Posters

An observational survey evaluating confidence and awareness in the assessment, diagnosis and management of dry eye disease (DED) amongst junior doctors and non-ophthalmic specialists

Poster Details

First Author: Y.Scantling-Birch UK

Co Author(s):    S. Morgan   H. Naveed                 

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Dry eye disease (DED) is a common ocular surface disorder accounting for a clinically significant proportion of patients attending eye casualty. DED presents with a wide range of severity, but in extreme cases can result in significant discomfort and vision loss. Junior doctors have limited exposure to ophthalmology in the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum. This contributes to a large workforce lacking confidence in the assessment, diagnosis and management of common eye conditions, such as DED. Our objective was to measure the level of confidence and awareness in the assessment, diagnosis and management of DED amongst a cohort of junior doctors.

Setting:

Royal Sussex County Hospital and Royal Surrey County Hospital, UK

Methods:

A multicentre, observational, survey-based study was run at two Southern hospitals in the UK over a 2-week period. The survey was designed with senior ophthalmology input. The survey was administered at 4 time points and included junior doctors of all grades. Demographic details and qualitative questions were asked with regards to experiences of DED assessment, diagnosis and management, including perceived level of importance and confidence.

Results:

75 respondents completed the survey fully. 73% of survey respondents were foundation doctors in the first two years of training in the UK. The majority of junior doctors estimated the prevalence of DED at 20 – 29%. 68% of junior doctors reported yes to the awareness of the symptoms of DED, but only 25% managed to correctly list 3 symptoms of DED. 42% of junior doctors deemed the detection and management of DED to be important, yet only 24% knew how to diagnose the condition. Approximately half of respondents were not aware of any complications associated with DED. A large majority felt unsure with respect to their confidence in the recognition and management of DED. Overall, junior doctors disagreed with the statement that they felt sufficiently knowledgeable about DED and agreed that more teaching should be implemented.

Conclusions:

There is a lack of awareness and confidence in the diagnosis and management of DED amongst non-ophthalmic specialists. This is especially important as a large number of these patients with symptoms of DED present to general practice and emergency departments, and most can be managed with simple lubricating eye drops. Consequently, it highlights an increased need for teaching about this highly prevalent, non-acute condition at the undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Financial Disclosure:

None