Video narration
When a patient calls with a red eye, are you using the intake checklist-or only recording the complaint? Start with timing: when did it begin, and is it worsening? Ask about pain, redness, blurred vision, photophobia-light sensitivity-and floaters, in the patient's own words. Ask whether one or both eyes are involved. Then, on that checklist, check previous episodes, trauma, eye surgery, medicines, infections, exposures, and systemic symptoms. The history is not only about the eye. These details can change urgency and clinical interpretation. Optometrists can take the fuller history. Desk staff should follow the approved script, record answers accurately, and escalate concerns. Neither role should diagnose uveitis, eye inflammation, from history alone. Document clearly and follow your local pathway for red flags. So what makes the intake checklist safe? Ask about timing, eye symptoms, previous episodes, systemic illness, medicines, and exposures-and escalate red flags.