A Descriptive analysis of optical services in a tertiary hospital in South-South Nigeria

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of optical services provided in a tertiary hospital in South- South, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Six hundred and fifty consecutive patients with errors of refraction who attended the outpatient’s eye clinics of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital were interviewed using interviewer-administered questionnaires. They were questioned regarding time to acquisition of spectacles, source of prescription glasses and reasons influencing their choices. Data wereanalyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for IBM (version 20, SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA) and the results presented in tables and figures. Results: Majority of participants (88.3%) had their lenses fitted in the hospital, and the remaining got their glasses from peripheral clinics. Importantly, only 56% of respondents bought their spectacle frames in the teaching hospital. The major reasons were cost (43%) and poor quality of frames (32%). Ninety percent acquired their pair of fitted glasses within two weeks of submission of their prescriptions to the optical service and 10% beyond this time frame. Conclusion: The optical service of the hospital at present is effective, but its efficiency could be improved by adding some readymade spectacles and provision of good quality and cosmetically acceptable frames.

Keywords

• optical services
• tertiary hospital
• nigeria