Care Delivery SIG

SIG Corner Editor: João Barbosa Breda

Chair: Anton B. Hommer Co-chair: Gabor Holló

Update on ongoing projects

The goal of this SIG is to get a continuously updated overview of glaucoma care in Europe, and to

1. propose ways of improvement
2. convert the results into suggestions for improved clinical practice

To these ends, we have been collecting country-specific data on resident education, clinical practice, instrument and medication availability, and surgical practice.
The first 2 surveys report on considerable variability in training conditions and curricula, as wells as considerable differences in the availability of diagnostic technologies across the European countries (1).

1. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2016 May-Jun doi: 10.5301/ejo.5000699.
The status of glaucoma diagnostics and care in Europe in 2015: a European survey.
Holló G, Hommer A; Delivery of Glaucoma Care Committee of the European Glaucoma Society.

In a recent prospective European survey of the SIG the quality of referrals for the first open-angle glaucoma (OAG) surgery was evaluated (2). Of 294 European OAG referrals for first glaucoma-surgery only 41% were satisfactory. At the time of the referral the damage was typically advanced, and the care varied considerably among the countries. This suggests that further efforts are necessary to improve glaucoma care in Europe.

2. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2018 Aug doi: 10.1177/1120672118791937.
Referral for first glaucoma surgery in Europe, the ReF-GS study.
Holló G, Schmidl D, Hommer A; ReF-GS Investigators.

“The views expressed of EGS SIGs are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the EGS.”

The search for EGS goal of “Paving the Way to Better Glaucoma Care” continues together with Outcome and other EGS Committees as well as SIGs, i.e. how to promote the best possible well-being and minimal glaucoma-induced visual disability in individuals with glaucoma within affordable healthcare systems. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of the EGS.