Evaluating the Association Between Anxiety and Satisfaction

Purpose. Low patient satisfaction is problematic within optometric practice. However, to date, it is not known how Patient anxiety affects this patient variable. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether patients who report higher levels of preexamination anxiety have lower levels of satisfaction postconsultation. Methods. Optometric patient anxiety and patient satisfaction were measured using self-report questionnaires. A total of 197 participants (82 males, 115 females; mean age 57.1 +/- 18.6) completed the Optometric Patient Anxiety Scale before their eye examination. The Rapport subscale (extracted from the Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale) was completed after the eye examination. Results. Validity of the Optometric Patient Anxiety Scale and Rapport subscale for this population was confirmed with Rasch analysis and item estimates calculated. Linear regression identified a significant relationship between optometric anxiety and satisfaction (p < 0.01). Conclusions. This is the first time that a relationship between preconsultation patient anxiety and postconsultation satisfaction has been documented within optometric practice. This indicates that if patient optometric anxiety can be reduced, there may be an improvement in patient satisfaction.