Peter* was referred to Glaucoma Australia by his Specsavers optometrist in Queensland last year.
Glaucoma Australia Senior Patient Educator Sapna Nand says Peter was referred as a glaucoma suspect which enabled the support body’s education team to establish and maintain a relationship with Peter from the start of his glaucoma journey.
“To date, we have made 4 support calls over an 8-month period to Peter. After each call, detailed clinical notes are logged to ensure continuity of care. For Peter, as with most of Glaucoma Australia’s patients, these calls have played a significant role in offering him much-needed additional support.
“During Peter’s first call with our education team, he explained that he suffered from high levels of anxiety, bouts of depression and significant mobility issues which in turn made attending regular optometrist appointments and adhering to treatment difficult. We encouraged him to attend his optometrist appointments, explained the importance of eye drop adherence and suggested using an eye drop dispenser to assist with his difficulties.
“In the next two support calls, we continued to offer support and encouragement to Peter and fortunately, by the fourth call there was significant improvement in his attitude both toward using his eye drops as well as his upcoming ophthalmic appointment. Peter’s high anxiety levels had reduced, and he had a more positive mindset about his condition. He also happily agreed to continued support calls to monitor his progress,” says Sapna.
Optometry Director of Specsavers ANZ Dr Ben Ashby is encouraging optometrists to refer all of their patients with diagnosed or suspected glaucoma to Glaucoma Australia, stating 91% of patients who are referred to Glaucoma Australia attend their recommended glaucoma appointments, 85% say they never miss glaucoma treatment and 88% tell their direct relatives to get tested.
*Patient’s name changed due to privacy reasons
