ABSTRACT
Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the e-learning of medical specialties in Jordan at different grade levels and to investigate students' satisfaction and opinions about this teaching method. Design: retrospective cross-sectional questionnaire-based study Methods: The opinions of 415 students from various medical specialties were collected using a web-based questionnaire delivered via google forms to evaluate the quality of the education system from various aspects. Results: More than half of the students felt that e-learning was easy to use. The majority of students believe that the instructor did not cover the material completely. Most students actively emphasized the need for clinical reinforcement of what they learned, and they still highly value face-to-face traditional learning as irreplaceable. Analysis of the responses by grade level revealed statistically significant differences in responses to different questions among students. Conclusion: Even though e-learning is an effective and well-managed learning method, it cannot completely replace traditional face-to-face teaching, especially in the clinical grades of medical undergraduates, but it can be considered as a supplementary method in situations such as the previous COVID 19-related lockdown.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To evaluate the level of awareness and knowledge about glaucoma among Jordanians and determine the relationship between glaucoma knowledge and selected variables. METHODS: This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted at a central hospital. Face-to-face interviews were performed to obtain sociodemographic data and information about glaucoma from Jordanian participants attending different outpatient clinics of Jordan University Hospital (JUH). A convenient sample of 488 participants aged 16 years and above were recruited. Consent form was signed by each participant before starting the interview. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population was 45.71 ± 15.44 years, ranging 16 to 89 years. There were 163 (33.4%) females and 325 (66.6%) males. 81.6% of participants had heard of glaucoma. Only 34.2% of participants defined glaucoma correctly. 52.4% of participants had a low level of knowledge about glaucoma. The main source of information was from family members, relatives, and friends (66.6%); however, this source inversely influenced the level of knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate a high level of awareness of glaucoma among Jordanians but low-to-average knowledge about it. Health education programs should be activated at all levels of health- and eye-care services to increase knowledge about glaucoma and prevent the irreversible loss of vision due to the second main cause of blindness worldwide.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To assess the impact of Jordanian's Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) lockdown on visual acuity and macular thickness in patients with macular edema receiving intravitreal injections, and to assess the ethical endeavor of lockdown among serious sight threatening conditions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective observational study included patients planned for intravitreal injections who did not complete the planned course before the lockdown (ie, before 20th of March 2020). Data included demographics, indication for the intravitreal injection, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), and central macular thickness on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) before and after the lockdown. RESULTS: One-hundred and sixty-six eyes of 125 patients were studied, 68 (54.4%) patients were males, and the mean (± standard deviation, SD) age was 64.79 (±9.41) years. Mean (±SD) duration of delay in the planned injection was 60.97 (±24.35) days. The change in visual acuity was statistically significant for patients with diabetic macular edema (p= 0.045 improvement), patients with central retinal vein thrombosis (CRVO) (p= 0.05 deterioration), and patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (p= 0.005 deterioration). Of interest, delay of more than 2 months and the previous need for 3 or more injections were significant poor prognostic factors for visual outcome for patients with diabetic macular edema (p=0.027 and 0.045). CONCLUSION: The impact of delay in the scheduled intravitreal injections resulted in variable outcomes depending on the indication. Triaging the urgency of patients should be based on the indication to support the equity principle of bioethics, where those in need are prioritized against others, depending on potential adverse outcome.