Non-emergency eye conditions clog up ERs

The results come from a national study published in the journal Ophthalmology, and are based on 14 years of eye related ergency collated by researchers from the University of Michigan (UM).Of the 377,000 documented eye-related ergency cases, 86,500 of these were cases of conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and chalazion, which did not require ergency treatment.Resarchers said the situation called for awareness campaigns to educate the public regarding eye care and health concerns, which could include recommending regular visits to optometrists and ophthalmologists.{{quote-A:R-W:450-Q: Of the 377,000 documented eye-related ergency cases, 86,500 of these were cases of conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and chalazion, which did not require ergency treatment. }}“Depending on the eye condition, the ergency room is the right choice for some patients, but not the best place for many others,” said Dr Brian Stagg, lead author of the study and a clinical scholar at UM’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation.“Our findings suggest that eye-care professionals, insurers, and ergency providers should work together to help people get the care they need for erging eye issues, in the right setting.”Stagg, who is also an ophthalmologist and sees patients at the Kellogg Eye Center, said the findings of their study should provoke health providers and insurers to take an active effort to inform patients regarding these eye conditions, in order to reduce ER visits.Study co-author Dr Maria Woodward recommended that these awareness programs could include teledicine appointments where eye doctors could examine the conditions rotely through digital images and a description of symptoms.Another way of reducing these unnecessary ER visits is to establish an incentive process to encourage the after-hours availability of primary eye care providers and specialists for consultations.The study also revealed that the main groups who sought ER assistance were younger people, men and low-income earners, with some visiting the ER up to four times each year for eye probls.Among other concerns that were revealed in the study is the lack of eye specialists covering low-income areas and the inability to take time off from work for appointments.