Barriers related to the uptake of cataract surgery and care in Limpopo province, South Africa: Professional Ophthalmic Service Providers’ perspective

2020

BMC Ophthalmol

Background The quality of life can be impacted negatively by blindness arising from cataract. The total prevalence of blindness in Kenya is estimated at 0.7%, however cataract contributes almost half (43%) of the total blindness in Kenya. Optometrists are well placed to assess and refer cataract patients. However, little is known on optometrists’ skills, practice and knowledge. Therefore, this study was designed to assess optometrists’ knowledge, skill and practice on cataract in Kisumu, Kenya. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used. The study was conducted from June 2019 to August 219 using self-administered questionnaire. Basic socio-demographic characteristics were collected and participants’ knowledge, skills and practice on cataract were investigated. The primary outcome measure was the proportions of participants who identified the questions related to knowledge, skills and practice on cataract. Chi-square analysis was performed to assess the association between demographic characteristics of participants with practice, knowledge and skills. Results A total of 49 optometrists with a mean age of 30.4 years and mean duration of practice of 1–10 years were interviewed. Most optometrists had good knowledge on various aspects of cataract. For example (98%) had a good knowledge on the types of cataract. Almost three quarter (75.5%) of the optometrists reported that they could diagnose cataract correctly based on skills. However, half (57.1%) of the optometrists could not identify nuclear cataract. Being a self reported practice and not an observed practice, most optometrists (61.2%) reported that they did not screen patients aged 40 years and above for cataract. Almost half (52.6%) of the optometrists reported that they did a routine eye examination however, they could not justify the significance of examining the crystalline lens for patient above 40 years. Conclusion The study established that despite the good level of knowledge among optometrist on cataract, there exist a gap on skills and practice. The results of this study calls for more clinical based activities among optometrists. This will eases diagnosis of cataract and its management with an aim to reduce the burden in Kenya.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of optometrists’ knowledge, skills and practice on cataract: a cross-sectional study from Kisumu County, Western Kenya

2020

BMC Ophthalmol

“…Similarly, cortical cataract is responsible for 0.01-0.04% of blind people worldwide. Sub-capsular cataract is normally rare but it is the most frequent form of cataract in infants, with more than 80% of cases observed within the rst year of life Zhu, (2017). It affects both eyes in 60-80% of cases, and usually more males 65% are affected as compared to females 35% Arbor, (2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Optometrists’ Knowledge, Skills and Practice on Cataract: A Case Study from Kisumu County, Western Kenya

2020

Preprint

Background: Cataract is a major contributor to avoidable blindness in the world and greatly impact negatively on the quality of life. The prevalence of blindness in Kenya is estimated at 0.7% with cataract contributing 43%. Optometrists being the primary eye care providers for cataract patients, they are well placed to assess and refer cataract patients. Though there is no data on optometrist knowledge, skill and practice on cataract in Kisumu, Kenya. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. The study was conducted from June 2019 to August 219 using self-administered questionnaire. We collected basic socio-demographic characteristics and investigated participants’ knowledge, skills and practice on cataract. The primary outcome measures were the proportions of participants who identified the questions related to knowledge, skills and practice on cataract. Chi-square analysis was performed to look at the association between demographic and practice, knowledge and skills. Results: A total of 49 optometrists were interviewed with a male to female ratio of 2:1, mean age of 30.4(72%) years and mean duration of practice of one to ten years. Majority of the optometrists had good knowledge on various aspects of cataract. Like 98% had a good knowledge on the types of cataract. Based on skills, 75.5% could diagnose cataract correctly. However, 57.1% could not identify nuclear cataract. Practice among the optometrists was largely low in the sense that, 61.2% of optometrists did not screen patients aged 40 years and above for cataract. Almost half of the optometrists, 52.6% did a routine eye examination but did not know the importance of examining the crystalline lens for patient above 40 years. Conclusion The study established that despite the good level of knowledge among the optometrist on cataract, there exist gaps in skills in categorizing the type of cataract and practice. The results of this study calls for skills development training for optometrists on cataract and immediate ophthalmic division response for improvement on the scope of training for optometrists. This will eases diagnosis of cataract and its management so as to reduce its burden in Kenya.

“…Similarly, cortical cataract is responsible for 0.01-0.04% of blind people worldwide. Subcapsular cataract is normally rare but it is the most frequent form of cataract in infants, with more than 80% of cases observed within the first year of life (Zhu, 2017). It affects both eyes in 60-80% of cases, and usually more males (65%) are affected as compared to females (35%) (Arbor, 2018).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Kenyan Optometrists Knowledge, Skills and Practice on Cataract, Kisumu County, Western Kenya

2019

Preprint

BackgroundCataract is a major contributor to avoidable blindness in the world. It is the clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye characterized by reduced vision, increasing difficulty with vision at night and sensitivity to light and glare. The risk factors of cataract include increased age, smoking and excess exposure to sunlight. Though studies have focused on the causes and treatment of cataract, there is no data on optometrist knowledge, skill and practice on cataract in Kenya. The optometrists are the primary health care providers for cataract patients, they are well placed to assess, provide advice and refer cataract patients to the ophthalmologists.Methods: a cross sectional design was used. Stratified random sampling was used to select sample. Fisher’s formula was used.ResultsA total of 49 optometrists were interviewed over a period of four months, the male to female ratio was 2:1, mean age of 45.8(72%) years, age ranged from 25-39 years with mean duration of practice of one year and maximum of 10 years. One hundred percent optometrists had good knowledge and understanding of importance of slit lamp assessment in making cataract diagnosis. However, our results found that (83.6%) of optometrists used pen torch for assessment of lens changes in patients. On skills, optometrists were classified as having poor skills with thirty nine (79.6%) being unable to diagnose. 61.2% of optometrists did not screen patients aged 40 years and above who attended eye clinics for cataract. The most common challenges reported for not screening was long queues. The study further established that the optometrists had various reasons to refer patients to another hospital including 52.6% for availability of ophthalmologists and 39.5% of optometrists for availability of equipment.ConclusionThe study established that despite the good level of knowledge among the optometrist on cataract, there exist gaps in skills in categorizing the type of cataract. Most optometrists do not screen patients aged 40 years and above for cataract. Hence there is need to sensitize optometrists on the significance of screening for cataract to prevent blindness due to cataract.