The Multidisciplinary Glaucoma Monitoring Clinic at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital

Debra Gleeson, AssocDipAppSc(Orth)
Department of Diagnostic Eye Services (Orthoptics), The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

An ageing population worldwide is and will increasingly overburden existing eye health services due to an associated increase in age-related ocular disease. This has necessitated the development of different eye care schemes to alleviate this problem, particularly in the area of glaucoma. These schemes utilise community optometrists, and hospitalbased optometrists, orthoptists and ophthalmic nurses. The various schemes have aided in a range of ways, from reducing false-positive glaucoma referrals to hospital clinics, to diagnosing, monitoring and in some cases treating suitable glaucoma patients.

The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH) Glaucoma Monitoring Clinic (EGMON) which started in 2007 utilises a multidisciplinary team of ophthalmic consultants, optometrists, orthoptists and ophthalmic nurses. The EGMON Clinic was set up in response to increasing numbers attending the RVEEH glaucoma clinics, the largest tertiary glaucoma service in Victoria. This was affecting the availability of appointments for new and review patients.

Orthoptists have the theoretical knowledge and the clinical background to play an important role in the provision of services to patients with glaucoma and other types of chronic eye disease.

This study describes the establishment of the multidisciplinary EGMON Clinic at the RVEEH and the clinical protocols and processes used in the clinic. The outcomes and the results of the patient survey on the effectiveness of the clinic are also discussed.