ADHB Greenlane Eye Clinic Referral Process for Cataracts

Here is some information on the referral process for outpatient appointments at the Greenlane Eye Clinic. This eye clinic is a free service provided by our District Health Board (DHB).

Cataracts

The most common reason we refer people to the Eye Clinic is cataracts. Cataracts are clouding of the lens inside the eye, which reduces vision. The treatment is a surgical procedure, performed under local anaesthetic, to remove the clouded lens, replacing it with an implant. This is usually a highly effective procedure which fully restores vision. No surgery is without risk and this is a consideration when treatment should be undertaken.

Clinical Prioritization Scores

In order to prioritize who gets cataract surgery each year, optometrists and ophthalmologists use a clinical scoring tool. We enter your vision, as recorded at your appointment which is the size of the letters you could read on the chart with the best prescription lenses in place. Also included are details of the examination of your eyes and cataracts.

The final part is your ‘Patient Impact on Life Questionnaire’. With this questionnaire they grade the degree of difficulty your blurred vision is causing you, put another way, it describes how blurred vision may be limiting your life.

Once these details are entered the tool calculates a score. For Auckland DHB the magical number of 48 and above means the referral will be accepted and you can expect to receive an appointment within 16 weeks. Northland DHB has a threshold score of 54.

In our experience this system seems to work, and people we see who are struggling with their vision due to cataracts do in fact get an appointment and go on to have cataract surgery.

Cataracts in both eyes - will both eyes be treated?

Most often cataracts do effect both eyes, although commonly the vision will be worse in one eye. The usual process is to treat the first eye and review. For many people the effect is a significant improvement to their vision, and often the second eye is not treated. Why have a second surgery when you will not notice any difference? This situation is assessed on a case by case basis.

If you have a concerns about cataracts, book to see us.

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or call us on 09 425 9646

Order Fitovers Online

We recommend Fitover sunglasses. Fitovers are a handy way to add sun protection over your regular glasses. New designs are sleeker than the original square black boxy models - lots of colours and smaller fittings. There are three lens choices; Grey, Amber and Yellow.   Amber is popular to improve colour contrast. We find people with early cataracts like the yellow tint and this improves clarity of vision as well.

Now we are now selling fitovers through our website. If you can't get in to see us, or want to do some research check out our online shop.

Scoring Cataracts

A common part of an optometrist's clinical consulting life is diagnosing and discussing cataracts. Cataracts are a common condition where the lens in the eye looses its transparency. It is a condition which we should all be aiming to get as cataracts are a sign of longevity. Fortunately, cataracts are easily fixed with a one-off elective surgery, and the result for most people is a big improvement in their quality of vision.

There are two options for cataracts surgery, via the public health system where treatment is free of charge, or privately. This is an update on referral through the public health system, which is Greenlane Eye Clinic for our local Warkworth area.

Greenlane Eye Clinic is a busy place, providing care for 95,000 people each year. Given that volume of people, the response times are mostly pretty good. When someone has an acute eye problem they are seen quickly. Non urgent conditions like cataracts are prioritised in a methodical fashion, and ranked according to the level of vision. How does it work?

As optometrists we enter your clinical data into an online scoring system. The important information is which line of letters you can read on the chart. There is also a questionnaire about how cataracts are impacting on your daily living. The jargon for the questions is a little bit difficult but the intention is good - to try to priortise treatment for people who are struggling the most. We are good at these questionnaires and we can translate for you! Then comes the score. Generated by the online tool and the magical number is 50. 

It seems arbitrary, but the online scoring tool is helpful so we can give you a realistic guide to the expected wait time for an appointment at the Eye Clinic. 

What happens if the score is too low? Often we can help with advice about improving your vision through updating glasses, or using different tinted fitover glasses to improve clarity of vision when you have cataracts.

by Claire McDonald, Optometrist, Warkworth