In France, more than half of patients have to wait an average of 4 months or more to be able to consult an ophthalmologist, according to a survey by the Rassemblement des Opticiens de France (ROF). The union proposes four measures to remedy this problem.
- Although waiting times in ophthalmology have decreased, some French people still encounter difficulties in obtaining an appointment with a specialist.
- Not all regions show the same wait times.
- 79% of French people trust their optician to perform new procedures, such as access to in-store teleconsultation.
We know: getting an appointment with an ophthalmologist is not an easy task. In 2020, Dr Thierry Bour, president of the National Syndicate of Ophthalmologists of France (SNOF), said that “Ophthalmology appointment times are down again, continuing the momentum of recent years”. “Since 2017, they have decreased by a third” nationwide, he added.
Although access to optical care is more fluid than before, “25 million French people today live in ophthalmological medical deserts and experience difficulties” for a consultation with a specialist. This was revealed a survey conducted by OpinionWay for the Rassemblement des Opticiens de France (ROF) and published on January 20.
According to the results of this survey of 2,055 people last December, 56% of patients questioned said they waited an average of 4 months or more for an appointment with an ophthalmologist. The union also indicates that a third of French people have already been refused at least once an appointment with an ophthalmologist.
Inequalities between regions
Not all French people are in the same boat in terms of waiting times in ophthalmology. According to the study, patients living in Île-de-France and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) wait on average less than 4 months for a visit to an ophthalmologist. The territories where the waiting period exceeds more than 4 months are Brittany, Normandy, the Grand-Est and the Centre. “70% of those surveyed feel that appointment times have lengthened over the past five years”, can we read in the survey.
The union reports that patients are not sufficiently informed about the modalities of vision care. And for good reason, 53% of those questioned admitted to not knowing that the prescription for glasses was valid for 5 years for French people aged 16 to 42 and 3 years for those over 42 years old. The survey also reveals that 79% of patients do not use the eyeglass renewing device directly at opticians.
Four measures for smoother access to optical care
“Faced with this emergency, opticians are mobilizing for the visual health of the French and are proposing solutions, in cooperation with ophthalmologists and orthoptists”, declares the ROF. The union suggests extending the validity period of prescriptions to facilitate the renewal of glasses by opticians and orthoptists. It also proposes to make patients more aware of the possibility of renewing their glasses or lenses at their opticians through communication campaigns.
Another measure mentioned: “allow opticians to offer teleconsultation acts with an ophthalmologist directly in store”. The ROF also wishes to allow opticians to participate in national campaigns for visual prevention and screening. The union recently launched a petition “to carry the voice of the French and make this subject a public health priority”.
