Task Shifting of Intraocular Injections to Nurses

This document is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that investigates the task shifting of intraocular injections from physicians to nurses in a clinical setting. The study aimed to determine if nurse-administered injections could achieve similar visual function outcomes and safety profiles compared to physician-administered injections. A total of 342 patients with conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, or diabetic macular edema participated in the study, which took place between March 2015 and May 2017. Participants were randomized into two groups: one receiving injections from nurses and the other from physicians. The primary outcome measured was the change in best-corrected visual acuity over one year. Results indicated that nurse-administered injections were noninferior to those administered by physicians, with minimal adverse events recorded. The findings suggest that task shifting can alleviate the workload in ophthalmology departments without compromising patient safety or visual outcomes.