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    Evidence-based eye care

    Home / Members / Guidance and support / Clinical / Evidence-based eye care

    Updates

    Background

    As the association for eye care providers in the UK, FODO supports evidence-based practice. To support all members, in this section our professional advisers signpost you to authoritative resources on matters of eye health and clinical practice [1].

    College of Optometrists CMGs and GPP

    The College of Optometrists provides Clinical Management Guidelines (CMGs) and Guidance for Professional Practice (GPP).

    • The CMGs provide evidence-based information on the diagnosis and management of a wide range of conditions encountered in a primary care setting, including glaucoma. Learn how to use CMGs.
    • The GPP includes a section on knowledge, skills and performance, with good practice advice on examining patients at risk from glaucoma and those who present with flashes and floaters.

    NICE - eye conditions

    The NICE evidence portal provides access to evidence-based information from trustworthy sources. The search function also has some very helpful filters such as sources accredited by NICE and commissioning guides.

    Alternatively, you can read all NICE products on eye conditions directly. This includes more than 50 sets of NICE guidance and the following three guidelines:

    NICE guidelines are officially written for England only. There is, however, a Service Level Agreement in place in Wales. Decisions on whether to adopt these guidelines in Northern Ireland or Scotland are made on a case by case basis. Northern Ireland fully endorsed the three guidelines above between 2017 and 2018.

    Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network - eye conditions

    Healthcare Improvement Scotland develops local evidence-based advice, guidance and standards. These are developed using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN).

    SIGN currently has one eye-related guideline:

    More (A-Z)

    BMJ Best Practice is designed to support qualified healthcare professionals to make informed decisions about prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Head to BMJ best practice ophthalmology. 

    The Cochrane Library provides access to databases of high quality and independent evidence to inform decision-making in eye care. You can read the eyes and vision section, which includes over 200 systematic reviews, 40 protocols and more.  

    Community Eye Care Scotland, supported by NES Optometry, NHS Scotland, Optometry Scotland and SCET, also provides eye care guidelines for local clinicians. 

    The Royal College of Ophthalmologists also publishes clinical guidelines on a range of topics, as well as those by NICE and the College of Optometrists. 

    If you provide evidence-based guidance on eye health issues and would like to be listed here, please contact [email protected] 

    Updates

    Originally published: January 2020

    Reviewed: NA

    Next review date: March 2022

    Info: NA

    References and notes

    The next review was originally planned for December 2021. This was changed due to prioritising work during the pandemic.

    [1] FODO operates this and other pages on its website to allow information to be freely and readily accessible to eye care providers operating in the UK. We use our best efforts to only signpost members to trusted sources here and elsewhere, but we cannot offer guarantees that the information contained on the recommended sites will be accurate, complete and current at any given time. We therefore take no responsibility for loss or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from the use of services or information provided by the maintainers of these links.