An extended role for the hospital optometrist

The management of patients within shared care programmes would seem to have significant benefits in terms of individuals' convenience, addressing reso urce needs and expanding professional horizons. To date, these schemes have typically concentrated on the monitoring of patients with diabetes and gla ucoma. At Moorfields Eye Hospital, we attempted to develop the role of the hospital optometrist by establishing a study to evaluate the clinical appra isal of new referrals in a busy out-patient clinic. The results showed a hi gh level of diagnostic accuracy which suggests that the role of hospital op tometrists may be successfully extended to include some aspects of patient evaluation not typically undertaken. The College of Optometrists. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.