One of the lovely things about clinical meetings and conferences is the ability to meet with your peers and ask questions of them about their practice. Often the questions are not earth shattering, for example, it could be as simple as “Do you routinely measure post-dilating IOPs?” or “How long do you sign patients off after cataract surgery?”
We all train in different places and our practice can become quite fixed, but are we confident that our practice matches that of our colleagues? If someone challenges what we do or do not do, are we confident that it would stand the Bolam test of what our colleagues consider reasonable? More importantly, are we happy to be challenged about our practice and reflect on variances to see if we are delivering the best for our patients?
Eye News is launching a regular survey feature whereby practising ophthalmologists and optometrists will be able to ask and answer simple questions about practice variation. The format will be a short survey of five to seven sample questions. The aim is to allow completion in less than five minutes so it will not be onerous. The questions will be previewed in the print Eye News with a survey link, which will also be emailed out to you to answer the questions. The following month the answers will be shared and, if appropriate, some opinion based on current literature or guidance will be offered.
Please join in and answer the questions. We would also welcome questions from the readership which they would like answered. Please email AmarAlwitry@btinternet.com with your suggestions.
Ophthalmology questions
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Do you routinely using intracameral cefuroxime at the end of your cataract surgery?
YES / NO
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In penicillin allergic patients WITHOUT anaphylaxis do you still give intracameral cefuroxime?
YES / NO
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In penicillin allergic patients WITH anaphylaxis do you still give intracameral cefuroxime?
YES / NO
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If no, what alternative do you use?
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Do you stop Tamsulosin prior to cataract surgery?
YES / NO
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Do you utilise intracameral phenylephrine in patients with IFIS risk?
YES / NO
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If so, what concentration do you use?
Neat 2.5% / Diluted 2.5% / Neat 10% / Diluted 10% / Other (please state)
Optometry questions
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Do you routinely perform retinoscopy on all adult patients attending for refraction?
YES / NO -
If no, what percentage have a manual retinoscopy?
<25% / 25-50% / 50-75% / 75%+ -
Do you request a visual field test routinely on all patients?
YES / NO -
Do you undertake visual field tests on patients already under the hospital for glaucoma / OHT?
YES / NO -
What is your routine sight test interval for normal children
(<16 years)? 3 MONTHS / 6 MONTHS / 12 MONTHS / 24 MONTHS -
At what degree of hypermetropia in a symptom-less child would you issue a prescription?
<=+1.00D / +1.25 to +2.00D / +2.25 to +3.00D / 3.00D+ / only when child is symptomatic or strasbismic
COMMENTS ARE WELCOME
