A study: Will waiting room time be reduced when the redesigned preliminary workup is performed by a certified ophthalmic technician?

Abstract

The primary source of patient dissatisfaction in ophthalmic clinics is waiting room time. At one clinic, a study was conducted to determine whether redesignating preliminary workup tasks affected waiting room time. Previously, technicians and the ophthalmic registered nurse performed workups by taking histories, checking vision, reading glasses, performing refractions, conducting tonometry and slit lamp examinations, and dilating patients' eyes. Because the technicians' refractions were often inaccurate, the nurse or the doctor had to redo the refraction, prolonging waiting room times. Workup tasks, beginning with refractions, were transferred from the technicians to the nurse, which increased patient satisfaction and staff efficiency. (Insight - the Journal of the American Society of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses 2000;25:39–43.)