Cwm Taf is one of RNIB's five Community Engagement Projects (CEPs). Each of our five CEP sites is piloting a range of evidence-based eye health interventions to understand how effective they are at increasing service uptake and treatment concordance.
Target population: white, low income, aged 40 and over, resident in the Rhondda Valley.
Target eye conditions: glaucoma and ocular hypertension.
Establishing an evidence base
RNIB commissioned several pieces of research to inform the development of interventions to be piloted in the CEPs:
-
Equity profiles - local public health specialists conducted a systematic review of data in the five CEP sites to explore the population characteristics, service provision, patterns of use and outcomes among the target populations. Read the Cwm Taf equity profile
-
Evidence review - De Montfort University conducted a review examining evidence of the effectiveness of intervention strategies to address inequalities in eye health care, relating particularly to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Read the evidence review.
-
Qualitative research - conducted with commissioners, frontline eye health professionals, local communities and service users in the five CEP sites to explore awareness, experiences and views on accessing primary and secondary eye care services. Read the research into the barriers and enablers that affect access to primary and secondary eye care services.
CEP objectives
1. Reduce waiting times for the management of patients with stable glaucoma and ocular hypertension.
2. Improve patient satisfaction.
3. Improve service uptake and reduce non-attendance at secondary care clinics.
Pilot intervention
1. Establishing an optometrist-led Ophthalmic Diagnostic and Treatment Centre in the community hospital, to manage patients with stable glaucoma and ocular hypertension.
Please note: This intervention was originally nurse-led, but has been changed to be optometrist-led to enable suspect ocular hypertension and glaucoma patients to be seen in addition to patients with stable ocular hypertension and glaucoma. This will help to ensure the Ophthalmic Diagnostic and Treatment Centre will be used to full capacity.
Evaluation
Now that the interventions in the five CEP sites have been designed they will be piloted for 18-20 months between 2012 and 2014.
RNIB has appointed the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions across the five CEP sites.
For more information about the Cwm Taf CEP email
professionals@rnib.org.uk.