TY - JOUR
AU - J. Huang-Lung
AU - S. Kumaran
AU - P. R. Turnbull
AU - A. L. Webber
AU - J. Rhee
AU - M. Barr
AU - J. Ramke
AU - L. J. Keay
A1 - 
AB - CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There is potential to expand the number of collaborative care and multidisciplinary team-based care models that optometrists are involved in, working at full scope to deliver high quality patient care. Ongoing work to generate research evidence, change policy and secure long-term funding is needed to support implementation. BACKGROUND: Implementation of new models of multidisciplinary team-based care or collaborative care can support quality healthcare delivery and the sustainability of future health systems. METHODS: This narrative review synthesises research on models of multidisciplinary team-based care or collaborative care that involve optometrists in Australia and New Zealand. Outcomes related to patient health and experience, health service delivery including costs, and practitioner experience including workforce satisfaction were extracted from published evaluations. Additionally, barriers and facilitating factors to implementation were synthesised from identified studies. RESULTS: In total, 12 models of care were identified, most were task shifting or task sharing models between optometry and hospital-based ophthalmology for managing eye conditions. These collaborative models were developed to address long waiting lists for hospital-based ophthalmology services, and their implementation resulted in a corresponding decrease in waiting times for appointments. However, patient health outcomes, patient, and practitioner experiences were seldom reported. In primary care settings, models of multidisciplinary team-based care (n =3) were generally well-received by patients and practitioners. However, more objective measures may help quantify the social and economic benefits of these models. CONCLUSION: Despite the impetus for multidisciplinary team-based care, barriers to wider implementation persist. Implementation science can help identify strategies to overcome barriers to adopting evidence-based models of care. Future studies should incorporate economic evaluations, to inform advocacy and policy, to generate system-level change that support health organisations to deliver multidisciplinary team-based care. Finally, future work should consider embedding the patient perspective from outset to ensure that models of care are people-centred.
AD - School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.; The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.; School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.; Centre for Vision and Eye Research, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.; Discipline of General Practice, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.; International Centre for Future Health Systems, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.; International Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
AN - 41974196
BT - Clin Exp Optom
C5 - Education & Workforce
CP - 6
DA - 08/2026
DO - 10.1080/08164622.2026.2624750
DP - NLM
ET - 20260413
IS - 6
JF - Clin Exp Optom
LA - eng
N2 - CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There is potential to expand the number of collaborative care and multidisciplinary team-based care models that optometrists are involved in, working at full scope to deliver high quality patient care. Ongoing work to generate research evidence, change policy and secure long-term funding is needed to support implementation. BACKGROUND: Implementation of new models of multidisciplinary team-based care or collaborative care can support quality healthcare delivery and the sustainability of future health systems. METHODS: This narrative review synthesises research on models of multidisciplinary team-based care or collaborative care that involve optometrists in Australia and New Zealand. Outcomes related to patient health and experience, health service delivery including costs, and practitioner experience including workforce satisfaction were extracted from published evaluations. Additionally, barriers and facilitating factors to implementation were synthesised from identified studies. RESULTS: In total, 12 models of care were identified, most were task shifting or task sharing models between optometry and hospital-based ophthalmology for managing eye conditions. These collaborative models were developed to address long waiting lists for hospital-based ophthalmology services, and their implementation resulted in a corresponding decrease in waiting times for appointments. However, patient health outcomes, patient, and practitioner experiences were seldom reported. In primary care settings, models of multidisciplinary team-based care (n =3) were generally well-received by patients and practitioners. However, more objective measures may help quantify the social and economic benefits of these models. CONCLUSION: Despite the impetus for multidisciplinary team-based care, barriers to wider implementation persist. Implementation science can help identify strategies to overcome barriers to adopting evidence-based models of care. Future studies should incorporate economic evaluations, to inform advocacy and policy, to generate system-level change that support health organisations to deliver multidisciplinary team-based care. Finally, future work should consider embedding the patient perspective from outset to ensure that models of care are people-centred.
PY - 2026
SN - 0816-4622
SP - 1239
EP - 1253+
ST - Models of multidisciplinary team-based care involving optometrists in Australia and New Zealand: narrative review and synthesis of implementation issues
T1 - Models of multidisciplinary team-based care involving optometrists in Australia and New Zealand: narrative review and synthesis of implementation issues
T2 - Clin Exp Optom
TI - Models of multidisciplinary team-based care involving optometrists in Australia and New Zealand: narrative review and synthesis of implementation issues
U1 - Education & Workforce
U3 - 10.1080/08164622.2026.2624750
VL - 109
VO - 0816-4622
Y1 - 2026
ER -