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PEER REVIEW: OPHTHALMOLOGY Planning for our Future - Reconfigured Model of Eye Care Increases Specialist Care for Patients in the Community development of a regionalised model appears to be the best means of achieving this aim. Central to the reconfigured Model of Eye Care is the implementation of the Integrated Eye Care Team which will extend the delivery of specialist ophthalmic care in the non-acute setting. The ICO fully supports this policy for increased patient care in the community, with clear referral pathways to acute hospital care. Priorities for the Integrated Eye Care Teams include the management of children referred from the screening programme, collaborating with screeners to improve the accuracy of the referrals and managing adult patients with a focus on medical retina, glaucoma and the delivery of pre and post operative cataract care. The teams will provide ongoing care for patients diagnosed in the community or ongoing care for patients transferred from the acute hospital. ‘Delivering Integrated Care in Ireland’ Pictured at the ICO Annual Conference 2022, which took place in the Kilkenny Convention Centre from May 16-18th were, Mr Tim Fulcher, President, Irish College of Ophthalmologists and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Mater Misericordiae with keynote speakers at the ‘Delivering Integrated Care in Ireland’ Symposium: Dr Margaret Morgan, Consultant Medical Ophthalmologist, Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Dublin and CHO7; Prof William Power, Clinical Lead for Ophthalmology and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Dublin; Ms Chriosa O’Conoor, Optometrist, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin; Prof David Keegan, UCD Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology and Retina, UCD School of Medicine, University College Dublin. National Clinical Lead for Diabetic Retinopathy Screening.
The Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO) and the Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology continue to deliver the National Education Series for the Integrated Eye Care Team in 2022 in support of the expansion of specialist ophthalmic care to patients in the non-acute setting. The National Education Series aims to support the implementation of the Integrated Eye Care Team model, highlighting the key rationale for establishing the team which is to deliver a health service that is patient focused, promotes evidence based practice, decompresses hospital based
eye services and improves timely access to care for patients. The specialty of ophthalmology has experienced rapid advances and innovations over the last two decades which now provide prevention and treatment for a significant proportion of sight threatening diseases. The anticipated five fold increase in the elderly population by 2040 coupled with advances in treatment has demanded a reconfiguration of eye services countrywide. The ICO and the National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology is working extensively with the
AUGUST 2022 • HPN | HOSPITALPROFESSIONALNEWS.IE
Consultant Medical Ophthalmologists lead and work as part of the Integrated Eye Care team and are co-located across the acute and community setting, to ensure access to acute inpatients services if required, subspecialty resources for more complex cases and cross specialty multidisciplinary care.
HSE and with the Department of Health to ensure the existing and projected future demand for eye care services in our population can be delivered.
Allied health professionals working as part of the team include ophthalmic nurses, orthoptists, optometrists and ophthalmic technicians.
The Clinical Programme has determined that, in line with Government policy, the majority of services should be provided within the community setting. As such, integration of acute and community services is essential in order to allow for rebalancing of access and delivery of eye care services from acute hospitals to the community. The aim is to provide high-quality, consistent, efficient and effective care. The
The delivery of the model of care is underpinned by clinical governance oversight promoting patient safety and the sustainability of a patient-centered model. ICO and Clinical Programme National Education Meeting Series for the Integrated Eye Care Team To support the implementation of the Model of Care recommendations, the ICO in
