Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate the attitudes of glaucoma patients towards patient-centred care using a validated method.
Methods :
Qualitative study conducted in the context of a Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) programme at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK (QP18/GL/03). Consecutive new and follow-up patients attending glaucoma clinics led by 3 glaucoma specialists (PF, RM, EN) were invited to fill in the patient practitioner orientation scale (PPOS). Non-english speaking patients were excluded. The PPOS contains 18 items in a 6-point Likert (strongly disagree-strongly agree) format; its construct validity has been previously published. The total mean score for the 18 items was calculated. The score can range from 1 to 6; the higher the score, the more patient-centered the orientation. Sub-scale scores for ‘sharing’ (items 1,4,5,8-10,12,15,18) and ‘caring’ (items 2,3,6,7,11,13,14,16,17) were also calculated. These scores refer to the extent to which the respondents believe that a) practitioners should share power on an equal basis and should share as much information as possible with their patients, and b) good interpersonal relations is a key aspect of the medical encounter, respectively.
Results :
Data were collected from 178 glaucoma patients. Sex distribution was equal; the median age was 67 years old, with the majority of respondents belonging to the 50-59 (24%), 60-69 (17%), 70-79 (28%) and 80-89 (18%) age groups; 49% were Caucasian, 23% were African and 23% were Asian; 45% had early years/primary/secondary education, 25% had further education and 25% were of higher education. The total mean PPOS score was 3.53; the subscores for ‘sharing’ and ‘caring’ were 3.66 and 3.41, respectively. In seven out of the nine 'sharing' items, as opposed to five out of the nine ‘caring’ items, patient held attitudes favouring a patient-centred style. Differences in responses were noted in several items, both in the ‘sharing’ and in the ‘sharing’ subscale, between those <65 vs those ≥65 years old, and across different levels of education.
Conclusions :
In this group of patients, average PPOS scores indicate a moderately patient-centred approach towards healthcare, with more favourable attitudes towards the 'sharing' aspect than 'caring'. However, patients’ views on patient-centred care seem to depend on their age and level of education.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.