A Proposed Intervention to Decrease Resident-Performed Cataract Surgery Cancellation in a Tertiary Eye Care Center.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Education
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Cataracts are a leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide.
• Cataract surgery competence is crucial for ophthalmology residency training.
• High rates of preventable cataract surgery cancellations impact training and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of mandatory on-site preadmission testing on resident-performed cataract surgery cancellations.
• To evaluate if a facilitated physical examination process reduces surgery cancellations.

Main Methods:

• A randomized study at Wills Eye Hospital resident clinic (January-November 2015).
• Patients were assigned to either usual care (external preadmission testing) or an intervention group (on-site testing with a cardiologist).
• Both groups received pre-surgery reminder calls.

Main Results:

• The overall cataract surgery cancellation rate was 14.5%.
• The intervention group had a 12.4% cancellation rate versus 16.3% in the usual care group (P = .28).
• On-site testing significantly increased the completion of preadmission testing and physical examinations (P <.001).

Conclusions:

• Facilitating on-site preadmission testing for cataract surgery patients reduced cancellation rates in a resident clinic.
• This approach has the potential to enhance patient outcomes and prevent blindness.
• Streamlining pre-surgical evaluations is key for effective resident training and patient care.