3.3.1. The Role of the GE

As a common rule, new patients had to be assessed by a GE, who decided on their diagnosis, set the target intra-ocular pressure (tIOP) and implemented a management plan. The recommendations of both the ANGIG&RANZCO [28] and the CGSC [29] formed an exception as they considered the GE's initial assessment unnecessary when a new patient was initially assessed by the non-medical staff and judged to be of low-to-moderate risk [29], without significant ocular risk factors [28]. After the initial assessment, the GE still examined the patient, however less frequently than in StC.

#### 3.3.2. The Role of the Non-Medical Staff

The prerequisite skills of the non-medical staff working in the corresponding SC scheme are listed in Table 2.



Abbreviations: SC = shared care clinic; StC = standard care clinic; FU = follow-up; NG/OSR = new glaucoma/ocular hypertension suspect referrals; ANGIG&RANZCO = recommendations of the Australian and New Zealand Glaucoma Interest Group and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists; SC-RVAC = shared care clinic, established between the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital and the Australian College of Optometry; CGSC = recommendations from the Canadian Glaucoma Society Committee; RVEEH = Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital; GFU = Glaucoma Follow-up Unit; MC = Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester; MEH = Moorfield Eye Hospital; QMC = Queen's medical center; REH = Rotterdam Eye Hospital; USA = United States of America; UK = United Kingdom, SGC = Stable Glaucoma Clinic, GMC = Glaucoma Management Clinic; WEI = Wilmer Eye Institute.


**Table 2.** The prerequisite skills of the non-medical staff working in the corresponding shared care scheme.

Abbreviations: x = task performed by the corresponding member of the non-medical staff; 0 = task not performed by any member of the non-medical staff; x\* = preferable rather than mandatory; x\*\* = automated imaging tests, not further specified; x\*\*\* = could decide on further assessment if indicated; NS = not specified; NS◦ = not specified, but based on the recommendations of the Australian and New Zealand Glaucoma Interest Group and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists; Opto = optometrists; OT = Ophthalmic technician; (a&p) = anterior&posterior segment; SC = shared care clinic; NMS = non-medical staff; IOP = intra-ocular pressure; VA = visual acuity; Gonio = gonioscopy; VF = visual field; OCT = optical coherence tomography; HRT = Heidelberg retinal tomography; GDx = GDx ECC scanning laser polarimetry; CCT = central corneal thickness; ANGIG&RANZCO = recommendations of the Australian and New Zealand Glaucoma Interest Group and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists; SC-RVAC = shared care clinic, established between the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital and the Australian College of Optometry; CGSC = recommendations from the Canadian Glaucoma Society Committee; GFU = Glaucoma Follow-up Unit; MC = Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester; MEH = Moorfield Eye Hospital; QMC = Queen's medical centre; SGC = Stable Glaucoma Clinic in New Zealand; GMC = Glaucoma Management Clinic in Australia.

> In all SC schemes/recommendations, the non-medical staff had to perform and interpret a patient's history, visual acuity (VA), IOP and visual field (VF). Depending on the SC scheme/recommendation, their required skill set also included optic disc assessment, slitlamp examination of the posterior segment, assessment of GDx, OCT and HRT, measuring the central corneal thickness (CCT), gonioscopy and/or fundus photography.

3.3.3. Patient Characteristics

Table 3 provides an overview of the characteristics that render patients suitable or unsuitable for each SC clinic, along with a list of conditions requiring referral to a GE.




#### **Table 3.** *Cont.*

Abbreviations: OHT = ocular hypertension patient; GS = glaucoma suspect patients; G = glaucoma patient; NS = not specified; NS◦ = not specified, but based on the recommendations of the Australian and New Zealand Glaucoma Interest Group and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists; Opto = Optometrist; OT = Ophthalmic Technician; ONP: Ophthalmic Nurse Practitioner; H = history of; y = year(s); DRP = diabetic retinopathy; mo = month(s); IOP = intra-ocular pressure; PDS = pigment dispersion syndrome; PXF = pseudo exfoliation syndrome; SC = Shared Care clinic; NMS = Non-Medical Staff; ANGIG&RANZCO = recommendations of the Australian and New Zealand Glaucoma Interest Group and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists; SC-RVAC = shared care clinic, established between the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital and the Australian College of Optometry; CGSC = recommendations from the Canadian Glaucoma Society Committee; GFU = Glaucoma Follow-up Unit; MC = Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester; MEH = Moorfield Eye Hospital; QMC = Queen's medical centre; SGC = Stable Glaucoma Clinic in New Zealand; GMC = Glaucoma Management Clinic in Australia.
