Insight Into Patient Perception of Eye Care

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Insight Into Patient Perception of Eye Care

According to a new survey of 1,009 full-time employed US adults over the age of 25, vision care is valued as much as dental care, but many are confused about how to use it—even when they have vision benefits.

The study was commissioned by XP Health, which offers a digital-first vision benefits platform. In this study, 94% of respondents said that vision benefits are “valuable,” with 82% stating that vision benefits are equally as important as general medical insurance. When questioned about what the biggest factors were for not taking care of their vision, patients cited out-of-pocket costs most commonly. In addition, the majority of patients (55%) said they felt like they end up paying a lot out of pocket for their vision care needs. Also of note is that 64% of glasses wearers agreed with the statement “I often leave my appointment with sticker shock with how much my glasses cost.”

The study also revealed the effect of increased remote work on the modern employed adult. In the past 3 years, 50% of adults stated that their screen time has “sharply increased,” and the majority (73%) believe this is taking a negative toll on their vision. In addition, 70% of remote workers have experienced some physical symptoms of deteriorating eye health, such as headaches, eye irritation, etc. Despite this, the majority (52%) state that they aren’t more likely to take any extra steps to seek eye care.

My Two Cents

Fascinating stuff, right? It’s clear that patients think that eye care is important, but are confused by their vision benefits. Many experience eye issues as a result of the post-pandemic rise in technology use, yet they seem to have no plan to do anything about it.

CAN YOU RELATE

One night this past week, I got a panicked call from my mother saying something was wrong with my dad’s eye. She said that it was getting progressively redder and more painful over the hours. When I asked if anything had happened to the eye, she said that their new puppy had hit my dad in the face and caused his nose to bleed. I immediately suspected a corneal abrasion.

Now, if you aren’t aware, my parents live in Bay City, Michigan, where I was born and raised, and I live and practice in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, almost 1,200 miles away—not exactly convenient for them to stop in the office for a quick consult.

I immediately texted my first eye doctor and the guy who made me want to be an optometrist, Michael Brewer, OD, of Bay Eye Care Center in Bay City, Michigan. He responded quickly and offered to stop by my parents’ house, as his office was closed for the day and he was in his car headed home. Talk about patient care! How many of us would have offered to do this? Dr. Brewer dropped everything after a long day at the office to help out one of his long-time patients. After all these years, Dr. Brewer reminds me about the importance of putting patients first and the effect that we can have on not only our patients’ lives, but also on those who love them.

So, what did Dr. Brewer find? See our post on @modoptometry for the answer!

OUTSIDE THE LANE

Hollywood Setting a Good Example

Kudos to Tori Spelling’s eye doctor, as they are obviously darn good at patient education and enforcing compliance. Recently, the Beverly Hills 90210 star was seen sporting a bright pink bejeweled eye patch to cover a corneal ulcer at a launch party for her friend’s new hair extension line.

The 49-year-old actress received praise for wearing the patch from all over social media, with one fan writing, “I read that the patch was because of an injury, but my little one who has a condition called amblyopia requires a patch for that. She LOVED LOVED LOVED seeing this and said that it was a real-life Barbie with a patch!”

Ms. Spelling has shared an update about her ulcer, stating that her eye was “healing thx to antibiotic drops.”

My Two Cents

Tori Spelling’s doctor got her to wear a pressure patch (never mind the fact that I’ve personally never recommended a pressure patch for an abrasion). Compliance is important, no matter who the patient is! If she can do it, anyone can! Also, having this picture of her with the bejeweled patch could go a long way in convincing patients that amblyopic patching isn’t so bad.