A Survey Of Michigan Optometrists And Their Satisfaction With The Optometric Profession.

Background: This investigation consists of a survey of Michigan optometrists in the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. The first component of the survey explores each participant’s satisfaction with his or her career in optometry. The second component of the survey analyzes how each participant believes his or her career in optometry could be enhanced, and what, if any, obstacles he or she faces in achieving career satisfaction. The purpose of the survey is to determine if Michigan optometrists are personally and professionally satisfied with their career in optometry and to obtain valuable information concerning the growth and expansion of the optometric profession in Michigan.
Methods: Two-hundred (200) mail surveys were distributed randomly via the United States Postal Service. Addresses were obtained from the Michigan Optometric Association’s (MOA) mailing list. Surveys were completed voluntarily and anonymously by Michigan optometrists. Onehundred-and-five (105) surveys were collected, resulting in a fifty-two-and-a-half percent (52.5%) response rate. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of respondents were male and thirty-two percent (32%) of respondents were female. The majority of respondents, thirty-nine percent (39%) work in a partnership between optometrists (OD/OD) mode of practice, and fifty-two percent (52%) of all respondents have been in practice twenty years or more.
Results: The majority of Michigan optometrists, regardless of gender, years in practice, or mode of practice, are very satisfied with their career in optometry. The majority of male Michigan optometrists cited patient interaction as the most important factor contributing to career satisfaction, whereas the majority of female optometrists cited job flexibility as the most important factor contributing to career satisfaction. The least important factors contributing to career satisfaction are the scope of practice and working hours. The majority of Michigan optometrists, regardless of gender, years in practice, or mode of practice, refer less than ten percent (<10%) of their patients to other practitioners. The patients requiring a referral are most commonly referred to a general ophthalmologist, followed by a retina specialist and then an anterior segment specialist. Patients are least commonly referred to their primary care physician or to another optometrist. While the majority of Michigan optometrists believe that more diagnostic equipment would help them to better serve their patients, respondents who are sole proprietors or those who are commercially employed feel that more efficient staff would help them to better serve their patients. The majority of male respondents believe that insurance parity is the most important area in need of growth and
expansion within the optometric profession; however, females and those practicing less than 9 years believe that public awareness is the most important area in need of growth and expansion within the optometric profession.
Conclusions:The vast majority of Michigan optometrists are very satisfied and/or satisfied with the optometric profession. Although female Michigan optometrists do not seem to be as satisfied with the optometric profession as males, it appears that the longer optometrists are in practice, the more satisfied they are with their career. Mode of practice does not seem to be a factor in overall career satisfaction. The most important factor contributing to career satisfaction among male Michigan optometrists is patient interaction, whereas for females it is job flexibility. Regarding growth and expansion of the optometric profession, the majority feel that insurance parity is most important, which is followed by increasing public awareness.