The project will support improved treatment and standards of care patients who undergo cataract and refractive surgeries in Europe. This will be achieved through the development of a Europe-wide network (EUREQUO) of national registries reporting clinical outcomes in the field of cataract and refractive surgeries. The project aims to make a significant impact on the exchange of good practice between practitioners in relation to patient safety in this field.

There is a lack of knowledge, today, on the number of surgeries being performed, the optimal time to operate and the visual results of these surgeries. The project supports the ‘open method of coordination` since it helps establish common indicators as a means of comparing best practice and measures progress as well as it promotes policy cooperation and trans-national exchange of learning and good practice.

The methods adopted take account of the existing information systems and organisational structures already established in Europe in the field of ophthalmology. The project involves 12 countries; each country will be set up a national registry that will submit data to the EUREQUO. Once a data entry is made it will be processed and disseminated. All participants will be able to source, through the Internet, reports comparing their outcomes with those of colleagues in their own country, region and the entire database.

The robust number of surgical outcomes collected will provide an evidence base for cataract and refractive surgeries quality guidelines across Europe. High standards will be set in terms of minimising risk and improving treatments, and utilising existing technologies.