What is the NOD?
The NOD is the National Ophthalmology Database. It was established under the auspices of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) in 2010 to collect eye care information from hospital electronic systems for the purposes of clinical service audit, research and revalidation of doctors.
What is the National Ophthalmology Database Audit?
The RCOphth was commissioned in 2014 by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) (funded by NHS England and the Welsh Government) to build on the work of NOD and deliver a national audit programme for Ophthalmology. The audit forms part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP) and the project will concentrate initially on NHS cataract surgery in England and Wales, as well as feasibility studies for future audits on glaucoma, retinal detachment and wet age-related macular degeneration.
What information is collected for the cataract audit?
Information about cataract surgery and post-operative refraction (the need for glasses) will be extracted electronically from eligible NHS funded cataract surgical centres in England and Wales. Once the audit is fully established the collected data will be analysed and a report will be produced which will be available to the public. The audit report will help hospitals and surgeons to identify and minimise the risk associated with cataract surgery and so improve the quality of care and patient outcomes. No patient identifiable information will be visible in the audit.
What is Cataract?
Cataracts are a very common eye condition. As people get older the lens inside the eye gradually changes and becomes less transparent (clear). A lens that has turned misty, or cloudy, is said to have a cataract. Over time a cataract can get worse, gradually making it more and more difficult for those affected to see. An operation can usually remove a misty lens and replace it with an artificial lens to restore clear vision. For more information on cataract surgery, please visit https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/patients/cataract/
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cataract-surgery/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Click here to view the prospective audit outcomes on NHS website