Post by Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA)

👓 As well as being more efficient, digital referrals in ophthalmology have the potential to create better outcomes for patients while reducing pressure on busy clinics. 💻 New research published by CERA Honorary Principal Investigator Peter Larsen has compared digital referrals from optometry clinics to ophthalmologists against traditional faxed referrals. The findings showed that when digital, high‑quality images were available, clinicians were more confident in triaging referrals and downgrading urgency where appropriate without compromising care. Importantly, for both methods, patients who required urgent treatment still received it. This highlights the potential of digital referrals to: 🔹 Reduce unnecessary urgent referrals 🔹 Save patients stress and time 🔹 Free up clinics for those who need care most. 📖 Read the research, 'Impact of digital versus faxed e‑referrals on triage decisions in a medical retina clinic': https://ow.ly/bhW550YQTNw