Discussion workshop: World Council of Optometry - the dry eye wheel
Dry eye is a topic that can be overwhelming, and consequently time consuming in the consulting room. However, the impact of dry eye on the sufferer can be profound in terms of quality of life. Much work has been published regarding how best to diagnose and manage dry eye, but many eye care practitioners report anecdotally that they find it hard to navigate, with many patients often feeling unrecognised and unaware that their situation may be chronic – requiring more than just symptom relief. The 'dry eye wheel' provides a simplified visual aid to support practitioners as they navigate a dry eye discussion with their patients. Directing them to understand the mitigating factors in their patients’ lives, obtaining the right measurements to be able to identify the presence of dry eye and its subtype, to then inform the management plan to implement. This model can then be used again at follow up appointments to further inform your management plan.
Learning outcomes:
Practitioners will be able to explain dry eye management steps to patients
Practitioners will recognise the steps that can be taken to identify dry eye subtypes to inform management decisions.