It is always good to hear from colleagues as their careers in eye care evolve. Just like Harry and Sally in the romcom, but without the romantic overtones I hasten to add, specialist optometrist Christian Dutton and I have been in occasional contact since the start of the century. From his time as lead optometrist at Asda, through his time as an assessor for WOPEC, as an examiner for the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers and College of Optometrists Councillor, to his more recent role as professional services manager with Evolutio Care Innovations, Christian has always impressed with his ambition and drive. I remember being particularly impressed with his work for the Tibet Healthcare Project, for whom he was instrumental in the setting up of a purpose-built hospital offering eye care to over 3,500 impoverished people in the Tibetan region.
So, I was all ears when he contacted me recently to tell of his latest project; a YouTube channel offering educational resources for both optometrists and patients.
Dutton Optometry
As Christian explained, Dutton Optometry is an online resource he has recently set up with the aim ‘to provide helpful tips for primary care optometrists when making referrals to various ophthalmology sub-specialities’, while also offering ‘basic patient education resources for a range of common eye conditions.’
The channel offers a range of different videos delivered by Christian and covering conditions such as strabismus, red eye and neurological conditions and offers useful information to help with decisions about referral. There are also some excellent short videos to help patients with, for example, instilling eye drops, understanding the different types of ametropia, and learning more about the various presentations of AMD. All can easily be accessed in clinic from a tablet or smartphone.
As might be expected from Christian, ‘all the resources are freely accessible and not-for-profit.’ Indeed, he set up the site ‘just to help.’
- To access the Dutton Optometry channel, go to youtube.com/@DuttonOptometry.