The fear of vision loss can deter some patients from undergoing a necessary cataract surgery, according to a recently published study. Falls are the main cause of reversible blindness, and surgery remains the only effective treatment.
The study, recently published in The Journal of Clinical Ofthalmology, Highlights the place of confidence patients in their doctors and the critical role of medical-patient communication in medical decision making.
The research was directed by Lisa Kelly, MD, professor and director of Education of Medicine Students in the Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Kelly also works as a medical director of UC Eye Clinics. The corresponding author of the study was Samantha Hu, a fourth -year medicine student. Stephanie Wey, MD, former UC resident, and Rainier Yono, a third -year medical student, also contributed.
The research team surveyed 42 patients at Hoxworth Eye Clinic, the training site for UC ophthalmology residents located near the UC Medical Center. The study explored a possible link between literacy in health and fear around cataract surgery.
“We presume that patients with lower health literacy fear more of surgery, especially the risk of loss of vision,” Hu said. “But our findings didn’t support that.”
The cataracts develop when proteins in the natural lens of the eye break down and grouped, leading to a blurred or attenuated vision. Because the condition is more commonly related to age, respondents were 50 years old or more. The sixty percent reported an annual income below $ 50,000.
Study findings
Among the respondents, 36% reported fear of cataract surgery, and more than half of those specifically feared that leads to loss of vision. However, the researchers did not find a correlation between this fear and the level of a patient’s health literacy.
“We found patients who would benefit from surgery reasonably understood the procedure after educating them,” Kelly said. “But even with clear explanations, sometimes his fear persisted.”
Hu said that simply providing more information was not always useful. “The overload of patients with data does not necessarily relieve their concerns,” he said.
Instead, the study pointed out the importance of open communication.
“Yes, patient education is important, but it is not always enough,” Kelly said. “The equally important thing is to build relationships and trust to help patients overcome fear.”
Hu said that findings emphasize how much patients trust their doctors to guide them to medical decisions based on their individual needs.
“Underline the trust that patients place in their doctors, and the need for doctors to really understand their patient population,” Hu said.
Kelly added: “It is a reminder that our patients are people with real fears. Our role is to associate with them in their medical care.”
In the future, researchers are likely to deepen the fear of patients around cataract surgery and how doctors can further strengthen medical-patient relationships.
Way to Residence
Hu is part of the UC College of Medicine class of 2025. She is originally from Greenwood Village, Colorado, a suburb of Denver.
As Hu focused more on following the specialty of ophthalmology, he said he communicated with Kelly about participating in the investigation and joined the study in his second year of the School of Medicine for the data collection process.
Hu said he was intrigued by this study due to his interest in the social determinants of health, the economic and social conditions that influence the differences in people’s health. “Sam and I spent a long time together while working on this research project,” Kelly said. “I got to know her well.”
The study results were presented for the first time at a medical conference last year and probably helped HU to stand out in the process of coincidence of competitive residence.
“To commit to an academic question in an investigation like this, better positions medical students to take a critical look at literature,” Kelly said.
After graduating this spring, Hu will begin its ophthalmology residence at the University of Loyola Chicago.