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1726 results found

Analysis of ‘urgent’ cataract referrals from community optometrists in the West of Scotland

As elective cataract services restart post-COVID, how do we establish which patients should be a priority? The authors share their findings from a review of ‘urgent’ referrals received by the ophthalmology department in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde. The COVID-19...

Digital eyecare – enabling better communication between primary and secondary care

Alexander Chiu and his co-authors highlight innovations influencing healthcare advancement and how trainees can get involved. Hospital eye services (HES) were under great pressure to meet demand, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. This pressure has increased with the cancellation and...

Smartphone use in screening

This prospective study aimed to determine the positive predictive value (PPV) of patients referred to a pediatric ophthalmic practice in Alaska. Young children were photoscreened with Gobiquity app on a Nokia model 1020 smartphone; 217 children were referred. Time from...

Bridging the gap – Supporting our patients across the primary / secondary care divide

Providing the best care for patients is surely a fundamental goal for all healthcare professionals. When waiting-times are long and getting longer, clinics are full, colleagues are off with stress-related illness and patients are complaining, is it possible to still...

Are hospital cataract services managing more complex cases?

An audit of referral pathways and case mix in hospital cataract services. Cataract is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, causing severe visual impairment, particularly within ageing populations [1]. Gradual lens opacification impairs contrast sensitivity, visual acuity and overall...

Features from screening programme referrals pre and post pandemic

In this study the authors conducted an analysis of demographics, referral rates and prevalence of various ophthalmic assessments among children referred to an ophthalmologist through the UCI eye mobile programme. They further evaluated the influence of socio-economic factors and the...

Practice Plus Group: Facilitating precise patient referrals for YAG capsulotomy - expertise and application

Practice Plus Group is delighted to offer an accredited event for local referrers: ‘Facilitating precise patient referrals for YAG capsulotomy- expertise and application’ In this course, Facilitating Precise Patient Referrals for YAG Capsulotomy: Expertise and Application, you will develop the...

Lothian Optometry Teach and Treat Clinic

The Lothian Optometry Teach and Treat (LOTT) Clinic is a supervised training clinic for community optometrists with an interest in managing patients with acute eye pathology, normally managed in the hospital setting. LOTT, which is the first clinic of its...

Community Eyecare Services in Northern Ireland: putting the patient at the centre, improving outcomes and maximising system resource

The UK has four healthcare systems; Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales each has autonomous legislature that develops health policy, while the UK government directly runs England’s NHS. Like the other nations, Northern Ireland is continually challenged to meet the needs...

Quality matters in the management of serious eye disorders

The author discusses the first quality standard for serious eye disorders from NICE and takes a look at new care models for enhanced service delivery. Patient backlogs pose risks to patient safety, with research showing that people are losing sight...

Pathway innovations to address cataract services post-COVID-19

Background The demand for cataract services prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was already recognised to be high and growing - in the face of an ageing population and reduced surgical thresholds. When added to the growth in demand for ophthalmic...

How effective is nurse-led telephone preassessment for cataract surgery?

Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgical procedure in the UK [1]. The demand for cataract surgery is projected to increase with ageing population, and the recent pandemic has further contributed to the extended waiting times in the UK....