Factors that influence patient choice of an excimer laser treatment center.

Purpose: To identify the factors that most influenced patient choice of an excimer laser treatment center and those most likely to deter patients from selecting a particular center.
Setting: A National Health Service (NHS) excimer laser unit in the northeast of England.
Methods: An anonymous 24-item questionnaire was constructed. Each question had a visual analogue scale, anchored at each end with an adjectival description. Patients were asked to mark their response to the related question on the scale. Using the database of over 300 patients treated by excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) at Sunderland Eye infirmary between May 1993 and December 1995, the first 140 consecutive patients were identified. Questionnaires were sent to them and returned between August 1 and October 31, 1995.
Results: A 64.3% reply rate (90 patients) was achieved. Overall, the results suggest that patients considered many factors to be important in their selection of a treatment center for PRK correction of myopia. Over 95% said that treatment and review by a consultant ophthalmologist, comprehensive follow-up appointments, professional attitude by staff, and reputation of the hospital were important factors in their selection of the center. Ninety to 95% said confidence in the clinical reputation and skills of the ophthalmic surgeons performing the treatment was important, as was having follow-up by only one or two staff members. Slightly more than 50% said that being treated in an NHS hospital setting (51.7%) or that expense of the treatment (50.5%) were important factors in their decision.
Conclusion: Patients who chose to have excimer laser PRK based their choice of a unit on reputation of the staff and hospital but also on having care and follow-up by a consultant ophthalmic surgeon, high standards of equipment, continuity of care, and a comprehensive review system backed up by ready accessibility to staff members. Although proximity of a unit was important, cost appeared less important than the other factors.