Determinants of patient satisfaction after cataract surgery in 3 settings.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the determinants of satisfaction and postoperative visual function after cataract surgery in 3 settings in The Netherlands.


METHODS
University Hospital Maastricht (outpatient care), Atrium Medical Center Heerlen (inpatient care), and Medical Center Maastricht Annadal (outpatient care), Maastricht, The Netherlands.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study consisted of 150 patients of 50 years and older who had first-eye phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation. Data were collected by a written questionnaire. The following parameters were measured: medical outcome, postoperative function, patient satisfaction with medical outcome and hospital care, and overall patient satisfaction.


RESULTS
In general, patients were very satisfied (mean score 8.43 on a 10-point scale ranging from 1 = very bad to 10 = excellent). The 3 centers did not differ regarding the patient satisfaction (P =.092). However, postoperative visual function (P =.012), counseling (P =.010), and waiting time (P <.001) were different among the settings. Patient satisfaction with hospital care had a stronger correlation with overall satisfaction than patient satisfaction with the medical outcome (r = 0.669 versus r = 0.543, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
A causal model of patient satisfaction was tested, indicating that satisfaction was related to the patient's preoperative expectations and the quality of care given during the hospital stay and follow-up at the outpatient clinic. This emphasizes the relevance of patient education (to set realistic expectations) and counseling (need for care) by hospital staff in a cataract surgery setting.
Nijkamp
M D
MD
Eye Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Nuijts
R M
RM
Borne
B
B
Webers
C A
CA
van der Horst
F
F
Hendrikse
F
F
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000592:standards*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity