Cambridgeshire cataract shared care model: community optometrist-delivered postoperative discharge scheme

Abstract

Postcataract surgery follow-up by community optometrists provides the advantages of care closer to home and avoids unnecessary hospital visits for patients undergoing uncomplicated cataract surgery.

Quality indicators in a community optometrist led cataract shared care scheme

“…Feedback is essential to the compulsory audit of outcomes following NHS cataract surgery and should form an integral part of the service‐level agreement. Feedback return rates have not been routinely reported in the literature . Our scheme, however, illustrates that high rates can be achieved.…”

“…The value of 85% of patients listed was derived as an achievable target from previously reported studies . Postoperative feedback of 90% was derived from the audit standard used in our review of the optometrist‐delivered postoperative discharge scheme previously reported in literature …”

“…Shared care models for the cataract surgical pathway have been in existence for some time but there is a surprising lack of information on these schemes available in the literature . A variety of different shared care models with community optometrists have been reported for both cataract referral pathways and discharge pathways . The expertise offered by community optometrists can assist hospital eye services (HES) to reduce the clinical burden related to routine preoperative and postoperative cataract surgery care …”

“…It has been found to be safe and beneficial to patients in terms of reduced hospital visits and follow up closer to home . The rate of postoperative feedback returns from community optometrists have been reported as high as 77% and 97% …”

“…[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] The expertise offered by community optometrists can assist hospital eye services (HES) to reduce the clinical burden related to routine preoperative and postoperative cataract surgery care. 5,16 Preoperatively, direct optometrist referral schemes have been harnessed to improve listing rates compared to conventional general practitioner (GP) referrals. Rates of listing for cataract surgery have been shown to be as high at 96% and 89% in two one-stop models where cataract surgery is performed on the same day as first consultation.…”