Patient Satisfaction Toward a Tele-Retinal Screening Program in Endocrinology Clinics at a Tertiary Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Purpose: Tele-retinal screening programs use a nonmydriatic camera for retinal imaging. These images are reviewed by ophthalmologists, for interpretation and planning of appropriate treatment and follow up. Patient satisfaction is a critical tool to assess the quality of healthcare delivery and to reframe the current screening programs. The aim of this study is to measure satisfaction toward a tele-retinal screening program among diabetics attending endocrinology clinics at a tertiary hospital in Riyadh.  Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that included a total of 163 patients recruited while attending tele-retinal screening at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital in Riyadh, during the period between May and August 2019. A self-administrated Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire PSQ18 was used which included demographic data, diabetes history, and seven domains of satisfaction that were measured.  Results: Some 54% of the respondents were male. The average age was 44.8 years. Some 49.7% had type 2 diabetes. The mean duration of diabetes was 15.3 years. The overall satisfaction level was 80.4%. The highest satisfaction rate was in the interpersonal manner (mean 4.45) while the lowest was in accessibility to an ophthalmologist when a referral was needed (mean 3.01). Some 60% of the participants were concerned it might take a long time to be referred to an ophthalmologist when it is needed. Some 90.1% found it easier to have diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening during routine diabetes follow up. Some 23.9% did not like the idea of only seeing the ophthalmologist when it is necessary and only 9.8% had some doubts of the doctor's ability to diagnose DR by evaluating retina photos only. No significant association was found between patient's satisfaction and demographic background or diabetes history.

Conclusion:  Patients were found to be highly satisfied with tele-retinal screening program. Mostly the reason of dissatisfaction was found in accessibility to an ophthalmologist when a referral was needed. Therefore, it is important to reassure patients that timely referral for effective intervention is performed and part of the screening policies.