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Evaluation of a minor eye conditions scheme delivered by community optometrists

BACKGROUND: The establishment of minor eye conditions schemes (MECS) within community optometric practices provides a mechanism for the timely assessment of patients presenting with a range of acute eye conditions. This has the potential to reduce waiting times and avoid unnecessary referrals to hos...

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Autores principales: Konstantakopoulou, E, Edgar, D F, Harper, R A, Baker, H, Sutton, M, Janikoun, S, Larkin, G, Lawrenson, J G
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: BMJ Publishing Group 2016
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4985875/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27515757
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011832
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author Konstantakopoulou, E
Edgar, D F
Harper, R A
Baker, H
Sutton, M
Janikoun, S
Larkin, G
Lawrenson, J G
author_facet Konstantakopoulou, E
Edgar, D F
Harper, R A
Baker, H
Sutton, M
Janikoun, S
Larkin, G
Lawrenson, J G
author_sort Konstantakopoulou, E
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: The establishment of minor eye conditions schemes (MECS) within community optometric practices provides a mechanism for the timely assessment of patients presenting with a range of acute eye conditions. This has the potential to reduce waiting times and avoid unnecessary referrals to hospital eye services (HES). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness, impact on hospital attendances and patient satisfaction with a minor eye service provided by community optometrists. METHODS: Activity and outcome data were collected for 12 months in the Lambeth and Lewisham MECS. A patient satisfaction questionnaire was given to patients at the end of their MECS appointment. A retrospective difference-in-differences analysis of hospital activity compared changes in the volume of referrals by general practitioners (GPs) from a period before (April 2011–March 2013) to after (April 2013–March 2015) the introduction of the scheme in Lambeth and Lewisham relative to a neighbouring area (Southwark) where the scheme had not been commissioned. Appropriateness of case management was assessed by consensus using clinical members of the research team. RESULTS: A total of 2123 patients accessed the scheme. Approximately two-thirds of patients (67.5%) were referred by their GP. The commonest reasons for patients attending for a MECS assessment were ‘red eye’ (36.7% of patients), ‘painful white eye’ (11.1%) and ‘flashes and floaters’ (10.2%). A total of 64.1% of patients were managed in optometric practice and 18.9% were referred to the HES; of these, 89.2% had been appropriately referred. First attendances to HES referred by GPs reduced by 26.8% (95% CI −40.5% to −13.1%) in Lambeth and Lewisham compared to Southwark. CONCLUSIONS: The Lambeth and Lewisham MECS demonstrates clinical effectiveness, reduction in hospital attendances and high patient satisfaction and represents a successful collaboration between commissioners, local HES units and primary healthcare providers.
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spelling pubmed-49858752016-08-19 Evaluation of a minor eye conditions scheme delivered by community optometrists Konstantakopoulou, E Edgar, D F Harper, R A Baker, H Sutton, M Janikoun, S Larkin, G Lawrenson, J G BMJ Open Ophthalmology BACKGROUND: The establishment of minor eye conditions schemes (MECS) within community optometric practices provides a mechanism for the timely assessment of patients presenting with a range of acute eye conditions. This has the potential to reduce waiting times and avoid unnecessary referrals to hospital eye services (HES). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness, impact on hospital attendances and patient satisfaction with a minor eye service provided by community optometrists. METHODS: Activity and outcome data were collected for 12 months in the Lambeth and Lewisham MECS. A patient satisfaction questionnaire was given to patients at the end of their MECS appointment. A retrospective difference-in-differences analysis of hospital activity compared changes in the volume of referrals by general practitioners (GPs) from a period before (April 2011–March 2013) to after (April 2013–March 2015) the introduction of the scheme in Lambeth and Lewisham relative to a neighbouring area (Southwark) where the scheme had not been commissioned. Appropriateness of case management was assessed by consensus using clinical members of the research team. RESULTS: A total of 2123 patients accessed the scheme. Approximately two-thirds of patients (67.5%) were referred by their GP. The commonest reasons for patients attending for a MECS assessment were ‘red eye’ (36.7% of patients), ‘painful white eye’ (11.1%) and ‘flashes and floaters’ (10.2%). A total of 64.1% of patients were managed in optometric practice and 18.9% were referred to the HES; of these, 89.2% had been appropriately referred. First attendances to HES referred by GPs reduced by 26.8% (95% CI −40.5% to −13.1%) in Lambeth and Lewisham compared to Southwark. CONCLUSIONS: The Lambeth and Lewisham MECS demonstrates clinical effectiveness, reduction in hospital attendances and high patient satisfaction and represents a successful collaboration between commissioners, local HES units and primary healthcare providers. BMJ Publishing Group 2016-08-10 /pmc/articles/PMC4985875/ /pubmed/27515757 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011832 Text en Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/ This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
spellingShingle Ophthalmology
Konstantakopoulou, E
Edgar, D F
Harper, R A
Baker, H
Sutton, M
Janikoun, S
Larkin, G
Lawrenson, J G
Evaluation of a minor eye conditions scheme delivered by community optometrists
title Evaluation of a minor eye conditions scheme delivered by community optometrists
title_full Evaluation of a minor eye conditions scheme delivered by community optometrists
title_fullStr Evaluation of a minor eye conditions scheme delivered by community optometrists
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation of a minor eye conditions scheme delivered by community optometrists
title_short Evaluation of a minor eye conditions scheme delivered by community optometrists
title_sort evaluation of a minor eye conditions scheme delivered by community optometrists
topic Ophthalmology
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4985875/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27515757
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011832
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