A Scoping Review of Process Indicators for Measuring Quality of Care in Glaucoma

There are no standardized process quality indicators (QIs) in glaucoma care. Although they can be inferred from guidelines and trials, they should be designed and standardized to allow better assessment of the quality of care.

QIs are crucial for assessing the performance of any health care system. To allow efficiency, effectiveness, and patient-centeredness, there is a need for prompt acquisition of up-to-date information. Among the available QIs, process indicators have the highest sensitivity to frequent changes and could better reflect the implementation outcomes of novel ideas and technology. This study aimed to map the available information regarding process QIs in glaucoma care, identify the current development stage of these indicators, and systematically synthesize them.

We performed a scoping review of 4 electronic bibliographic databases for studies reporting on process QIs in glaucoma. We retrieved 7502 references and created a domain list reflecting the core idea underlying each indicator.

We summarized information from 18 documents and listed 20 domains. The most mentioned domains were follow-up, optic nerve head assessment, visual field test, and intraocular pressure. Indicators regarding the quality of life assessment, patient assistance, or presence of written protocols were less frequently mentioned.

There are notable variations among process QIs in glaucoma and significant heterogeneity in their descriptions in published studies. Although novel indicators can be inferred from guidelines and trials, they should be designed and standardized for better assessment of performance in health systems to improve their quality.