A Survey of Referrals from an Optometry Teaching Clinic

Abstract

Nine thousand nine hundred and seventy six consecutive patients attending the University of New South Wales School of Optometry General Clinic resulted in 157 (1.6%) referrals to health care practitioners of previously undiagnosed conditions. Seventy per cent of these referrals were made to ophthalmologists and 29% to general practitioners. The reasons for referral were listed according to the ocular site of the anomaly and the frequency of occurrence was expressed as a percentage of the sample. Glaucoma was the most frequent reason for referral (15%), followed by keratitis (13%) and cataract (10%). It was found that 24% of those patients referred did not attend their referral visit. Of the patients that were examined, 63% had the diagnosis made by the clinic confirmed by the practitioner to whom the patient was referred.