Patient-Reported Cataract Outcomes After the Introduction of the Griffith Ophthalmology Project in Regional Australia

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Cataract surgery is crucial for restoring vision and improving quality of life.
• Regional Australia faces challenges in accessing specialized healthcare services like ophthalmology.
• The Griffith Ophthalmology Project aimed to address these disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Griffith Ophthalmology Project's impact on visual acuity and quality of life in cataract surgery patients.
• To assess the project's effectiveness in reducing surgical waiting times in regional NSW.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study analyzing data from 135 patients (168 eyes) undergoing cataract surgery.
• Utilized National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ) and EuroQol 5-Dimensional 5-Level survey (EQ-5D-5L) to assess quality of life.
• Collected and analyzed pre- and post-operative visual acuity and surgical waiting list data.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements observed in 11 of 12 NEI-VFQ quality of life subscales and the composite score.
• All five dimensions of EQ-5D-5L showed improvement, indicating enhanced health-related quality of life.
• Visual acuity significantly improved, surgical waitlist reduced from 123 to 10 patients, and waiting times decreased from 15 to 2 months.

Conclusions:

• The Griffith Ophthalmology Project successfully enhanced visual outcomes and quality of life for cataract surgery patients.
• The project demonstrated a significant reduction in surgical waiting times.
• This model, utilizing visiting specialists and local collaboration, offers a sustainable template for regional Australian healthcare services.