The project aims to support improved treatment and standards of care for cataract and refractive surgery. This will be achieved through the development of a Europe-wide network of National Registries reporting clinical outcomes of cataract and refractive surgery. EUREQUO aims to make a significant impact on the exchange of best practice between practitioners in relation to patient safety in this field.
The National Ophthalmology Societies of the participating countries will have an active role in the implementation of the project at national level.
The project is a three year programme, made up of an assessment phase in year one (2008), a pilot phase in year two (2009-2010), and roll-out phase in year three (2010-2011).
Specific objectives
- To evaluate the existing surgical outcomes information systems
- To identify the software requirements of the participating National Ophthalmology Societies
- To develop and test EUREQUO system in the piloting countries
- To roll out the system in all participating countries
- To disseminate information of surgical outcomes at national and international level
- To develop and evaluate European Quality Guidelines
Scientific basis behind EUREQUO project
The initiative of implementing the European Quality Registry drew from the experience of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) that already supported two independent Quality Registry Systems: the European Cataract Outcome Study (ECOS) and the Refractive Surgery Outcomes Information System (RSOIS), both systems administrered by EyeNet Sweden.
In Sweden, quality registries have existed since the beginning of 1970's. Currently, EyeNet Sweden covers most quality registries concerning eye diseases. Existing national quality registries within the field of Ophthalmology are the Swedish National Cataract Registry (NCR) (1992), the Swedish Registry for Corneal Transplants (1996) and the Registry for Macular Diseases (2003).
In 2006 a sub-section of the NCR, the Registry for Pediatric Cataract, started in order to collect data concerning cataract in children under the age of 8 years old. EyeNet Sweden is also cooperating with a registry for children with ROP (retinopathy of prematurity).
A National Registry will be set-up in each participating country. The ESCRS will work closely in each country with its partners, the National Ophthalmology Societies in the creation of quality registries and implementation of the EUREQUO database. The data collection will involve individual practitioners, small and medium sized clinics, large hospitals and university institutions and will be monitored and supported by the project partners and National Registry Managers. Once a data is recorded it will be processed and disseminated in all database. The data collection will be via the internet, all participants will be able to source, through the Internet, comparing the accuracy of their outcomes with those of colleagues in their own regions and other countries as well as the entire database.
- Development and implementation of EUREQUO system across European countries
- Development of evidence based guidelines for cataract and refractive surgery
- Establishment of a European Network of specialists in cataract and refractive surgery
- Dissemination of results at national and international Medical Conferences
Benefits
- Surgeons will be able to monitor and compare results; this will improve methods in patient care and safety and enhance operation strategy
- Quality registries create a sufficient basis for studying rare disease/treatments and complications
- Collecting data will support doctors to make an audit report
- Information collected will be used to develop evidence based European Quality Guidelines
