MacIsaac, Jessica, Naroo, Shehzad A. and Rumney, Nicholas J (2021). Analysis of UK eye casualty presentations. Clinical and Experimental Optometry ,
Abstract
Clinical relevance Optometrists upskilling and participating in enhanced optometric schemes has the potential to improve service accessibility and alleviate pressure on hospital eye services. Background There is a growing demand for eye care in the UK with rising hospital attendances thought to be due in part to an ageing population and a shift in behaviour to favour emergency secondary care. Methods Records of first-time presentations to the eye casualty department at the County Hospital (Wye Valley NHS Trust), Hereford, UK, over a month were analysed retrospectively and sequentially. The proportion of patients from optometrist referrals with conditions potentially requiring pharmacological intervention, that could have been retained within community optometry by an independent prescriber, was assessed. For general practitioner and self-referrals, the reasons for visit were compared to the Minor Eye Conditions Service criteria for inclusion. Patient conditions reviewed at the hospital following their initial presentation were grouped according to those who could have been discharged to a commissioned optometric service. Results The records of 421 patients were organised by the source of referral and condition diagnosed by the hospital practitioner. Thirty-three percent of optometrist referrals could have been managed by an independent prescribing optometrist. Ninety-two percent of patients presenting from general practitioner referrals and 83 percent of self-referrals could have been assessed via the local optometric scheme. Sixty-six percent of patients attending hospital for follow-up could have been seen within the community. Conclusion The present analysis highlights the value of commissioned local optometric community services to address acute ocular symptoms and the value of an independent prescribing qualification in helping to further alleviate the burden on hospital emergency eye services. The large number of self-referrals suggests that the general public needs to be further educated on services that are available at a community optometry level.
Publication DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1080/08164622.2021.1937949 |
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Divisions: | College of Health & Life Sciences > School of Optometry > Optometry College of Health & Life Sciences > School of Optometry > Optometry & Vision Science Research Group (OVSRG) College of Health & Life Sciences > School of Optometry > Vision, Hearing and Language College of Health & Life Sciences Aston University (General) |
Additional Information: | © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way |
Publication ISSN: | 1444-0938 |
Last Modified: | 29 Nov 2024 18:24 |
Date Deposited: | 02 Aug 2021 14:44 |
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Related URLs: |
https://www.tan ... 22.2021.1937949
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PURE Output Type: | Article |
Published Date: | 2021-07-27 |
Published Online Date: | 2021-07-27 |
Accepted Date: | 2021-05-26 |
Authors: |
MacIsaac, Jessica
Naroo, Shehzad A. ( 0000-0002-6373-7187) Rumney, Nicholas J |
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