National OCT Conference returns with a bang!

National OCT Conference returns with a bang!

Topcon Healthcare, a division of Topcon Corporation, hosted its National OCT Conference at the luxurious Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales earlier this month (12-13 March 2023). It was a widely welcomed return to in-person clinical education, following a three-year hiatus due to Covid restrictions.

The 117 delegates who attended the Conference for the 1.5 days of high-quality clinical education on OCT and Myopia Management had the opportunity to accrue more than 30 CPD points.

Day 1 was focused on OCT and Day 2 on Myopia Management.

On the opening day, known as ‘OCT-fest’ day:

• Dr Christiana Dinah, Consultant Ophthalmologist & R&I Director at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, gave the opening keynote on OCT and OCT-angiography in diabetic eye disease, setting the bar for the rest of the clinical programme.
• There were also 9 different OCT-related workshops across 3 tracks, and an opportunity to join clinical case discussions with some of the biggest names in UK eyecare with Edward Farrant, Andrew Thornton, Maged Nessim, Professor Paulo-Eduardo Stanga and Samer Elsherbiny as facilitators.
• There were 3 clinical lectures from Mr Lorcan Butler, Dr Winfried Amoaku and Professor David Henson, covering topics including the latest research in OCT and the diagnosis of Papilloedema.
• Professor Pearse Keane, Consultant Ophthalmologist / Professor of Artificial Medical Intelligence, gave the closing keynote, and spoke on the Challenges and Opportunities in Eyecare in the 21st Century.

The conference dinner was interrupted by a thrilling performance from the Drum Waiters, who then proceeded to tutor the tables of guests to play a selection of boom whackers. What could have been a bit of a racket, turned out to be a surprisingly harmonious end to the evening, leaving everyone quite elated!

On the second day, ‘Myopia Monday’:

• The educational programme of the Conference included lectures, panel discussions and case discussion workshops, again across 3 tracks. These brought delegates the very latest clinical evidence from this fast-moving field to apply in practice.
• Dr Matilda Biba and Professor James Wolffsohn were among the speakers and they discussed the unexpected role of choroidal thickness in myopia and the latest evidence base for myopia management, respectively.
• Sarah Farrant facilitated the session on using technology to enhance outcomes in specialist clinics, and Topcon’s own Clinical Affairs Specialist Danielle Lee, ran two sessions of the skills track.
• The two peer reviews were with Dr Keyur Patel and Sarah Farrant. Catharine Chisholm chaired the closing panel discussion on how to make myopia management work for you, along with Professor James Wolffsohn, Sarah Farrant, Professor Nick Rumney and the surprise panelist – ChatGPT, which provided some very politically correct answers to the questions posed by the audience.
• There were also opportunities to discover the latest interventions and tools to discuss myopia management with parents and children, as well as gain clinical confidence.

It was apparent from the feedback given to the organisers that the return to in-person clinical education was widely welcomed by those in the OCT and Myopia management spheres.

Delegate Laura Williams, Optometrist BRR Optometry, said: “The quality of the lectures was excellent. The highlight for me was learning new clinical pearls when using OCT to investigate for signs of papilloedema, as well as getting a more detailed overview of how we can use the equipment in practice to a further level when managing pathology. It was also great to be provided with an overview of the current research that is ongoing regarding myopia and to have a small group discussion on using the MYAH in practice to help aid management of these patients.”

Another, Jane Williams from Eyewear Creations in Barnstable, said: “I thought the conference was an absolutely huge success. The speakers were diverse and the content was new and refreshing. The venue was perfect, best one I’ve been to!”

Rosalyn Painter, Ophthalmic Healthcare Science Education Manager and OIA Chair, said: The setting was exceptional. A highlight was Mr Elsherbiny’s interactive lecture on difficult OCTs – he was really engaging and knowledgeable.”

Other praise included that of Helen Tilley, of Monnow Eyecare, who commented on the strength of the speaker line-up and said that it “was one of the best conferences I’ve been to in a while” – a sentiment reiterated by Mahul Patel, Director at Boots brand partner, who said that the Conference provided an “excellent OCT recap” and featured “strong speakers, relevant to primary care practitioners”. Anthony Vukic, Ophthalmic Research Imager at OIA, also commented on “the excellent content”.

Nicola Bennett Clinical Affairs Manager UK & Ireland of Topcon Healthcare Great Britain said: “We’re thrilled that the National OCT Conference has received such resoundingly positive feedback from delegates. It’s clear that our efforts to provide a diverse and inspiring programme, featuring many of the UK’s most esteemed practicing clinicians, as well an unforgettable experience in a beautiful venue was a real draw for those in the industry. Our sincere thanks go to all those who took the time to be part of it.”

Topcon Healthcare Great Britain anticipates to be running more in-person events later in 2023, focusing on LLLT and Dry Eye together with Espansione.

-ENDS-

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