasoned optometrists may wish to refresh their knowledge if they find themselves working in an area outside their usual scope of practice, or perhaps if they are training a new member of staff.”

The first of the two new series is presented by Dr Byki Huntjens, AOP Education Lead, exploring history and symptoms, with videos on the key questions to ask during a sight test and when carrying out a contact lens assessment.

The second series, led by Lorcan Butler, Optical Engagement Manager at The Brain Tumour Charity, addresses headaches − offering guidance on recognising symptoms that may indicate serious underlying conditions, as well as practical advice on managing patients who present with migraines.

Dr Byki Huntjens, AOP Education Lead, said: “Clinical skills are never truly ‘finished’; they grow with every patient we see. These guides give students the chance to see clinical techniques brought to life in a way that textbooks alone can’t achieve. I hope these videos add confidence in how to approach history and symptoms, and the curiosity to keep refining clinical and communication skills in practice.”

Previous topics in the skills guide library include dry eye, contact lens fitting, and domiciliary eye care, alongside practical demonstrations of techniques such as Goldmann tonometry, slit lamp use, and binocular vision assessment.

Juwaria Khan, Chair of the AOP Student Committee, said: “The skills guide videos are a useful resource for students. I’ve used them to brush up on practical techniques and found them to be invaluable in building confidence before clinics and assessments. The videos break subjects down clearly, and they are great for revising key skills in a simple, concise and structured way.”

To explore the full skills guide library, visit the OT education library.

Ends

For more information, please contact Anjola Sulaiman, PR and Media Executive, at the Association of Optometrists, [email protected] or telephone 020 7549 2062.

Notes to Editors

Association of Optometrists

The Association of Optometrists (AOP) is the voice of the optical profession, representing over 80% of practising optometrists. The AOP elevates the work of its members, safeguards their interests, and champions eye health across the UK. For more information, visit www.aop.org.uk

Optometry Today

Optometry Today (OT) has a readership of over 18,623 AOP members and subscribers in print and online. The OT ABC audit certificate is available online: www.abc.org.uk/product/5966-optometry-today. OT’s website offers daily news, interviews, in-depth features and analysis, plus exclusive access to over 42 CPD exams per year, including bimonthly CPD video content. For more information, visit www.optometry.co.uk