Papilloedema diagnosis guidelines

New guidelines that could speed up the diagnosis and treatment of patients with papilloedema have been worked on by researchers at the University of Bristol.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded study aimed to address what researchers said were issues such as over referral, by developing and evaluating a set of guidelines for GPs and optometrists to improve the accuracy of diagnostic referrals.

The Improving the Diagnostic accuracy of referrals for Papilloedema study will have three stages. The first will study how optometrists and hospitals in different areas of England manage people who may have eye nerve swelling, and look at what additional training, equipment or resources might help. The second will involve developing guidelines for GPs and optometrists and information leaflets for patients, while the final will evaluate how the guidelines are used and whether patient experiences have improved as a result.

Dr Denize Atan, lead of the Eye and Brain group at Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences and co-lead of the study, said: ‘Currently more people with suspected nerve swelling are being referred, which means that people who really do have nerve swelling may be waiting longer for appointments. We hope the study will help educate and guide GPs, optometrists and hospital doctors to work better together to improve the care and experiences of patients in the NHS.’