The role of research, evidence and education in optometry: a perspectivea

Motivation for postgraduate studies by nonacademic optometrists: A case study at a South African university

Background

An increasing number of optometrists who are nonacademics are pursuing postgraduate studies, despite such qualifications traditionally being more relevant to an academic rather than a clinical setting.

Aim

This study set out to explore possible reasons for the increase in postgraduate studies by nonacademic optometrists and their experiences thereof.

Setting

Postgraduate optometry students who were registered at a selected South African university within the period 2010–2020 participated in the study.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used, which entailed an online survey and a follow-up questionnaire focused on the motivation for postgraduate studies, choice of institution, research area, expectations and outcomes and supervision received. Convenience sampling was used to recruit the participants, and data were analysed with descriptive statistics.

Results

Responses were received from 54 optometrists who were pursuing postgraduate studies but not currently in academia. The main reasons reported for enrolling in postgraduate studies were interest in research (69.2%) and academia (61.5%). Institutional reputation was the reason provided by 48.1% of respondents for their choice of institution for their postgraduate studies. Fifty per cent of respondents opted for research in the public health field. To be a better researcher was the most common expectation (88.5%), with 73.1% indicating achieving this outcome. Most respondents indicated that they had received constructive and timeous supervision during their studies.

Conclusion

Interest in research and academia are important factors influencing nonacademic optometrists to pursue postgraduate studies; however, the postgraduate experience is likely to also facilitate development of other professional and clinical skills.

Contribution

This study provides an insight into the motivation and experiences of non academic optometrists who pursue postgraduate degrees.

Evidence-based practice instruction by faculty members and librarians in North American optometry and ophthalmology programs

North American optometry and ophthalmology faculty members and vision science librarians were surveyed online (14% response rate) about teaching evidence-based practice (EBP). Similar to studies of other health care programs, all five EBP steps (Ask, Acquire, Appraise, Apply, Assess) were taught to varying degrees. Optometry and ophthalmology EBP educators may want to place further emphasis on (1) the Apply and Assess steps, (2) faculty- and student-generated questions and self-assessment in clinical settings, (3) online teaching strategies, (4) programmatic integration of EBP learning objectives, and (5) collaboration between faculty members and librarians.

Examining the evidence base used by optometrists in Australia and New Zealand

BACKGROUND

  The optometrist's role in primary eye care is expanding to include not only diagnosis but also management and co-management of a range of eye diseases and visual disorders. This role calls for evidence-based practice, including an ability to source and reliably assess the various forms of evidence, on which eye care might be based. It is not known whether optometrists registered to practise in Australasia use high or low quality evidence as a basis for their clinical decisions.

METHODS

  The present study addressed this question by surveying 3,589 optometrists registered to practise in Australia and New Zealand. A 16-item questionnaire was made available for completion online.

RESULTS

  Responses from the 279 optometrists who completed the questionnaire (response rate 7.8 per cent) indicate that, after the patient's history, symptoms and signs, optometrists in our sample place most weight on knowledge and information gained via undergraduate and postgraduate education, including continuing education, as a basis for clinical decision-making.

CONCLUSION

  These findings highlight the need for current, critically evaluated content in optometric education and suggest that optometrists currently prefer to receive information and knowledge from an educator rather than sourcing and assessing the material independently.

Literature and information in vision care and vision science

The explosion of information in vision care and vision science makes keeping up with the literature and information in the field challenging. This report examines the nature of literature and information in vision care and vision science. A variety of topics are discussed, including the general nature of scientific and clinical journals, journals in vision science and vision care, resources available for searches for literature and information, and issues involved in the evaluation of journals and other information sources. Aspects of the application of citation analysis to vision care and vision science are reviewed, and a new citation analysis of a leading textbook in vision care (Borish's Clinical Refraction) is presented. This report is directed toward anyone who wants to be more informed about the literature of vision care and vision science, whether they are students, clinicians, educators, or librarians.