A New Zealand-led study found routine eye examinations were generally well tolerated, but positioning for slit-lamp examinations and OCT caused difficulties for patients with neck or back pain, a bigger build or advanced pregnancy.
Published in Eye, the cross-sectional Patient Experience of Eye Examination eValuation Study analysed feedback from 203 patients attending two private ophthalmology practices in Brisbane between June and August 2022. The research was led by Dr Siyuan Jabelle Lu, an ophthalmology fellow at the University of Auckland and Greenlane Eye Clinic.
Patients rated their experience of topical anaesthesia, OCT, tonometry, slit-lamp examination and mydriasis using a 100-point visual analogue scale, supplemented by interviews. All five components were rated favourably, with median scores ranging from 88 to 89, although mydriasis was the least preferred.
However, qualitative responses identified specific barriers. Twenty-three patients (11.3%) reported discomfort during slit-lamp examination, particularly from maintaining a fixed or forward-leaning position. Twenty (9.8%) reported stinging from topical anaesthesia, while 11 (5.4%) described temporary disorientation, dizziness or light sensitivity following mydriasis. Six patients reported discomfort related to positioning during OCT.
Tonometry experiences differed significantly by age, with older patients generally reporting more positive experiences than younger participants. Some patients preferred rebound tonometry to Goldmann applanation tonometry, although others said they found the probe’s movement unsettling.
