What Do Patients Expect of Health Care Providers? Patient Perceptions and Expectations of Professionalism in Optometry Practice in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Professionalism, which includes factors such as attire, hygiene, communication skills, compassion and empathy; has not been previously investigated in the discipline of Optometry and yet is known to be influential in building patient-practitioner relationships. 
 
 METHODS: This study was conducted at public and private eye care facilities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. Convenience sampling was used to select 600 participants and data collected with a self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25.
 
 RESULTS: Attire was considered a competency indicator by the majority of participants (70.1%). Practitioners who exercised good hygiene were regarded as being more competent (73.3%). More than half (57.4%) of the respondents perceived an optometrist who wears glasses as more professional and likely to better understand their condition. A practitioner who smelled of cigarette smoke was considered unprofessional (67.3%). The use of simple terms was preferred by 88.5%, while 75.6% respondents felt that an optometrist who introduces themselves and maintained eye contact is more reliable. Most respondents (65%) believed that an optometrist who considers their lifestyle and finance was more trustworthy. 
 
 CONCLUSIONS: Overall, physical appearance and other factors such as hygienic practices, communication skills and empathy appear to be important contributors to patient perspectives of professionalism in optometrists. Health care practitioners would therefore do well to consider these factors and soft skills in advancing the public’s perception of them and apply them to routine practice to build trust with patients.

Sexual History Taking: Perspectives on Doctor-Patient Interactions During Routine Consultations in Rural Primary Care in South Africa

“…Poor eye contact and poor listening were the 2 factors most prominent in these consultations. Gorawara-Bhat and Cook 44 connected eye contact and listening as 2 crucial components of patient-centeredness. Eye contact is often sensitive in Africa, as some people claim that in certain cultures, adults do not to tolerate younger people making direct eye contact.…”

“…Nonetheless, a study conducted in rural KwaZulu Natal, in an optometry setting, found that an introduction between the professional and patient and maintaining eye contact ensured that 75.6% of the participants considered the professional as more reliable. 44 Doctor 9 in Consultation 2 demonstrated good eye contact with the patient during the entire The components of the consultation namely medical history, examination, and discussion of care and treatment − all of which are grounded in evidence-based criteria or standards.…”