[Prioritizing patients on waiting list for cataract surgery: preference differences among citizens]

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Health Services Research
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Cataract surgery prioritization requires balancing clinical need with societal values.
• Understanding public and patient preferences is crucial for equitable healthcare allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate and compare citizen preferences for patient prioritization in cataract surgery.
• To identify key criteria influencing public and patient decision-making for surgical waiting lists.

Main Methods:

• Conjoint analysis involving focus groups and a representative survey (n=771).
• Rank-ordered logit model applied to preference elicitation data.
• Group analysis to compare differences in criterion scoring.

Main Results:

• Visual impairment (45%) was the most important criterion, followed by difficulty in daily living (15%) and work limitations (14%).
• General public and patients/relatives prioritized visual impairment more highly than professionals (p<0.001).
• Varying group scores could alter patient waiting list order by up to 27 positions.

Conclusions:

• Both social and clinical criteria are important for cataract surgery prioritization.
• Acknowledging diverse citizen preferences is essential for developing fair and acceptable waiting list policies.