Department of Ophthalmology, KH Hietzing, Vienna, Austria.
Acta Ophthalmol. 2011 May;89(3):e231-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2010.01938.x.
To evaluate patients’ maximum acceptable waiting time (MAWT) and to assess the determinants of patient perceptions of MAWT.
A total of 500 consecutive patients with cataract were asked to fill out a preoperative questionnaire, addressing patients’ MAWT to undergo cataract surgery. Patients’ visual impairment (VF-14 score), education, profession and social status were evaluated, and an ophthalmologic examination was performed. Univariate analysis included Spearman’s correlation test, unpaired Student’s t-test and the Mann–Whitney U test. Univariate and multivariate associations were calculated using unconditional logistic regression.
The mean MAWT was 3.17 ± 2.12 months. The mean VF-14 score was 72.10 ± 22.54. Between VF-14 score and MAWT, there was a significant correlation (r = 0.180, p = 0.004). Patients with higher education (high school, university) accepted significantly longer MAWT (3.92 ± 2.38 months versus 3.02 ± 2.00 months, p = 0.009). Patients who had self-noticed visual impairment were nearly four times (OR: 3.88, 95% CI = 2.07–7.28, p < 0.001) more likely to accept only MAWT of <3 months.
Patients with low tolerance for waiting had greater self-reported difficulty with vision. Patients’ acceptance of waiting was not associated with clinical visual acuity measures. Education, ability to work, living independently and taking care of dependents were also strong predictors from patients’ perspective. Considering the implementation of standards for waiting lists, these facts should be taken into account.
评估患者可接受的最长等待时间（MAWT），并评估患者对 MAWT 的感知的决定因素。
对 500 例连续的白内障患者进行术前问卷调查，询问患者接受白内障手术的 MAWT。评估患者的视力障碍（VF-14 评分）、教育程度、职业和社会地位，并进行眼科检查。单变量分析包括 Spearman 相关检验、未配对的 Student's t 检验和 Mann-Whitney U 检验。使用非条件逻辑回归计算单变量和多变量关联。
平均 MAWT 为 3.17 ± 2.12 个月。平均 VF-14 评分为 72.10 ± 22.54。VF-14 评分与 MAWT 之间存在显著相关性（r = 0.180，p = 0.004）。受过较高教育（高中、大学）的患者接受的 MAWT 明显更长（3.92 ± 2.38 个月与 3.02 ± 2.00 个月，p = 0.009）。自我察觉视力障碍的患者接受 MAWT <3 个月的可能性几乎高出四倍（OR：3.88，95%CI = 2.07–7.28，p < 0.001）。
等待容忍度低的患者自我报告的视力障碍程度更大。患者对等待的接受程度与临床视力测量值无关。从患者的角度来看，教育程度、工作能力、独立生活和照顾依赖者也是强有力的预测因素。考虑到等待名单标准的实施，这些事实应该被考虑在内。
