Increasing access to cataract surgery in Counties Manukau by optimising the clinical pathway: a quality improvement report.

AIM: To streamline the cataract surgery pathway to improve the time from first specialist assessment (FSA) to surgery, while reducing the clinical priority assessment criteria (CPAC) score from 55 to 50.

METHOD: A quality improvement project using Lean Six Sigma tools and the Model for Improvement. Most data were collected from the i.Patient Manager (iPM) system and analysed using statistical process control charts. Change interventions included combining FSA and pre-admission clinics (PAC); post-operative telephone review by non senior medical officers (SMO); and using our own surgeons in private theatres.

RESULTS

The standard cataract pathway was reduced from 5 to 3 appointments. This removed 1,514 hours of appointments, released 113 SMO hours and saved patients NZ$156,000 in indirect costs over a year. The average waiting time from FSA to surgery decreased from 90 to 77 days (-13.5%). The number of overdue patients reduced from 127 to 44 (-35%). The average number of patients on the FSA waiting list dropped from 322 to 205 (-40%). There was no change to the proportions of surgeries or appointment attendance rates by ethnicity. Average monthly cataract surgeries increased from 192 to 215 (+12%), and the CPAC score threshold was decreased to 50 in February 2021.

CONCLUSION

Despite significant demand pressures, and the disruptions of COVID-19, we were able to reduce the CPAC score for accessing cataract surgery by optimising the clinical pathway to better utilise staff capacity and maximise value for patients.