Care to Join?

Integrated, coordinated or comprehensive care – whatever we call it, it is increasingly clear that our aging populations desperately need health and social care professionals working together. Eye care is no exception, and with ophthalmologists struggling to meet growing demands, it is vital that the burden is shared among the wider health workforce. In the UK, ophthalmologists currently handle 10 percent of all outpatient appointments, but those numbers are set to grow, with a projected increase of glaucoma cases by 44 percent within the next 20 years, and the demand for cataract procedures predicted to rise by 50 percent over that period (1). Ophthalmic medical practitioners, nurses, orthopists, and, last but not least, optometrists, are all crucial pieces in this sizeable jigsaw puzzle. The common goals are clear: protecting vision and improving quality of life.

This month (and for the next few issues), we present various examples of where integrated support is already being applied to eye care – or where it is urgently needed.

Adam Mapani, ophthalmic nurse consultant, who you may have spotted on our 2019 Power List, describes his experience of working in a setting where allied healthcare professionals play an integral role in delivering the best healthcare provision; they also educate practitioners around the world about implementing collaborative approaches.

In our feature, Shared Vision, ophthalmologists and optometrists from Europe and North America describe their experiences of approaches that work well when it comes to joining forces, and suggest how the mutually beneficial relationships can improve even more in the future. But they also note the aspects of care that should not be shared. Mutual respect and working for the benefit of the patient should always win over prospects of financial gains or “turf wars.” Though consensus is not always easy to achieve at the institutional level, our contributors regularly see successful examples of patient co-management and cooperation.

Appropriate regulation, education and training are all key to ensure that patient safety is not compromised when implementing aspects of integrated care into ophthalmic practice. But when done well – and responsibly – it represents a win-win-win solution, reducing ophthalmologists’ burden, empowering healthcare professionals, and giving patients access to a support system that fully meets their needs.