Dry eye opportunity for practices revealed

Many patients are going to secondary care for dry eye problems that could be effectively treated in the community, according to independent research commissioned by ophthalmic product company Altacor.

The research, looking at patient pathways, involved interviewing senior staff in secondary care referral units including senior nurses and consultant ophthalmologists.

It revealed that 70 per cent of referrals came via the GP and of those, 60-70 per cent had mild to moderate eye conditions. Altacor said that with each patient sent to secondary care with mild disease getting at least one outpatient appointment, and moderate patients receiving additional follow-up, there was considerable room to generate efficiencies in the pathway.