“Keeping quality in the eye”

OcuNet is a medical association of 18 ophthalmic centres. The centres are prototypes of a new and still widely unknown organizational form of outpatient care that has the potential to positively influence the future development of the healthcare sector. The group follows the mission statement “Keeping quality in the eye”. The group’s projects aim to provide high standard ophthalmic care, to achieve the best possible outcomes, and improve patient satisfaction. OcuNet also strives to raise political awareness of the organizational form of the centres.

The centres organized in the OcuNet Group – a new organizational form for outpatient care
The centres, which belong to the largest eye surgery centres in Germany:

• cover the whole spectrum of ophthalmic care and surgery
  
• To promote the OcuNet brand as a high quality professional network in Germany and neighboring countries for the benefit of patients, insurance companies and regulators
• focus on standard outpatient ophthalmological diagnostics and care, but also offer outpatient and inpatient ophthalmosurgical care
• employ highly specialized ophthalmologists
  
• are located in 300 facilities and affiliations throughout Germany
• employ highly specialized ophthalmologists
  
• are managed via a central site
  

The OcuNet Association
The OcuNet Association is a joint platform for exchanging information and realizing high-quality standards through close cooperation. OcuNet’s goal of providing affordable, scientifically-based high-quality eye care is achieved by:

Facilitating mutual support within the OcuNet Association
The member centres mutually support each other, for instance through the exchange of practical experiences about topics such as patient management, telemedicine or quality management. Often, these meetings take place at a centre's site with the host conducting a guided tour through the facility and describing the solutions the centre has implemented. These in-person meetings (nowadays increasingly replaced by online meetings) are used intensively and offer clinical as well as administrative staff an important opportunity to learn from each other.

Providing benchmark studies
The results of the OcuNet benchmark study on outcome in cataract surgery published in “Ophthalmology” and “Der Ophthalmologe” have had a real impact on public discussions about the advantages of and the potential for a planned federal program for quality improvement across different care sectors (ambulatory care and hospitals).

Conducting Clinical Research
OcuNet initiates and conducts clinical trials focusing on new surgical techniques and patient-related outcomes. Currently, two studies on toric lenses and floaters are being conducted.

Offering transparency
Regular press releases and media reporting provide up-todate information about the structure of the OcuNet Association, implemented processes, and attained results. Press releases are made available to patients, patient-organisations, healthcare partners, and the general public.

Focusing on the visually impaired
The OcuNet Association has implemented several projects to support visually impaired patients and improve their independence and integration. A training concept qualifying doctor’s assistants to provide important information to the visually impaired has been realized in cooperation with the AMD-Netz NRW and Bavarian Blind and Visually Impaired Association (BBSB).
A brochure developed in cooperation with the German Blind and Visually Impaired Association (DBSV) guides ambulatory care centres and hospitals on how to equip their practices according to the special needs of these patients, without incurring high costs.

Providing professional training for junior physicians
The OcuNet Association has developed a training program for junior physicians that prepares them to become ophthalmologists. The program covers interdisciplinary and background issues and complements their daily practical training.

Raising political awareness
OcuNet strives to raise awareness of the organizational structure of the centres, and cooperates with comparable similarly organized facilities from other medical disciplines. OcuNet has initiated a project group under the auspices of the Bundesverband Managed Care (BMC) in Berlin.

Treatments performed in centres of the OcuNet Association