Trial of an Internet-Based Cataract and Lens Exchange Registry in a Tertiary Teaching Hospital: Insights and Impact
Lauren Sartor1,2,3, Chameen Samarawickrama1,2,3
1Department of Ophthalmology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia, nsw.gov.au.
Purpose:
To evaluate the feasibility of an internet-based cataract surgical registry in a tertiary teaching hospital and compare the efficiency of a registry-based, prospective cataract audit with retrospective methods.
Setting:
Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Design:
A continuous time-motion study.
Methods:
The duration of pre- and postoperative cataract consultations were measured before and after the introduction of the internet-based Cataract & Lens Exchange Analysis & Register log. Outcomes assessed were the total duration of the consultation, medical record keeping and patient facing activities. A clinician survey was completed, and comparison was made in auditing times between the prospective registry data and the retrospective chart review.
Results:
Use of the registry added on average an extra 1.7 min to the standard consultation, but this was not significant (p = 0.95). Preoperative clinics (p < 0.01), language interpreter use (p = 0.05) and completion of consent forms (p = 0.04) lengthened the total duration of the consultation. Participants were positive about the benefit of the registry (85% positive) though there were mixed responses about the ease of use and integration of the registry in the existing workflow.
Conclusion:
The web-based registry was successfully trialled in a tertiary hospital setting without adversely affecting consultation time. The registry offers a substantial time saving over retrospective audit methods, which has the potential to improve engagement in quality assurance activities.
