Key factors determining success of primary eye care through vision centres in rural India: Patients’ perspectives

AIM: This paper intends to discuss the patients’ perspective on the determinants of primary eye care services from vision centers (VC) in rural India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study design and interview method was used on 127 randomly selected patients who accessed the 4 VCs in 2007. Factor analyses and linear regression models were used to predict the associations with patient satisfaction. RESULTS: The three factors derived from factor analyses were: (1)-vision technician (VT), (2)-location of VC, and (3)-access to VC; explaining 60% of the variance in total patients’ satisfaction with VC. The first model (R(2): 0.61; F(1,124)=144.36, P<0.001), indicated that respondents who had ‘difficulty to travel to the place of VC’ and those who can afford to pay had less satisfaction with VT services. The second model (R(2)=0.18; F(1,124)=29.5, P<0.001) explained that respondents’ difficulty to identify the building of VC had decreased patients’ satisfaction and the third model (R(2)=0.36; F(1,124)=45.6, P<0.001) indicated that those who had to travel<5 km to the VC and had 0.38 units of increased satisfaction level with the services of VC. CONCLUSION: A good VT can enhance patient satisfaction. However, patient expectations are not only confined to the provider but also other factors such as ability to pay and convenient transportation that helps patients reach the location of the VC with ease.