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An economic comparison of hospital-based and community-based glaucoma clinics

Sharma, A; Jofre-Bonet, M; Panca, M; Lawrenson, JG; Murdoch, I; (2012) An economic comparison of hospital-based and community-based glaucoma clinics. Eye , 26 (7) pp. 967-971. 10.1038/eye.2012.73. Green open access

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: We have established one model for community care of glaucoma clinic patients. Community optometrists received training and accreditation in glaucoma care. Once qualified they alternated between running half day glaucoma clinics in their own High Street practices and assisting in a hospital-based glaucoma clinic session. This paper reports the cost of this model. METHODS: Micro-costing was undertaken for the hospital clinic. A consensus meeting was held to agree costs for community clinics involving all optometrists in the project along with representatives of the multiple chain optometry practices who had participated. Costs to patients both indirect and direct were calculated following structured interviews of 197 patients attending hospital clinics and 194 attending community clinics. RESULTS: The estimated cost per patient attendance to the hospital clinic was £63.91 and the estimated cost per attendance to the community clinic was £145.62. For patients the combined direct and indirect cost to attend the hospital clinic was £6.15 and the cost to attend the community clinic £5.91. DISCUSSION: The principal reason for the higher cost in the community clinic was higher overhead costs in the community. Re-referral to the hospital system only occurred for 9% of patients and was not a large contribution to the increased cost. Time requested to next appointment was similar for the two clinics. Sensitivity analysis shows a strong effect of increasing patients seen per clinic. It would, however, require 25 patients to be seen per clinician per day in the community in order to make the costs comparable.

Type: Article
Title: An economic comparison of hospital-based and community-based glaucoma clinics
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1038/eye.2012.73
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/eye.2012.73
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Questionnaire; interview; longitudinal study
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Institute of Ophthalmology
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Inst of Clinical Trials and Methodology
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Inst of Clinical Trials and Methodology > Comprehensive CTU at UCL
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1513282
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