TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - National survey of the management of eye emergencies in the accident and emergency department by foundation doctors: has anything changed over the past 15 years?
JO  - Eye
A1  - Sim, Peng Yong
A1  - La, Chuiki Jasmine
A1  - Than, Jonathan
A1  - Ho, Jason
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - BACKGROUND: Ophthalmic emergencies comprise a significant portion of junior doctors' workload in accident and emergency (A&E). However, previous studies have demonstrated a lack of training and confidence in the management of such emergencies. This study assessed changes in basic ophthalmic training that A&E junior doctors received in dealing with eye emergencies, their perceived level of confidence and the availability of appropriate ophthalmic equipment in A&E over the last 15 years. <br><br>METHODS: A prospective, national, combined online and telephone survey using a previously published questionnaire was performed. Foundation year two doctors (FY2s) from each A&E department in the UK listed on the official NHS directory were contacted for participation. <br><br>RESULTS: Two hundred and ten A&E departments were contacted and 202 responded (response rate of 96.2%). There was no significant change in the number of A&E departments equipped with slit lamps (82.5% in 2003 vs 79.7% in 2018; p = 0.26). However, the prevalence of training in its use has decreased significantly (68.4% in 2003 vs 52% in 2018; p = 0.005). There was also a significant reduction in the prevalence of training in the management of eye emergencies (77.4% in 2003 vs 45.5% in 2018; p < 0.001) and the proportion of FY2s who felt confident in dealing with such cases (36.1% in 2003 vs 6% in 2018; p < 0.001). <br><br>CONCLUSION: There is a concerning decline in basic ophthalmic training for A&E FY2s, reflected by the alarmingly low level of confidence in the management of eye emergencies. This highlights an urgent need to improve ophthalmic training for junior doctors in A&E.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0950-222X
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41433-019-0645-2
ID  - ref1
ER  -