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Purpose: Inadequacy of trained human resources is a critical challenge for eye?care delivery worldwide. Recognizing this, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness had identified the development of human resources as one of the focal areas in the global initiative “Vision 2020: The Right to Sight.” The global action plan of the WHO also emphasized the need for trained workforce for ensuring comprehensive eye?care services. We aimed to present the uptake pattern of training programs offered at a high?volume training institute in India. Methods: We did a retrospective analysis of data related to training programs conducted between 2000 and 2019. Trainees included ophthalmologists, allied ophthalmic personnel, and eye?care management professionals from all over the world. We analyzed the overall growth over the 20 years in the WHO regions. The uptake patterns were also analyzed across four segments of 5?year?periods by the type of training. Results: Overall, 9091 trainees from 118 countries attended training in over 40 courses that included long? and short?term clinical training for ophthalmologists (54.2%) and short?term training for eye?care managers (29.5%), allied ophthalmic personnel (6.2%), and eye?care technicians (10.2%). The majority of the trainees (81.3%) came from the Southeast Asian region, of which 87.4% were from India. Most (98.3%) of the trainees belonged to developing countries. We found an overall average growth of 4.8% in the training uptake across the four 5?year segments over the 20 years. Conclusion: Comparatively better representation of trainees from the developing countries is encouraging as the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment is higher in those countries, warranting improved eye?care delivery. Given the strong influence of distance and associated costs of accessing training, the development of similar institutes in other regions might help enhance the global efforts to eliminate needless blindness.
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Objective@#This study adapted and translated the Trust in Oncologist Scale (TiOS) into the Tagalog Trust in Ophthalmologist Scale (TTOS) and validated the latter.@*Methods@#The 18-item TiOS questionnaire was translated into Tagalog and validated in a cohort of 200 Filipino ophthalmology patients of a single institution. Internal consistency, construct validity, and test-retest reliabilities were determined. Exploratory factor analyses were also performed.@*Results@#The TTOS showed high internal consistency with Cronbach alpha of 0.92, high reliability with Pearson's coefficient of 0.85, and high validity with Spearman’s coefficient of 0.67.@*Conclusion@#The TTOS is a valid and reliable tool to measure the level of trust of Filipino patients in their ophthalmologists.
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AIM:To investigate the effectiveness of surgical simulator-based small-incision extracapsular cataract extraction training for young ophthalmologists.METHODS:Prospective and controlled study. A total of 48 young participants who had completed at least 3a standardized residency training or had obtained the attending certificate in the He Eye Specialist Hospital from 2020 to 2022 were enrolled. All the participants were randomly divided into simulator surgical operation training group(experimental group, n=24)and real animal eye operation training group(control group, n=24)after passing the theoretical training and assessment of small incision extracapsular cataract extraction. The participants in the experimental group and control group were trained with the surgical simulator and pig eyes respectively. After training, the overall effectiveness of training in both groups was rated using the simulator and pig eye operation was evaluated.RESULTS: The participants in the experimental group used less time than the participants in the control group on simulator assessment(all P<0.05). The scores of injecting viscoelastics during keratonyxis, nucleus delivery and hydrate the paracentesis site steps were not different on simulator assessment between the two groups(P>0.05). For the rest of the steps, the scores of experimental group were higher than those of the control group(all P<0.05). Participants in the experimental group had significantly higher scores than control group on pig eye operation assessment(all P<0.05). In the experimental group, the scores of the scleral groove dissection, tunnel dissection, continuous circular capsulorhexis, hydrodissection and hydro-prolapse and nucleus delivery steps had no significant difference between the surgical simulator and pig eye operation(P=0.068, 0.126, 0.960, 0.520, 0.206). The scores of injecting viscoelastics during keratonyxis, tunnel puncture into anterior chamber and hydrate the paracentesis site steps were significantly lower on simulator assessment than pig eye operation(P=0.007, 0.014, <0.01). The scores of the cortex removal and intraocular lens(IOL)implantation were significantly higher on simulator assessment than eye of real animal(P=0.035, <0.01).CONCLUSION:The application of surgical simulator on training small incision extracapsular cataract extraction skills for young ophthalmologists could significantly improve their skills in cataract surgery operation, providing a new mode and idea for the establishment of standardized cataract surgery training for young ophthalmologists.
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Purpose: To compare the glaucoma assessment skills among general ophthalmologists in their referral patients over 5 years. Methods: This was a retrospective auditing of the electronic medical record database. Details of consecutive new glaucoma patients seen in the glaucoma services of a tertiary eye care institute in 2013 and 2018 were collected. Details of each patient included the clinical presentation, baseline intra?ocular pressure (IOP), type and severity of glaucoma, referral details, gonioscopy, HVF (Humphrey visual field) data, and the number of medications. Statistical tests used were the Chi?square test and T test using SPSS version 22. Results: Of 28,886 medical records screened, 211 and 568 new glaucoma patients were retrieved in 2013 and 2018, respectively. The patients presenting in 2018 were younger (58.1 ± 15.4 years) at presentation than in 2013 (65.6 ± 15.2 years), P < 0.01, and also had higher baseline IOP (IOP ?40 mm Hg was found in 9.5% in 2018 versus 2.4% in 2013; P < 0.01). The percentage of eyes with presenting visual acuity worse than 20/400 or 20/600 was higher in the patients presenting in 2018 (22.2% vs. 15.1%; P = 0.03). Although primary glaucoma predominated in both periods, the number of eyes referred to as disc suspects showed an increase in 2018 (4.7% to 14.4%; P < 0.01). Among 195 and 517 referrals in 2013 and 2018, respectively, the documentation of clinical findings were dismally poor in both the groups in terms of absent gonioscopy (99% vs. 98.2%, P = 0.4), absent disc details (89.6% vs. 91%, P = 0.5), or absent visual field analysis (79.1% vs. 74.8%, P = 0.2). However, the missing IOP values were significantly better in the latter year (77.3% vs. 57.2%; P < 0.01). Conclusion: The increase in the number of new glaucoma patients and referrals did not show a corresponding improvement in documentation of findings except for IOP recording among general ophthalmologists. Hence, we need to re?emphasize the training of general ophthalmologists on basic glaucoma evaluation to improve their referral ability
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Objective@#This study determined the prevalence of depression among young ophthalmologists during the COVID-19 pandemic and determined their access to mental healthcare. @*Methodology@#In this cross-sectional study, members of the Philippine Network of Young Ophthalmologists were surveyed using an online Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a short self-administered tool which included questions related to their current work to assess depression. The respondents were also asked if there was available, accessible, affordable, adequate, and acceptable mental healthcare to them answerable by yes, no, or maybe. @*Results@#Seventy (70) respondents were included in the analysis. The mean age was 33±5 years with 54% being female. Forty-five (45) or 64% were resident trainees with a mean number of years in the training of 2±1 years. The median score for the PHQ-9 was 6.5 (3,12). Forty-two (42) or 60% of the respondents had some degree of depression. Nine (9) or 13% of the respondents had no available service, 6 (9%) had no accessible service, 7 (10%) had no affordable service, and 4 (6%) had no adequate service for mental healthcare for them. @*Conclusion@#More than half of the ophthalmologists-in-training and newly practicing suffered from some degree of depression based on the PHQ-9 questionnaire. A significant proportion was either not sure or do not have available, accessible, affordable, and adequate mental healthcare services for them.
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Mental Health , COVID-19 , Patient Health QuestionnaireABSTRACT
El vertiginoso desarrollo científico - tecnológico de la oftalmología requiere de una actualización sistemática desde el punto de vista teórico - práctico. A tales efectos, se diseñó una estrategia de superación para el mejoramiento del desempeño profesional de los oftalmólogos de la Atención Primaria de Salud dirigida a la atención integral de los pacientes con oclusiones vasculares retinianas. Se emplearon métodos de los niveles teórico y empírico. Fue diseñada en 4 etapas y se utilizó el ciclo Deming como referente metodológico. Se establecieron relaciones esenciales que ofrecen coherencia lógica interna a la educación médica en su concepción como ciencia en construcción, en particular en el área de la formación permanente y continuada de los profesionales de la salud, al profundizar en el orden conceptual, metodológico y epistemológico en los procesos de desempeño profesional y superación.
The fast scientific and technological development of Ophthalmology requires a systematic updating from the theoretical and practical points of view. To such effects, a training strategy was designed for the improvement of professional performance of the primary care ophthalmologists directed to the comprehensive care of patients with retinal vascular occlusions. Empiric and theoretical level methods were used. The strategy was designed in 4 stages and the Deming cycle was implemented as methodological referent. Essential relationships were established which offer internal logical coherence to the Medical Education in its conception as science, particularly in the area of permanent and continued training of the health professionals, as there is a deepening in the conceptual, methodological and epistemological order in the processes of professional and training performance.
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Professional Competence , Retinal Vein Occlusion/diagnosis , Ophthalmologists/education , Primary Health Care , Education, MedicalABSTRACT
PURPOSE: We compared the posterior capsule rupture (PCR) rate between microscope versus intracameral illumination in phacoemulsification surgery performed by novice ophthalmologists. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 300 eyes of 211 patients who underwent phacoemulsification by novice ophthalmologists from March 2012 to October 2017. Novice ophthalmologists (n = 6) were divided into those using microscope illumination (n = 4) and intracameral illumination users (n = 2). The first 50 cataract surgery cases of each novice ophthalmologist were reviewed. The results using a phacoemulsification machine and microscopy were the same. The intraoperative complications and learning curve in each case were evaluated. RESULTS: Phacoemulsifications performed by novice ophthalmologists showed a statistically significant difference in PCR rate between the microscope illumination (19.0%, 38/200) and intracameral illumination (4.0%, 4/100) groups (p = 0.001). The incidence of PCR was reduced to 22%, 18%, 16%, 12%, and 8% per 10 cases in the microscope group, while it was 15% in the first 10 cases and 0% in 50 cases thereafter in the intracameral illumination group. CONCLUSIONS: Novice surgeons had a lower PCR rate during cataract surgery using intracameral illumination than using microscope illumination. Both groups showed a tendency for the PCR to decrease with increasing surgical cases, but the intracameral illumination group showed a shorter learning curve.
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Humans , Cataract , Incidence , Intraoperative Complications , Learning Curve , Lighting , Microscopy , Phacoemulsification , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Retrospective Studies , Rupture , SurgeonsABSTRACT
Purpose: To evaluate the results and safety profile of assistant medical officer ophthalmologists (AMO‑O) performing cataract surgery in the last stage of their surgical training, before their appointment to local communities. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of patients who underwent cataract surgery by AMO‑Os at Dar es Salaam, Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation for Tanzania Disability Hospital between September 2008 and June 2011. Surgical options were either extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) or manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS), both with polymethylmethacrylate intraocular lens implantation. Results: Four hundred and fourteen patients were included in the study. Two hundred and twenty‑five (54%) underwent ECCE and 189 had MSICS. Mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) improved from 2.4 ± 0.6 preoperatively to 1.3 ± 0.8 1 week postoperatively (t‑test, P < 0.001) and to 1.1 ± 0.7 3 months postoperatively (t‑test, P < 0.001). Mean logMAR best‑corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.7 ± 0.5 1 week postoperatively and 0.6 ± 0.5 3 months postoperatively. There was no significant difference in mean logMAR UCVA (P = 0.7) and BCVA (P = 0.7) postoperatively between ECCE and MSICS. 89.5% achieved BCVA better than 6/60 and 57.3% better than 6/18 with a follow‑up of 3 months. Posterior capsule rupture and/or vitreous loss occurred in 34/414 patients (8.2%) and was more frequent (P = 0.047) in patients undergoing ECCE (10.2%) compared with MSICS (5.3%). Conclusion: AMO‑O cataract surgeons at the end of their training offer significant improvement in the visual acuity of their patients. Continuous monitoring of outcomes will guide further improvements in surgical skills and minimize complications.
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AlM: To discuss the application effect of surgical simulator to improve the microsurgical skills in junior ophthalmologist. METHODS: Lecture teaching, training in surgical simulator and operation in animal eyes were received in all these ophthalmologists. Results of the ability of operation in cataract surgery after this training were analyzed. RESULTS: After taught theory, students completed cataract surgical procedures on simulator and the mean test score was 75. 91 ± 6. 53 points. After trained on simulator repeatedly, the mean test score was 85. 57±4. 64 points. There was statistically significant difference ( P<0. 01) . During the third stage of practicing on animal eyes, the score was 89. 77 ± 7. 61 points, there was statistically significant difference compared with former two stages (P<0. 05).CONCLUSlON: Comprehensive training can improve microsurgical skills of junior ophthalmologist, but the long effect need to be observed.
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Background Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been widely applied to solve clinical issues internationally,however,the awareness of oculists in China still is dissatisfied,and the relevant issue survey can offer the training guidance.Objective This study was to survey the status of the cognition and practice of EBM in ophthalmologists in China and analyze the problems in their EBM practice.Methods Two hundred and thirty-three ophthalmologists were enrolled in the 18th Congress of Chinese Ophthalmological Society in August,2013.A survey about EBM was performed by self-made questionnaire,including general data from the surveyors,the way and channel of understanding EBM,the attitude toward EBM,clinical practice of EBM and influencing factors.The educational background,professional qualifications,ranked distribution of hospitals which surveyors came from,size of the citys and attribute of hospitals were stratified and analyzed.SPSS 17.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results A total of 233 questionnaires were distributed,and 233 were regained with the response rate 100％,and 214 valid questionnaires were included,with the effective rate 91.8％.50.5％ of the respondents (104/206) knew EBM in university.The proportion of those believe EBM initially as medical students was 41.8％,and 49.1％ (102/208) were aware of EBM in recent 8 years.And 47.7％ (101/211) believed that EBM should be given priority in clinic,and 7.5％ (16/211) were indifferent to EBM.Only 3.8％ (8/211) surveyors thought EBM to be little important.The proportion of the respondents choosing ‘ know’ or ‘ moderately-know’ were 69.1％ (148/214),35.0％ (75/ 213),21.5％ (46/213) and 57.4％ (121/211) respectively in EBM,Meta analysis,Cochrane as well as Preferred Practice Patterns (PPPs) with a higher receiving degree in well-educated individuals (P =0.000,0.000,0.001,0.000).EBM was well practiced in 11.7％ (25/211) oculists,with a higher using frequency in senior ophthalmologists,and 17.8％ (89/495,frequency) oculists consulted the EBM literature to resolve problems in clinic,with a significant difference in the using frequency of EBM among the different educational background subjects (x2=13.406,P=0.037).The top three barriers which affected the application of EBM in clinical practices were lack of time and the limited energy,feeling it difficult to evaluate the evidence correctly as well as the absence of cases proving the efficacy to treat based EBM.The type of EBM evidence mostly used by respondents was medical database (36.7％),and CNKI (33.5％) and PubMed (38.4％) were the mostly used Chinese and English database,respectively.Respondents who have never searched the Chinese or English database occupied up to 7.3％ and 17.2％,respectively.Conclusions The cognition degree and applying frequency are still lower in ophthalmologists in China.The training of EBM should be strengthened in medical students.The guidance measurement should be taken to encourage eye doctors to apply EBM.
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La responsabilidad de la evaluación preoperatoria integral en las intervenciones oftalmológicas, con frecuencia recae en el cirujano, quien debe identificar a los afectados con riesgo cardiovascular incrementado y tomar a tiempo las medidas para evitar complicaciones de esta índole. El presente artículo se enfoca en tales aspectos, definiendo las acciones que corresponden directamente al oftalmólogo, aquellas en que funge como gestor, y las que rigurosamente no le competen. También se exponen las estrategias farmacológicas más modernas, con énfasis en el consumo de antiagregantes plaquetarios o anticoagulantes y en la necesidad de la profilaxis antimicrobiana; se refieren las entidades cardíacas inestables que, salvo escasas excepciones, exigen postergar la intervención, y los principios del tratamiento en las enfermedades cardiovasculares más comunes.
Responsibility for comprehensive preoperative evaluation in ophthalmologic interventions often falls on the surgeon, who should identify those patients with increased cardiovascular risk and take timely measures to prevent these complications. This article focuses on such aspects, defining the actions that correspond directly to the ophthalmologist, those in which he serves as manager, and those which do not concern him rigorously. The most modern pharmacological strategies are also described, with emphasis on the use of antiplatelet drugs or anticoagulants and on the need of antimicrobial prophylaxis; unstable heart entities, which, with few exceptions, require postponing the intervention and treatment principles in the most common cardiovascular diseases are referred.
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The overall health, well being, education, learning abilities, development of children, families and communities can be affected by oral health .However in the developing nations the importance of oral health in comparison to general health is minimal. Hence the present study was considered to evaluate and compare the oral health problems in relation to general health problems of the same children by a group screening method. A total of 592 children in the age group of 10-14 years were selected from class 6- class 10, the focus initially was on General Health screening, Vision Screening, oral health screening, tonsillar and auditory screening of students. Among these children 296 indiviulas were apparently healthy with no undiagnosed health aliments; the remaining children were having some health problems. In the present study 50% of children were apparently healthy, 19.9% had oral health problems, which was considerably higher than other health problems. In the present study the comparison of oral health problems occurence with general health problems shows statistically insignificance, In the present study the comparison of oral health problems occurrence with tonsillar, auditory and vision problems shows statistically significance. Based on these findings it can be suggested that in urban school children the undiagnosed oral health problems is higher than any other health aliments, which recommends promoting awareness on the oral health and importance of regular dental check up.
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The history, development, and progress of Philippine Ophthalmology is presented. Its merits and weaknesses are discussed and the challenge to its heritage posed
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The article defines the areas where the ophthalmologist can be of help in the prevention of blindness. Aside from the treatment of the eye, the ophthalmologist also has a commanding role in education, preventive services, and research, the foundations upon which any program for the prevention of blindness is based
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We analysed the difference of values between noncycloplegic and cycloplegic autorefractionand refraction by ophthalmologist in children. We classified the 109 children [218 eyes] who did not have strabismus or amblyopia into five groups according to the age. Their age ranged from 3 to 12. They were examined with Canon RK-3 autorefractor before and after cycloplegia and then, cycloplegic and post-cycloplegic refraction were performed by ophthalmologist. Discrepancies beyond 0.5D in spherical and cylindrical power and 10 degree in cylindrical axis were regarded as significant. The percentages of discrepancy were greater in spherical power between noncycloplegic autorefraction and refraction by ophthalmologist especially in young age groups[p<0.05]. The percentages of discrepancy were greater in spherical and cylindrical power between cycloplegic autorefraction and refraction by ophthalmologist especially in young age groups[p<0.05]. The percentages of discrepancy of cycloplegic autorefraction showed a tendency to be greater than those of noncycloplegic autorefraction in spherical power as compared with refraction by ophthalmologist. In conclusion, the refractive measurements of cycloplegic autorefractor is not close to those of refraction by ophthalmologist in children. The refraction by ophthalmologist must be recommended for correction of refractive errors in children.
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Child , Humans , Amblyopia , Axis, Cervical Vertebra , Refractive Errors , StrabismusABSTRACT
We analysed the differences between the values of noncycloplegicautomated refraction and manifest refraction by ophthalmologist 150 patients(274 eyes)were studied. We divided these patients into five groups according to the age; Group 1 included patients under 10 yea(n=50 eyes), Group 2 from 10 yrs to 19 yrs(n=74 eyes), Group 3 from 20 yrs to 39 yrs(n=66 eyes), Group 4 from 40 yrs to 49yrs(n=39 eyes), Group 5 over 50 yrs(n=46 eyes); We used Canon Auto Ref R-10 autorefractor and ophthalmologist's refractions were the results of both subjective refraction by retinoscope and objective refraction used by cross cylinder. Between the two examinations, the percentages of eyes of disagreement beyond +/-0.5D were 22%(group 1), 39.2%(group 2), 14.1%(group 3), 15.8%(group 4), 17.4%(group 5) in spherical power; 18%, 23%, 27.3%, 29%, 15.2% in cylindrical power respectively; 20%, 31.9%, 18.2%, 15.8%, 19.6% in spherical equivalent respectively and the percentages of eyes of disagreement beyond +/-10 degrees in cylindrical axis were 25%, 42.6%, 39.2%, 40%, 52.9% respectively. There was no statistic significance between the age groups when we compared the absolute differences of values between two examinations. Conclusively, this study revealed that there were large differences between the values of noncycloplegic automated refraction and manifest refraction by ophthalmologist in the large amout of patients and then our results indicated that automated refraction was dangerous to patient's eyes and subjective refinement was needed by ophthalmologist if patients wanted the spectacle or contact lens.