Retrospective Review on the Orthoptic Phone Call Clinic for Nasolacrimal Duct Obstructions and Chalazia
Aust Orthopt J 2020 Volume 52: 14-18
Faren Willett BSc MOrth1
1 Ophthalmology Department, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
Ophthalmology departments in public health systems worldwide are overburdened with high referral numbers and long wait times. This has necessitated the development of new models of care to improve patient access and maximise clinic efficiency. Nasolacrimal duct obstructions (NLDO) and chalazia are two common paediatric conditions that have a high chance of resolution with conservative management alone. The Queensland Children’s Hospital developed a phone call clinic to manage these referrals to better triage and prioritise children and encourage initiation of conservative management prior to outpatient presentation. This paper describes the clinical processes and protocols in the design of this phone call clinic and a retrospective discussion of its outcomes. Two hundred and seventy appointments were made available within a 16-month timeframe, with no additional staff or resources required. The findings of this review would suggest that orthoptists can be utilised in the triaging process to help with clinic efficiency and patient care.
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