Willingness-to-pay for spectacles studies: a scoping review of rationales and methodologies

Abstract

Background The global recognition of uncorrected refractive error as the main cause of vision impairment has increasingly demand for affordable, available and accessible refraction and spectacle dispensing services. Willingness to pay (WTP) for spectacles studies afford context-specific planning for integration of these services into eye care service delivery. The aim of this scoping review was to identify the rationales and the range of methods used when conducting WTP for spectacles studies. Methods We undertook this scoping review, using a search from EBSCO (host), Medline, PubMed, SCOPUS, Google Scholar and ProQuest databases. We also searched Google and eyecare organisation’s websites for grey literature. We analysed the articles using the scoping review methodological framework proposed by Arskey and Marley. Results The search identified 237 from and only 14 were eligible. 79% (n=11) were published articles and 21% (n=3) were grey literature. All studies were from developing countries. Most of the studies reported rationales with a few that were vague. The majority of the studies used survey-based techniques, where the limitation and strengths were reported. Conclusion The scoping review highlighted the knowledge gap in reporting the WTP for spectacles methodologies that need to be considered in reporting future research. Keywords: Willingness to pay, spectacles, eyeglasses