Sustain the visible future

KEC SUSTAIN‘EYE’BILITY
United Christian Hospital & Tseung Kwan O Hospital

By adopting the “Sustain‘Eye’bility” framework, the Kowloon East Cluster (KEC) Ophthalmology Team has been creating numerous possibilities for their patients. With rising demand from an ageing population, outpatient new cases waiting time in KEC was once the longest among all seven clusters. The Team improved the efficiency and workflow of their clinics, conducted out-of-hours consultation sessions and established nurse clinics, which successfully reduced the waiting time for outpatient services by 46% over a period of five years. The Team also pioneered nurse-led intra-vitreal injections. This reduced the waiting time for intra-vitreal injections from three months to just four weeks, enabling patients with macular degeneration to receive timely treatment. The Team is also a trailblazer in paperless consultation and smart systems. All of these were achieved by the Team’s shared determination to stay ahead, dream big and act fast.

“Although treating patients is a daily task for all healthcare workers, our Team treasures every consultation or surgery as it is an opportunity for patients to regain vision. We endeavour to provide the best medical care.” Embracing the same value, the Team members keep innovating their service through change and are committed to play a strengthened role. For instance, trained senior nurses have relieved doctors from certain procedures, thus helped to shorten waiting time.

The Team also strived to address their patients’ needs, in particular the growing number of wheelchair users. Despite limited space and resources, the Team was the first to introduce wheelchair friendly equipment, such as auto-desks, in their consultation, to reduce the need to transfer patients. Taking advantage of the timeslot before the start of paediatric clinic, they introduced a separate clinic session for wheelchair users, in order to reduce congestion and shorten waiting time of wheelchair users. In addition, the Team collaborated with the geriatric department and the community nursing department to extend their ophthalmology service to elderly homes. This year, they will also work with The University of Hong Kong on a pilot community glaucoma screening project to identify patients with undiagnosed eye conditions, in order to prevent blindness.

The Team is committed to its mission to do everything it can. “Although everyone in our team is always very busy,” the Team reflects, “we always have the patience and time to listen to our patients’ needs. Whether it is our improved clinical service or just providing them a helping hand, we believe our patients can appreciate the hard work and dedication of our ‘Top Eye’ colleagues.”

Team List