From Volume to Value: Prospects and Pitfalls in Organising Integrated Dry Eye Practice Units

Abstract

With the advent of aging populations, chronic multifactorial diseases will dominate and strain existing models of health care. A model of healthcare delivery that emphasizes seamless, integrated, team-based care and remuneration for patient outcomes, have proven advantageous in diseases like diabetes mellitus, compared to systems based on isolated medical services. It is, however, unclear whether major chronic ophthalmic diseases including dry eye are also suitable for this model. Multiple co-morbidities such as depression, anxiety, postmenopausal mood swings, sleep disorders, and chronic neuropathic pain in dry eye greatly and unexpectedly increase its healthcare burden, and also produce high levels of patient and physician frustration. Many patients benefit from counseling, social support, and psychological management, but are frustrated by multiple referrals and inefficiency in care coordination. With the new model, patients may have a seamless transition between care settings, better experience and improved outcomes, and likely attain added value per unit cost.