Patients’ Satisfaction with Glaucoma Care Services- A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Due to the chronic and blinding nature of the disease, patients require prolonged clinical care and follow up. Patients’ satisfaction or dissatisfaction with care could be an important determinant to compliance and adherence to treatment to preserve visual fields and improve their quality of life. Purpose: To review existing literature on the level of patients’ satisfaction with glaucoma care services. Methodology: A systematic review of literature conducted online at the three search engines: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science using key terms: (‘predictors’ OR ‘determinants’ OR ‘factors affecting’ OR ‘measurements’ OR ‘dimensions’ OR ‘aspects’ OR ‘attributes’) AND (‘patient satisfaction’ OR ‘patient experience’ OR ‘patient priorities’ OR ‘user satisfaction’ OR ‘customer satisfaction’ OR ‘consumer satisfaction’) AND (‘glaucoma’ OR ‘open angle glaucoma’ OR ‘angle closure glaucoma’ OR ‘POAG’ OR ‘PACG’). Quality assessment were conducted for each article and bias assessment by the principal investigator and another reviewer. Results: The primary search obtained 710 articles. Following review of titles and abstracts, a total of 27 publications were included in the review based on eligibility criteria. Majority of the studies had good reporting standard and external validity while there were poor scores for internal validity. Significant factors determining satisfaction and dissatisfaction were summarized. Conclusion: The patients’ satisfaction with glaucoma care varies and can be affected by several factors. Some of the factors can be modified to improve better patients’ experience and compliance to treatment.