Patient satisfaction in oculoplastic surgery

Patient satisfaction in oculoplastic surgery was evaluated through questionnaires sent to patients, referring physicians, and oculoplastic surgeons. Two oculoplastic surgical procedures, cosmetic blepharoplasty and acquired blepharoptosis treatment, were analyzed. One hundred forty-five patients and 85 referring physicians of the practices of five oculoplastic surgeons were questioned. Sixty-nine additional oculoplastic surgeons were also surveyed. The results of treatment were consistently emphasized as the most important factor in patient satisfaction, a finding that contrasted greatly with the decreased emphasis on the cost of treatment. This implies that patients value the quality of medical care and are willing to pay for it. The preference of patients contrasts sharply with the trend of government and third-party payers to emphasize cost containment at the possible sacrifice of quality of care. The surveys also showed that pain and discomfort and office waiting time are more important to patient satisfaction than oculoplastic surgeons realize and that the surgeons will have to address these issues in order to improve satisfaction. Also, there is a falloff of surgeon-patient communication postoperatively which is less satisfying to patients and recognized, but not acted on, by surgeons. Therefore, more postoperative surgeon-patient communication by telephone is also likely to improve patient satisfaction.