Patients with recurrent acute anterior uveitis (AAU) often become “experts by experience”, which NHS Improvement defines as “someone who has personal, lived experience of using health, mental health and/or social care services” [1]. Consequently, we have observed AAU patients self-diagnose and self-manage recurrences of their disease with corticosteroid eyedrops. Supported self-management for patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and asthma, is potentially as effective as standard medical care and is recognized as having a positive impact on quality of life [2, 3]. AAU patients, however, are usually required to attend A&E to access corticosteroid eyedrop treatment for their acute flares. This is a time-consuming process, which can result in delayed treatment and poorer outcomes, such as ocular hypertension and posterior synechiae.

There is an unmet need for a regulated service providing “experienced” AAU patients with prompt access to corticosteroid eyedrops, whilst providing a framework to capture and manage potential complications outside the hospital setting. There is a paucity of previous studies, which have explored quality of life of patients with recurrent AAU, and which have utilized qualitative methodologies, as part of “co-designing” interventions with patients [4].