British Association of Retinal Screeners (BARS): survey of workload in UK diabetic retinopathy screening programmes

Abstract

AbstractThe aim of this survey was to determine the number of patients being screened per session in UK diabetic retinal screening programmes and the number of patients images being graded in stand alone grading sessions.A questionnaire was sent to all members of the British Association of Retinal Screeners asking for information about diabetic retinal screening schemes in which they were involved.Sixty‐eight (31%) replied and suggested that an average of 14.4 patients were being screened per session on a fixed site programme, and an average of 15.7 per session with a mobile service. A standard morning session was, on average, 3 hours and 23 minutes long on a fixed site and 3 hours and 14 minutes on a mobile site. A standard afternoon session was, on average, 3 hours and 5 minutes long on a fixed site and 2 hours and 44 minutes long on a mobile site. Those undertaking grading as a stand alone activity screened an average of 39.3 patients per session (ranging from 20–75 patients per session).While the lengths of morning and afternoon screening sessions were relatively consistent there was more variability in the number of patients whom a stand alone grader would typically grade per session. We believe this range of activity reinforces the importance of a good quality assurance programme to maintain the consistency of the service offered. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons.