Italian glaucoma virtual clinics: Developing a consensus for remote patient management

Francesco Matarazzo^{1

2}, Carlo Alberto Cutolo³, Alessandro Rabiolo⁴, Michele Figus⁵, Antonio Fea⁶, Stefano Gandolfi⁷, Corrado Gizzi^{8

9}, Gianluca Manni^{10

11}, Giorgio Marchini¹², Giovanni Montesano^{13

14}, Carlo Nucci¹⁵, Maria Laura Passaro^{1

16}, Dario Romano¹⁷, Luca Rossetti¹⁷, Matteo Sacchi¹⁸, Lucia Tanga¹¹, Carlo Enrico Traverso³, Giacinto Triolo^{19

20}, Gianni Virgili^{11

21}, Francesco Oddone¹¹, Ciro Costagliola¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
² Department of Physics "Ettore Pancini", University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
³ Clinica Oculistica DiNOGMI, Universita di Genova, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Genoa, Italy.
⁴ Department of Health Sciences, Universita del Piemonte Orientale Amedeo Avogadro, Novara, Italy.
⁵ Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
⁶ Struttura Complessa Oculistica, Citta Della Salute e Della Scienza di Torino, Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche, Universita Degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy.
⁷ Ophthalmology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
⁸ Ospedale Morgagni-Pierantoni, Forli, Italy.
⁹ Ospedale Degli Infermi, Faenza, Italy.
¹⁰ Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
¹¹ IRCCS - Fondazione Bietti, Rome, Italy.
¹² Clinica Oculistica AOU Verona, Verona, Italy.
¹³ NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK.
¹⁴ Optometry and Visual Sciences, City, University of London, London, UK.
¹⁵ Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
¹⁶ Department of Medicine and Health Sciences 'V.Tiberio', University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy.
¹⁷ Eye Clinic, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
¹⁸ Ophthalmology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Sassari, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
¹⁹ Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
²⁰ Eye Clinic, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
²¹ Department of Neurosciences, Psychology Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.

PMID: 40097907
DOI: 10.1111/aos.17484

Multicenter Study

Italian glaucoma virtual clinics: Developing a consensus for remote patient management

Francesco Matarazzo et al. Acta Ophthalmol. 2025 Aug.

. 2025 Aug;103(5):e270-e280.

doi: 10.1111/aos.17484. Epub 2025 Mar 17.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
² Department of Physics "Ettore Pancini", University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
³ Clinica Oculistica DiNOGMI, Universita di Genova, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Genoa, Italy.
⁴ Department of Health Sciences, Universita del Piemonte Orientale Amedeo Avogadro, Novara, Italy.
⁵ Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
⁶ Struttura Complessa Oculistica, Citta Della Salute e Della Scienza di Torino, Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche, Universita Degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy.
⁷ Ophthalmology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
⁸ Ospedale Morgagni-Pierantoni, Forli, Italy.
⁹ Ospedale Degli Infermi, Faenza, Italy.
¹⁰ Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
¹¹ IRCCS - Fondazione Bietti, Rome, Italy.
¹² Clinica Oculistica AOU Verona, Verona, Italy.
¹³ NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK.
¹⁴ Optometry and Visual Sciences, City, University of London, London, UK.
¹⁵ Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
¹⁶ Department of Medicine and Health Sciences 'V.Tiberio', University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy.
¹⁷ Eye Clinic, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
¹⁸ Ophthalmology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Sassari, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
¹⁹ Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
²⁰ Eye Clinic, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
²¹ Department of Neurosciences, Psychology Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.

PMID: 40097907
DOI: 10.1111/aos.17484

Abstract

Purpose: To establish expert consensus on guidelines for implementing glaucoma virtual clinics in Italy, focusing on patient suitability, essential clinical assessments and staffing requirements.

Methods: A modified Delphi method was used to achieve consensus among selected Italian glaucoma specialists. The steering group developed a structured questionnaire with 66 items across key areas: Patient Categories, Clinical Assessments, Roles and Staffing and Guidelines for glaucoma virtual clinic implementation. A panel of experts reviewed and rated each item across multiple rounds to reach consensus.

Results: Out of 19 invited glaucoma specialists, 16 and 11 participated in rounds 1 and 2, respectively. Consensus was achieved on 57.6% of the questions, identifying specific patient profiles suitable for glaucoma virtual clinics, essential diagnostic tests and required roles in a virtual setting. Experts agreed on the importance of standardized assessments and the necessity of support staff such as orthoptists and ophthalmic assistants in the glaucoma virtual clinic structure.

Conclusion: This Delphi panel provides guidance for implementing glaucoma virtual clinics in Italy, establishing guidelines on patient selection, required assessments and staffing needs. Tailored glaucoma virtual clinics can enhance glaucoma care accessibility, streamline workflows and address the growing demand from healthcare systems.

Keywords: delphi panel; expert consensus; glaucoma; virtual clinics.

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References

REFERENCES

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Italian glaucoma virtual clinics: Developing a consensus for remote patient management

Affiliations

Italian glaucoma virtual clinics: Developing a consensus for remote patient management

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

References

REFERENCES

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical