Background
The UK Eye Care Services Study was commissioned by the College of Optometrists to investigate the organisation of eye care services in the UK. The study comprised of two phases:
- Phase 1 was a systematic review of the literature (Hawley et al, 2011)
- Phase 2 was a survey of the organisation of eye care services in one geographical region, the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority (WMSHA).
The Phase 2 survey was intended as a pilot survey to test methods of data collection relating to the organisation and delivery of eye healthcare. Accordingly, several different methods of data collection were used: interviews, focus groups, discussion groups and a questionnaire. This pilot survey was carried out to inform the design and development of a third phase, which would be to study the organisation of eye care services throughout the UK.
