Abstract
Introduction Glaucoma care demand in UK hospitals has increased rapidly in recent years resulting in a push to community care models to reduce the burden on hospitals and on patients.
Aims To ascertain patient’s experiences of their care delivered in community clinics.
Methods Patients’ thoughts of feeling safe under the care of the community clinical team were gathered. Patient experiences were assessed using a modified Glaucoma Patient-reported Outcome and Experience Measure (POEM) instrument that included patient’s perspective on diagnosis, treatment, fear of blindness, and experience.
Results Ninety-six consecutive patients (M:F 47:49, mean age 70±12 years) completed the study. Feeling safe under the clinical team produced a mean Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score of 90 (SD 15) and feeling care was organised produced a mean VAS score of 87 (SD 17). Patients had positive perceptions of their clinic experience with 96% of patients reporting that their experience of attending the community clinic was comfortable, and 93% felt their experience was the same as expected from the hospital. Patient age, gender, disease characteristics, and socioeconomic status had no influence on perceived experience. Patients aged <60 years had significantly lower understanding of their diagnosis compared to older groups (P=0.027), as did suspect glaucoma patients when compared to primary open glaucoma patients (P=0.045).
Conclusion Patients expressed a positive experience, felt safe under the care of their clinical team and that their care was organised. Patients <60 years, and those with no confirmed diagnosis may benefit from longer consultation time and educational materials to improve their understanding of the disease.
