KeraClub 2020: 5th Annual Keratoconus Event as a Webinar
The 5th annual community event for patients with keratoconus, their family and friends, is being held as a webinar this year on Tuesday, 28 July 2020, 5 pm to 6 pm AEST. The KeraClub will bring together keratoconus patients with eye care experts. The goal is to support patients to improve their ability to manage their life with keratoconus.
Professor Stephanie Watson will present updates from the Save Sight Keratoconus Registry. The registry has been an important clinical tool for tracking outcomes in keratoconus. Professor Watson will discuss how the COVID-outbreak and pandemic declaration has impacted keratoconus care. Dr Himal Kandel, the Kornhauser Research Associate working at the Save Sight Keratoconus Registry will present the latest research from the registry.
This year, we have two invited talks from popular optometrists Jessica Chi and Allan Ared. Jessica will present on ‘COVID and Contact Lenses’. She will discuss issues such as ‘Are contact lens wearers at a greater risk of getting COVID-19? What are the safe contact lens practices during COVID-19 pandemic?’ Allan will present on issue of eye-rubbing and keratoconus including the do’s and don’ts around this.
The webinar will be moderated by Ms Michelle Urquhart, in internationally reputed violist and violinist who will also provide her patient-perspectives as a person with lived experience of keratoconus.
The previous KeraClub was held at the Sydney Eye Hospital in October 2019. The event was well-received by about 60 participants and several other participants attended online through a live webinar. The talks and panel discussion were followed by a social gathering where the participants actively engaged in the informal discussion. This year, to avoid the risk for COVID-19, the event will be organized solely as a webinar which we hope will enable us to reach a wider audience.
KeraClub is a joint initiative of the Save Sight Institute, The University of Sydney, and the Keratoconus Australia. “We are very proud to support this event where keratoconus patients’ perspectives, values and concerns are heard and the patients get valuable information. Patients also get to know the significance of being enrolled in the keratoconus registry which is an important tool to track their keratoconus outcomes.” said Larry Kornhauser, the president of Keratoconus Australia. Registration for this event is free but essential. Click here for registration. Zoom details for the event will be emailed to the participants closer to the event. Please contact us at ssi.community@syendy.edu.au if you need more information.