The national optical bodies have issued a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the electronic eyecare referral service programme (EeRS) and IT connectivity for the two-way transfer of patient and clinical data.
Optical practices are said to have long championed the introduction of electronic referrals, discharge, care and data transfer between primary eyecare, the hospital eye service and GPs. The new EeRS ‘proof of concept’ sites are designed to be a first step towards “supporting patients being treated in the right place, by the right service, at the right time at all points along the eyecare pathway”.
The aim of the system is to link primary eyecare with the hospital ophthalmology and GP systems – “allowing unnecessary referrals to hospitals to be avoided and better us to be made of the skills, equipment and facilities in optical practices”.
Max Halford of ABDO and Dr Peter Hampson of the Association of Optometrists are co-chairs of the optical sector’s Information and IT Committee. They said in a joint statement: “IT connectivity is the key enabler to better patient care, better use of the clinical skills and facilities in primary care to enable more patients to be seen and treated closer to home without the need for a hospital visit. EeRS is an important step on that journey, and we encourage everyone to participate in ‘proof of concept sites’ if they can. Please let us know of your experiences good and bad by emailing the committee secretariat at damian.testa.fodo@com.”
Alan Tinger from the Information and IT Committee secretariat said: “NHSX has worked with the national optical bodies to develop a common first stage application programming interface solution to enable patient data to be securely pulled through from optical practices’ management systems to the EeRS to save double keying.”
Richard Whittington, chief executive of the Local Optical Committee Support Unit (LOCSU) said: “LOCs have an important role in connectivity projects such as EeRS, and LOCSU has been supporting them to get the ‘proof of concept’ sites off the ground. These FAQs are a welcome addition to that support.”
Dr Paramdeep Bilkhu, clinical adviser to the College of Optometrists, commented: “The College has long called for improved IT links between optical practices, secondary care and other primary care services and we will continue working with NHSE and partners in the sector to further support and expand EeRS and IT connectivity, which will enable better sharing of patient information and greater collaborative working with other health professionals.”
The FAQs are located on the LOCSU website and will be regularly updated.