Khyber Alam

1 Introduction Internationally, eye care needs are predicted to rise with the ageing population [1]. In Australia, there is a shortage of ophthalmologists, with the majority working in private metropolitan settings [2]. There is high demand placed on public ophthalmology, and wait times for public cataract surgery in Australia remain one of the longest among developed countries [3, 4]. Access to care issues are compounded for rural residents due to limited services and workforce maldistribution.

Individuals with keratoconus may experience reduced vision quality and quality-of-life due to persistent optical distortions, even with use of rigid contact lenses. The posterior tear lens formed by a rigid contact lens corrects for corneal surface irregularities but does not address internal distortions, which continue to degrade visual performance.

1 Background Patient-centred care (PCC) is the cornerstone of effective health care practice, emphasising the importance of communication, empathy and shared decision-making. [1] Across the health professions, curriculum design has broadened and become more inclusive to capture perspectives from service users. [2] This raises critical questions regarding the alignment of formal assessments with the perceptions of those at the heart of the encounter: the patients.