Part II. Diagnostic outcomes of optometric referrals in a VA medical center

In a previous study, the authors examined the medical records of patients seen in the optometry clinic of the Birmingham Veterans Administration Medical Center (BVAMC) who were referred to other providers within the BVAMC for diagnosis and/or treatment of health problems outside the scope of optometric clinical privileges. The present study examined an equivalent number of medical records of patients who had been examined in the optometry clinic but were not referred to other health care providers within the BVAMC. By utilizing retrospective clinical judgment, the authors found that 3 of 266 patients (1.13 degrees) that were not referred probably should have been. None of the 3 patients had potentially sight or life threatening disorders. An algorithm for the methodology and case reports of the 3 patients are presented.