Glaucoma triage system: results of implementing a virtual clinic

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Health Informatics
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Glaucoma care requires timely intervention to prevent vision loss.
• Overburdened healthcare systems face challenges in managing patient flow and reducing wait times.
• Virtual clinic triage offers a potential solution for optimizing specialist consultations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation of a virtual clinic triage system at Hospital Santa Maria-CHULN.
• To analyze the impact of this system on patient healthcare outcomes and system efficiency.
• To evaluate the system's effectiveness in managing glaucoma patient referrals.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis comparing two cohorts: pre-virtual and virtual triage.
• Review of 292 patient charts (132 pre-virtual, 160 virtual).
• Outcomes assessed included waiting time, number of hospital visits, and decision-making at first contact.

Main Results:

• Mean waiting time between referral and first medical contact decreased by 71.3 days.
• Waiting time between referral and treatment decision reduced by an average of 326.8 days.
• Number of visits for examinations and decisions decreased by 63.6%; triage effectively categorized patients by urgency.

Conclusions:

• The virtual screening strategy significantly decreased waiting times and hospital visits for glaucoma patients.
• The system enhances data-assisted clinical decision-making and optimizes resource allocation.
• Virtual triage systems are valuable tools for improving glaucoma care in resource-constrained healthcare settings.