title: A European survey of patient satisfaction with spectacles after cataract surgery and the associated costs in four European countries (france, Germany, Spain, and Italy).
abstract: With multifocal intraocular lenses, the majority of the patients do not wear glasses after cataract surgery which is a potential source of savings.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To collect data in four European countries on the associated costs for society of wearing spectacles after cataract surgery and the patient willingness to pay to be free of spectacles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey of centers that recruited patients who wore refractive spectacles after cataract surgery. Costs were expressed in 2006 Euros Results: 408 patients were recruited by 22 centers. Patients with a mean age of 68.5 years underwent cataract surgery about 3 years prior to recruitment. In all countries, prescribed lenses were mainly mono-focal and the mean cost of spectacles was EUR366.3. Half the patient population with private health insurance was reimbursed for spectacles at a level of 50%, except Spanish patients who were reimbursed at only 5.3%. However, a large part of the cost was directly paid by the patients. Out of a total mean cost of EUR354.9, patients paid EUR285.2 and health insurances only EUR69.7. More than half the patients were willing to pay at least 0.5EUR/day to be free of spectacles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Large differences were found among the 4 countries. Almost half of all subjects had private health insurance. The total cost of refraction includes a variety of resources not limited to spectacles. A large part of the cost was borne by patients and there is a high patient willingness to pay to be free of spectacles in this population.
authors.affiliation: Nouvelle Clinique de l'Union, Saint Jean, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cuq
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lafuma
authors.forename: Viviane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jeanbat
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berdeaux
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe; D005139:Eyeglasses / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D055656:Prescriptions / Q000191:economics*; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000191:economics* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy