How Well Is The Michigan College Of Optometry Educating Its Patients?

Background: Optometry schools are lagging behind medical schools in teaching their
graduates how to communicate with patients, even though this is one of the most important areas of an eye exam. Optometry students have indicated that they believe they would benefit from more focused communication training, but no studies have looked at the situation from the patient’s point of view. Methods: A satisfaction survey was sent out to 328 patients who have had either a full primary care eye exam or a full contact lens eye exam at the Michigan College of Optometry’s University Eye Center within the last year. Results: Eighty-seven surveys were returned. The majority of patients indicated they were satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the discussions concerning their ocular and visual health status, treatment options and recommendations for vision and eye health, follow-up visits, and recommendation for re-examination.
Conclusions: While the majority of patients at the University Eye Center were satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the discussions they had with the optometrist or student intern, room for improvement does exist, especially when discussing the availability of different treatment options and the risks and benefits of each.