Femto-phaco vs conventional cataract treatment: is there a difference in patient satisfaction?

Poster Details

First Author: T.Herbst GERMANY

Co Author(s):    J. F   D. Uthoff   D. Holland        

Abstract Details

Purpose:

The study has the aim to verify, if there are significant differences in patient satisfaction between patients, who have been treated with the Femto-Phako Laser of Lensar and patients, who have been gone through the manual procedure of a cataract operation. In addition, the study wants to identify the factors of influencing, which lead a patient to decide in favor of an operation with the Femto Phako Laser.

Setting:

First of all, we want to describe the implementation of the Femto-Phako laser into the clinical daily routine and compare it with the patient path of an conventional cataract patient. Based on the findings, we will emphasize the main differences and evaluate our hypotheses concerning possible differences in patient satisfaction between the two considered groups. For testing our hypotheses, we will evaluate a specific questionnaire. It will include several questions which will be based on the comparative findings of the two patient paths. The survey has the aims to identify and to localize possible differences in patient satisfaction. After a descriptive analysis of the survey results, we will test our hypotheses by appropriate statistical methods. We want to close our lecture by interpreting and founding the main findings.

Methods:

We will evaluate a questionnaire, which puts the focus on the main differences of the two patient paths. The questionnaire contains perioperative as well as pre- and postoperative criteria. The judgement of the criteria by the patients bases on the German grades system (" 1 = best" to " 6 = worst" ). In order to give reason for the differences concerning the perioperative criteria, we will search for distinctive discrepancies in medical outcome quality. The hypotheses tests depend on the " level of measurement" . In order to find significant differences in the results of the questionnaire, we will apply the Mann-Whitney test. For judging the identified significant differences with the help of the " QiB system" , further statistical methods will be adopted because of a higher level of measurement. The ordinary t-test, the Moses-Test as well as the Wald-Wolfowitz-Test are (depending on the statistical distribution of the data) imaginable.

Results:

We expect to find significant differences in patient satisfaction, especially in the following factors: Quality and Safety of medical treatment, fear of operation, etc. With regard on the factors of influence in favor of a surgery with the Femto-Phako-Laser, we expect to identify the following: technic affinity, importance of status symbols, etc. A detailed description of our results is not possible, because the implementation of the Femto Phako laser will take place on first of April. Consequentially, the patient survey did not take place so far.

Conclusions:

The introduction of the Femto Phako Laser into the service offering of an eye hospital seems to mark a fundamental change in eye surgery. Besides the influence of technological changes on the outcome quality, possible changes in patient satisfaction mark an interesting and important field of research. By comparing patient paths of a conventional cataract treatment with the corresponding one of the Femto Phako patient care, we want to identify significant differences, which will build the fundament for a questionnaire. The resulting survey will be arranged in the two corresponding samples. The analysis of the survey will be conducted by appropriate statistical methods. We expect significant differences in patient satisfaction with regard on the following factors: quality of medical treatment, patient’s fear of an operation, safety of medical treatment, etc. Further results will arise from the survey. Actually, a detailed description of our findings is not possible, because the implementation of the Femto Phako laser will take place on first of April, which means that the patient survey did not take place so far. A significant higher patient satisfaction would not only be an argument in favor of a patient care with the Femto Phako laser. Furthermore, this possible finding might be an argument for out-of-pocket payments by health insurances. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE?: No