What factors influence the optometric referral reply rate? - version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
To identify what factors influence the optometric referral reply rate (RRR): a mixed methods study of communication between optometrists and medical professionals with regard to feedback on optometric referrals.
IRAS ID
227869
Contact name
Nicola Thomas
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London South Bank University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
Community optometrists are primary eye care providers. Through the routine sight test, community optometrists identify patients with disease or ocular abnormalities that require referral for secondary medical care. Referral traditionally is accomplished via the General Ophthalmic Services 18 form, (GOS 18 form), or a letter. GOS 18 forms or letters are sent by post or delivered by the patient to the General Practitioner (GP), who typically forwards the form/letter to a local Hospital Eye Service (HES) clinic. GOS 18 forms or letters are sometimes posted or hand delivered directly to community ophthalmology clinics or HES clinics. Electronic transmission is becoming an increasingly common alternative approach. In most cases, the referring optometrist does not receive a reply to their referral. This has negative implications for financial, quality of care and professional development reasons. It is therefore desirable to improve the optometric referral reply rate (RRR).
The proposed RRR study utilises mixed qualitative and quantitative methods. The first phase, of approximately 3 months duration, involves interviews of ophthalmic/medical, academic, administrative and private patient/public stakeholders (representing participant involvement in the study design). This will be followed by an explanatory sequential mixed methods design with quantitative documentary analysis of two years' referral letters and referral reply letters from a representative sample of three optometric practice modalities: corporate body (example: Specsavers, Vision Express), independently owned optometric practice and domiciliary). This phase will take approximately ten months. A final qualitative phase of stakeholder interviews (approximately three months) will explore in detail the quantitative findings of the documentary analysis. The desired outcome of the investigation is an improved understanding of factors that influence the low referral reply rate. Recommendations that foster a more collaborative working environment will be proposed. It is anticipated that this will improve overall NHS ophthalmic service provision.REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/1886
Date of REC Opinion
22 Jan 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion