RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Implementation of medical retina virtual clinics in a tertiary eye care referral centre
JF British Journal of Ophthalmology
JO Br J Ophthalmol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.
SP 1391
OP 1395
DO 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2017-311494
VO 102
IS 10
A1 Karsten Kortuem
A1 Katrin Fasler
A1 Amanda Charnley
A1 Hussain Khambati
A1 Sandro Fasolo
A1 Menachem Katz
A1 Konstantinos Balaskas
A1 Ranjan Rajendram
A1 Robin Hamilton
A1 Pearse A Keane
A1 Dawn A Sim
YR 2018
UL http://bjo.bmj.com/content/102/10/1391.abstract
AB Background The increasing incidence of medical retinal diseases has created capacity issues across UK. In this study, we describe the implementation and outcomes of virtual medical retina clinics (VMRCs) at Moorfields Eye Hospital, South Division, London. It represents a promising solution to ensure that patients are seen and treated in a timely fashionMethods First attendances in the VMRC (September 2016–May 2017) were included. It was open to non-urgent external referrals and to existing patients in a face-to-face clinic (F2FC). All patients received visual acuity testing, dilated fundus photography and optical coherence tomography scans. Grading was performed by consultants, fellows and allied healthcare professionals. Outcomes of these virtual consultations and reasons for F2FC referrals were assessed.Results A total number of 1729 patients were included (1543 were internal and 186 external referrals). The majority were diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy (75.1% of internal and 46.8% of external referrals). Of the internal referrals, 14.6% were discharged, 54.5% continued in VMRC and 30.9% were brought to a F2FC. Of the external referrals, 45.5% were discharged, 37.1% continued in VMRC and 17.4% were brought to a F2FC. The main reason for F2FC referrals was image quality (34.7%), followed by detection of potentially treatable disease (20.2%).Conclusion VMRC can be implemented successfully using existing resources within a hospital eye service. It may also serve as a first-line rapid-access clinic for low-risk referrals. This would enable medical retinal services to cope with increasing demand and efficiently allocate resources to those who require treatment.