A recent survey by MyVision found that many Americans don’t hate going to their eye doctor. Fewer than 10 percent of respondents said they dislike or actively avoid their OD, compared to the 49 percent that said they dislike going to the gynecologist and the 47 percent who dislike going to the dentist.
In fact, 42 percent of the respondents in this June 2022 survey said that they consistently get eye exams.
However, 14 percent reported not having seen an eye doctor since 2017 or earlier, and another 15 percent said they do not remember the last time they had their eyes checked. As of June, 20 percent said that they have had their eyes checked this year.
The survey also found that 61 percent of respondents procrastinate medical care when it comes to keeping up on their health and annual exams. Of those, 12 percent said they do not regularly see a doctor of any kind, with the top reasons being cost, scheduling conflicts and a general dislike of medical environments. Respondents also stated pandemic safety concerns as a main cause of appointment avoidance.
ODs are perceived as expensive care providers, according to this survey. Respondents ranked eye doctor visits as the third-most costly, coming in behind dentists and specialists. Of the respondents who said they procrastinate, 42 percent said they have skipped an appointment over cost concerns.
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Eye appointments were the third-most delayed appointments due to pandemic concerns, according to the survey.
Could more office hours be the answer? More than 60 percent of respondents who procrastinate medical visits said they would go to the doctor more often if extra weekend appointments were available. Scheduling difficulties have caused 52 percent of respondents overall to say they’ve skipped an appointment.
Overall, 35 percent of respondents said that access to a telemedicine service would make them less likely to procrastinate.
About the survey: MyVision.org surveyed 1,057 Americans in June 2022. Ages ranged from 18 to 79. 50 percent of respondents were female, 48 percent were male, one percent were nonbinary and one percent were transgender.
