The Glaucoma PPP is launched by Hospital Authority (HA), aiming to:
(a)     provide choice to patients for receiving private specialist services in the community;
(b)     help HA manage demand for specialist services; and
(c)     test the model of delivering specialist care via PPP.

All private ophthalmologists practising in the territory are welcome to participate in the Programme as participating service providers (PSPs). They must:

- be included in the Specialist Register in the specialty of ophthalmology in accordance with Section 20K of the Medical Registration Ordinance; and 
- participate in the Hong Kong Government’s Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHRSS).

Interested service providers can apply by their own volition or through HA’s invitation. They need to complete and return the relevant forms with appropriate supporting documents to the HA Programme Office (PO) for enrolment. For enquiries, please contact the PO during office hours for further assistance.

The target group is glaucoma patients who are currently taken care of by HA ophthalmology specialist outpatient clinics (SOPCs). They must:

- be regarded as clinically stable; and 
- have started to receive care for glaucoma at SOPCs for at least 12 months by the time they start receiving services under this Programme.

Identified eligible glaucoma patients will be invited to enrol, on a voluntary basis, and select a PSP from the list for management of their glaucoma condition. Those who are not willing to enrol will continue to be taken care of at the HA’s SOPCs.

The HA would compile a list of PSPs, with essential information of the PSPs shown. The list will be sent out as part of the invitation to our glaucoma patients and available at the Programme’s website http://www.ha.org.hk/ppp/glaucomappp

Once a patient has successfully enrolled in the Programme, a notification will be sent out by HA to the patient by short message service (SMS), email or post depending on the communication means he/she has chosen in eHRSS. The patient can then select a PSP and make appointment with the PSP to attend his/her first consultation at the PSP’s clinic.

Under the Programme, each patient will receive:

- Up to 4 subsidised consultations per year;
- Specified drugs for treating their glaucoma conditions immediately from the PSPs at their clinics; and
- Investigation services including up to one visual field (VF) test and one optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan per year to be provided by the PSP.

Under special circumstances, each patient can use the 4 refill appointment quotas per year solely for the purpose of refilling the required specified drugs before the next scheduled appointment is due.

Yes. Beyond the 4 subsidised consultations, patients have to pay out-of-pocket in full for the fees charged by the PSPs. Those who have participated in the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme can meet such additional charges from their Health Care Voucher accounts.

In accordance with individual patient’s clinical indication(s), PSPs will provide up to 3 items of glaucoma drugs and an item of artificial tears covered under the “List of Specified Drugs” at each subsidized consultation, with no extra charges to patients other than the patient co-payment under the Programme. Other than such conditions, PSPs may charge for further medications prescribed upon mutual agreement with individual patient.

(For details of the “List of Specified Drugs”, PSPs can refer to the Glaucoma PPP Booklet of Schedules posted on the Programme’s website http://www.ha.org.hk/ppp/glaucomappp)

PSPs need to use their own drugs for prescription to patients at their first consultations and input prescription details in the Programme’s IT platform. For replenishment of their Programme drugs stock, PSPs can place drug orders in the IT platform every calendar quarter. After confirmation, PO will pass the orders to drug suppliers to arrange delivery. The processing of drug orders and arrangement of delivery will take place once per quarter and this will not incur any delivery charges on the PSP. PSPs can check the latest order status on the IT platform.

The maximum quantity of Programme Drugs a PSP can replenish is equal to the total quantity of Programme Drugs they have prescribed to patients as recorded in the IT platform. PSPs are suggested to place drug order in the IT platform in a timely manner.

Participating patients will receive drugs for treating their glaucoma conditions immediately from the PSPs at their clinics. The replenishment of Programme Drugs for PSPs is arranged by HA’s drug suppliers. Individual patients may also receive drugs outside the Programme scope provided by PSPs at their own expenses.

Each participating patient can receive up to one VF test and one OCT scan per year provided by the PSP without extra charges other than the patient co-payment under the Programme. Under mutual agreement, individual patients may agree to receive further services provided by the PSPs at their own expense outside the Programme.

During a consultation, if the PSP would like to arrange VF and/or OCT for the patient, he/she shall input the scheduled investigation appointment date in the IT platform and collect the co-payment (if any) from the patient first. At the next follow-up consultation, the PSP shall upload the investigation results in PDF format to the IT platform. It is PSP’s responsibility to interpret results to patients and arrange for any necessary follow-up.

If clinically indicated, PSPs may refer patients to HA for further treatment. PSP may contact PO for further information.

Participating patients are only required to pay the same fee as for HA SOPC services per Gazette. Currently, it is $80 per subsequent attendance for each subsidised consultation and refill appointment, $15 per drug item*, and $80 per investigation item. A participating patient who is eligible for a waiver under the criteria set out in HA’s website relating to the Programme (http://www.ha.org.hk/ppp/glaucomappp) may be entitled to partial or full waiver of the HA SOPC fee when he/she attends the PSP under the Programme. In such cases, the HA will bear the HA SOPC Fee.

Under mutual agreement, individual patients may agree to receive further services and treatments provided by the PSPs at their own expenses outside the Programme.

*Each chargeable unit covers a duration of up to a 16-week supply of a drug item. Prescriptions are charged in multiples of chargeable unit at $15 per unit for each drug (except self-financed drugs).

No. Health Care Voucher is not applicable to services under the Programme scope. However, patients can pay for any non-Programme services from their Health Care Voucher accounts. Currently, the annual voucher amount is $2,000, with a maximum accumulation limit of $5,000.

- A PC installed with Encapsulated Linkage Security Application (ELSA)
  (For enquires on ELSA, please contact eHR Registration Office at 3467 6230)
- An eHRSS card reader
- Stable broadband Internet access
- A printer
- A fax line/ machine

At each visit paid by a participating patient, the PSP clinic shall use “Register Attendance” function built in the Programme’s IT platform to take attendance with either one of the following methods:

1. Smart-ID: Insert patient’s Hong Kong Identity Card into the eHRSS card reader;
2. One-time password: Enter a real-time passcode received by patient into IT platform; or
3. Attendance sheet: Print out an attendance sheet from the IT platform and ask both the patient and the PSP to confirm attendance by signing on the attendance sheet. Then, fax the completed attendance sheet to the IT platform for vetting by HA PO.

Only those consultation records with a valid patient attendance record are eligible for reimbursement of Service Fees.

After inputting a consultation record, PSPs should print a receipt from the IT platform for the patient which includes details of the attendance, prescriptions, investigation bookings (if any) and patient co-payment amount etc.

PSPs may arrange relieving doctors during their absence. The relieving doctors shall also enrol in the eHRSS and the Programme.

Should there be any updates/changes made, in the future or thereafter, to the PSP’s information previously provided in the Enrolment Application or that is pertinent to the PSP’s participation in this Programme, please inform the PO at 2300 6688 or email to glaucomappp@ha.org.hk immediately.

Yes, all PSPs are required to participate in the eHRSS.

Not only does the eHRSS serve as a platform designated for clinical information sharing between the private and public sectors, it also comprises a series of administrative features such as drug ordering, submission of claims and attendance-taking etc.

PSPs are required to register patient’s attendance at each visit and input clinical information (e.g. intraocular pressure (IOP), best corrected visual acuity (VA) and vertical cup/disc ratio (VCDR)) for each consultation. PSPs are also required to input prescription of Programme drugs for subsequent stock replenishment and upload investigation results (if any). PSPs are encouraged to input other clinical information to the IT platform.

The PSP may call the Programme hotline 2300 6688 for necessary assistance during office hours (Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm).

The PSP should report the loss to the eHR Registration Office at 3467 6230 immediately for arranging replacement.

For service provision, PSPs will receive a maximum total of $5,350 per patient per year, including a maximum of 4 subsidised consultations at $700 each, one VF test at $650 and one OCT scan at $1,900. The Service Fee includes the HA SOPC fees to be paid by patients to the PSP after each consultation.

PSPs will receive the relevant Service Fees from HA on a reimbursement basis. Claims for Service Fees ( consultations and investigations would be paid directly to the PSP’s
designated bank account on a monthly basis. PSPs can verify and submit claims once a
month via the Module to HA for processing. Claims submitted on or before the cut off date
(i.e. 10th of every calendar month) will be processed in the same month, while outstanding
claims will be saved in the IT system for future submission until reimbursed.

For refill appointments, patients are required to pay the same fee as for HA SOPC, i.e. $80 per attendance plus $15 per drug item as per Gazette. A participating patient who is eligible for a waiver under the criteria set out in HA’s website relating to the Programme (http://www.ha.org.hk/ppp/glaucomappp) may be entitled to partial or full waiver of the HA SOPC Fee under the Programme. However, no subsidy towards refill appointments will be provided by HA.