Patient reported experiences of optometric services the Transforming Eye Care Services Wales (TECSW) pilot project

Hobby, Angharad; Beatty, Sharon; Ryan, Barbara; Morgan, James; Acton, Jennifer

Abstract

Purpose:
Insufficient capacity in secondary care to assess and manage eyecare patients in Wales led to recent changes in service
pathways, through the delivery of community-based “shared care” enhanced optometric services. The primary objective of
this study was to examine patient reported experiences of community-based eye care services and equivalent existing
hospital-based clinical pathways.
Methods:
A service evaluation of the pilot Independent Prescribing Optometry Service (IPOS) and Glaucoma assessment services (new
and follow-up) in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board was undertaken using the Eyecare Patient Reported Experience
Measure (PREM), which was offered to all patients in participating practices between April 2020 and March 2021. Demographic
characteristics and patient satisfaction were examined in each new optometric pathway service in the community and in a
hospital-based glaucoma service.
Results:
Responses from 1551 patients (median age 67, IQR 55, 76) were evaluated. Most (80%) travelled by car to appointments, only
5% elected to utilise public transport citing difficulties with this. Some dissatisfaction with wait times to access community
and hospital based glaucoma services was evident (5-24% and 45% of patients, respectively), however patient satisfaction
levels were otherwise high across services and areas of assessment. In community and hospital-based services, patients felt
confident in their assessment (95-97% and 97% of patient, respectively) and well cared for (91-96% and 97%, respectively).
Conclusions:
Patients experience equally high levels of satisfaction with hospital and community-based ophthalmic services overall.
However, higher levels of satisfaction are shown regarding access times for IPOS and community-based glaucoma follow-up
services.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Abstract
• Conference Name: Untapped potential: Facilitating practise-based research in optometry
• Start Date: Mar 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: Apr 17, 2025
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/14318283