Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to introduce nurse-delivered intravitreal injections to increase medical retina treatment capacity.
Methods
Indemnity, clinical governance, training, planning, and implementation issues were addressed. The outcome measures were patient safety, patient experience, and clinic capacity.
Results
No serious vision-threatening complications were recorded in a consecutive series of 4000 nurse-delivered intravitreal injections. A Mann–Whitney test showed a significant increase in intravitreal injections (P=0.003) in the medical retina service after introduction of nurse-delivered intravitreal injections. The majority of patients accepted and were satisfied with a nurse-delivered intravitreal injection.
Discussion
Nurse-delivered intravitreal injections appear safe, acceptable to patients, and are an effective means to increase intravitreal injection capacity in medical retina clinics.
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Acknowledgements
Thanks to Bhavin Maru, Gavin Kissondeeal, Mary Masih, Helen Carpenter, Helen Gibbons, Anita Aubrey, Linda Langton, Mary Hardy, Ann Arnold, Merel Reinink, Peter Addison, Aires Lobo, Zoe Ockrim, Praveen Patel, Sobha Sivaprasad, Adnan Tufail, Melanie Hingorani, Frances Stobbs, and John Pelly.
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Additional information
Preliminary data presented at Royal College of Ophthalmologists Annual Congress, Liverpool, UK, May 2013
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DaCosta, J., Hamilton, R., Nago, J. et al. Implementation of a nurse-delivered intravitreal injection service. Eye 28, 734–740 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2014.69
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2014.69
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