More than a third of the global burden of blindness is due to cataracts, yet cataract surgery is ... more More than a third of the global burden of blindness is due to cataracts, yet cataract surgery is one of the most cost-effective surgical treatments in medicine. Poor surgical outcomes in many settings remain a major challenge, raising concerns about the quality and efficacy of surgical training. Reflective learning from video recordings of a trainees' surgical performance has a high educational impact and is available routinely for surgical training within high-resource institutions. However, the prohibitive cost and limited portability of current surgical video recording systems make its use problematic in low-resource settings and outreach environments. Objective: The study's aim was to evaluate the potential of smartphone-captured surgical videos for surgeon learning via self-recording and self-review as well as the potential to support live telesurgical consultation. Methodology: A quantitative and qualitative methodology was used to explore and describe the utility and acceptance of smartphone videos in two training facilities in Nepal. Twenty surgeries were recorded on the smartphone for surgeon self-review, to assess image quality, and its application to measure performance against the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) Ophthalmology Surgical Competency Assessment Rubrics (OSCAR) SICS Rubric. The same system was used to transmit 15 different surgeries live via Skype from Nepal to an ophthalmologist surgical trainer in South Africa to evaluate the feasibility of live consultation. Findings: Overall video quality was described as high in 65% and moderate in 35% for the videos recorded for self-review. In the surgeries streamed via Skype, quality was described as high in 92.9% and moderate in 7.1%. There were no instances where the video quality was described as poor. The video quality was good enough that the surgeons could measure against ICO-OSCAR rubric in all cases.
The majority of blindness in sub-Saharan Africa is treatable. In 2001, it was estimated that appr... more The majority of blindness in sub-Saharan Africa is treatable. In 2001, it was estimated that approximately 1% of Africans were blind, with cataract accounting for approximately half of all cases (1). "VISION 2020: The Right to Sight" was launched in 1999 as a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), and is the global initiative for elimination of avoidable blindness (WHO/PBL/97.61 Rev 1). Important principles inherent to
Purpose The quality of cataract surgery delivered in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a significant co... more Purpose The quality of cataract surgery delivered in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a significant constraint to achieving the elimination of avoidable blindness. No published reports from routine SSA cataract services attain the WHO benchmarks for visual outcomes; poor outcomes (\6/60) often comprise 20% in published case series. This Delphi exercise aimed to identify and prioritise potential interventions for improving the quality of cataract surgery in SSA to guide research and eye health programme development. Methods An initial email open-question survey created a ranked list of priorities for improving quality of surgical services. A second-round face-to-face discussion facilitated at a Vision 2020 Research Mentorship Workshop in Tanzania created a refined list for repeated ranking. Results Seventeen factors were agreed that might form target interventions to promote quality of cataract services. Improved training of surgeons was the top-ranked item, followed by utilisation of biometry, surgical equipment availability, effective monitoring of outcomes of cataract surgery by the surgeon, and well-trained support staff for the cataract pathway (including nurses seeing post-operative cases). Conclusion Improving the quality of cataract surgery in SSA is a clinical, programmatic and public health priority. In the absence of other evidence, the collective expert opinion of those involved in ophthalmic services regarding the ranking of factors to promote quality improvement, refined through this Delphi exercise, provides us with candidate intervention areas to be evaluated.
Cataract remains the most common cause of blindness globally, and glaucoma is the third after unc... more Cataract remains the most common cause of blindness globally, and glaucoma is the third after uncorrected refractive error. Surgical management remains a priority, yet surgical training of ophthalmologists continues in the outdated apprentice model. Simulation-based surgical education is yet to be tested to the level of a randomised-controlled trial in ophthalmology. We designed two separate and independent multi-centre multi-country investigator-masked randomised controlled educational-intervention parallel group efficacy trials. Post-graduate doctors in ophthalmology training programmes at collaborating institutions in five East and Southern African countries were assessed for eligibility for inclusion (not having performed the procedure as primary surgeon) into either the OLIMPICS (ophthalmic learning and improvement initiative in cataract surgery) or GLASS (glaucoma simulated surgery) trials. Fifty-one surgical trainees were recruited into the GLASS trial, and 50 into the OLIMPI...
Background: Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) is becoming increasingly prevalent and aggre... more Background: Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) is becoming increasingly prevalent and aggressive in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a phenomenon linked with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, although association rates in Angola are currently unknown. A topical treatment that is effective in HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals may be preferable to surgery in some contexts. We aimed to estimate the proportion of OSSN associated with HIV in Angola and to report on the success of topical 5-fluorouracil as a primary treatment in HIVpositive and HIV-negative patients. Methods: Photographs of OSSNs taken at presentation and following treatment with 5-fluorouracil in patients presenting to Boa Vista Eye Clinic, Angola, between October 2011 and July 2013 were grouped into HIV-positive and HIV-negative groups and analyzed to compare presenting features and treatment response. Eighty-one OSSNs were analyzed for clinical features and 24 met the inclusion criteria for analysis of treatment response. Results: Eighty-two patients presented with OSSN between October 2011 and July 2013. Twenty-one (26%) were HIV-positive and typically had OSSNs that exhibited more pathological features than those in HIV-negative patients. Twenty-four (29%) patients met the inclusion criteria for analysis of treatment response; of these, 26 (91%) OSSNs in both groups displayed at least partial resolution after one treatment course. In the HIV-positive group, five of eight patients displayed complete resolution, two showed partial resolution, and one failed. In the HIV-negative group, five of 16 showed complete resolution, ten of 16 had partial resolution, and one failed. Conclusion: Individuals presenting with OSSN in Angola are more likely to have HIV infection compared with the general population. Regardless of HIV status, 5-fluorouracil drops can be an effective strategy for management of OSSN without incurring the costs and risks of surgery in the developing world setting.
Background/AimGlaucoma accounts for 8% of global blindness and surgery remains an important treat... more Background/AimGlaucoma accounts for 8% of global blindness and surgery remains an important treatment. We aimed to determine the impact of adding simulation-based surgical education for glaucoma.MethodsWe designed a randomised controlled, parallel-group trial. Those assessing outcomes were masked to group assignment. Fifty-one trainee ophthalmologists from six university training institutions in sub-Saharan Africa were enrolled by inclusion criteria of having performed no surgical trabeculectomies and were randomised. Those randomised to the control group received no placebo intervention, but received the training intervention after the initial 12-month follow-up period. The intervention was an intense simulation-based surgical training course over 1 week. The primary outcome measure was overall simulation surgical competency at 3 months.ResultsTwenty-five were assigned to the intervention group and 26 to the control group, with 2 dropouts from the intervention group. Forty-nine wer...
Cataracts account for 40% of cases of blindness globally, with surgery the only treatment. OBJECT... more Cataracts account for 40% of cases of blindness globally, with surgery the only treatment. OBJECTIVE To determine whether adding simulation-based cataract surgical training to conventional training results in improved acquisition of surgical skills among trainees. A multicenter, investigator-masked, parallel-group, randomized clinical educational-intervention trial was conducted at 5 university hospital training institutions in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe from October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2019, with a follow-up of 15 months. Fifty-two trainee ophthalmologists were assessed for eligibility (required no prior cataract surgery as primary surgeon); 50 were recruited and randomized. Those assessing outcomes of surgical competency were masked to group assignment. Analysis was performed on an intention-to-treat basis. The intervention group received a 5-day simulation-based cataract surgical training course, in addition to standard surgical training. The control group received standard training only, without a placebo intervention; however, those in the control group received the intervention training after the initial 12-month follow-up period. The primary outcome measure was overall surgical competency at 3 months, which was assessed with a validated competency assessment rubric. Secondary outcomes included surgical competence at 1 year and quantity and outcomes (including visual acuity and posterior capsule rupture) of cataract surgical procedures performed during a 1-year period. RESULTS Among the 50 participants (26 women [52.0%]; mean [SD] age, 32.3 [4.6] years), 25 were randomized to the intervention group, and 25 were randomized to the control group, with 1 dropout. Forty-nine participants were included in the final intention-to-treat analysis. Baseline characteristics were balanced. The participants in the intervention group had higher scores at 3 months compared with the participants in the control group, after adjusting for baseline assessment rubric score. The participants in the intervention group were estimated to have scores 16.6 points (out of 40) higher (95% CI, 14.4-18.7; P < .001) at 3 months than the participants in the control group. The participants in the intervention group performed a mean of 21.5 cataract surgical procedures in the year after the training, while the participants in the control group performed a mean of 8.5 cataract surgical procedures (mean difference, 13.0; 95% CI, 3.9-22.2; P < .001). Posterior capsule rupture rates (an important complication) were 7.8% (42 of 537) for the intervention group and 26.6% (54 of 203) for the control group (difference, 18.8%; 95% CI, 12.3%-25.3%; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This randomized clinical trial provides evidence that intense simulation-based cataract surgical education facilitates the rapid acquisition of surgical competence and maximizes patient safety.
IntroductionCataract is the leading cause of blindness globally and a major cause of vision impai... more IntroductionCataract is the leading cause of blindness globally and a major cause of vision impairment. Cataract surgery is an efficacious intervention that usually restores vision. Although it is one of the most commonly conducted surgical interventions worldwide, good quality services (from being detected with operable cataract to undergoing surgery and receiving postoperative care) are not universally accessible. Poor quality understandably reduces the willingness of people with operable cataract to undergo surgery. Therefore, it is critical to improve the quality of care to subsequently reduce vision loss from cataract. This scoping review aims to summarise the nature and extent of the published literature on interventions to improve the quality of services for primary age-related cataract globally.Methods and analysisWe will search MEDLINE, Embase and Global Health for peer-reviewed manuscripts published since 1990, with no language, geographic or study design restrictions. To ...
Background: Cataract is a leading cause of blindness and vision impairment globally. Cataract sur... more Background: Cataract is a leading cause of blindness and vision impairment globally. Cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed operations worldwide, but good quality services are not universally available. This scoping review aims to summarise the nature and extent of published literature on interventions to improve the quality of services for age-related cataract globally. Methods: We used the dimensions of quality adopted by WHO-effectiveness, safety, people-centredness, timeliness, equity, integration and efficiency-to which we added planetary health. On 17 November 2019, we searched MEDLINE, Embase and Global Health for manuscripts published since 1990, without language or geographic restrictions. We included studies that reported qualityrelevant interventions and excluded studies focused on technical aspects of surgery or that only involved children (younger than 18 years). Screening of titles/ abstracts, full-text review and data extraction were performed by two reviewers independently. Studies were grouped thematically and results synthesised narratively.
There is extensive evidence showing that improving eye health contributes directly and indirectly... more There is extensive evidence showing that improving eye health contributes directly and indirectly to achieving many Sustainable Development Goals, including reducing poverty and improving work productivity, general and mental health, and education and equity. Improving eye health is a practical and cost-effective way of unlocking human potential. Eye health needs to be reframed as an enabling, cross-cutting issue within the sustainable development framework. In 2020, 1•1 billion people had distance vision impairment or uncorrected presbyopia. By 2050, this figure is expected to rise to 1•8 billion. Most affected people live in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) with avoidable causes of vision impairment. During the life course, most people will experience vision impairment, even if just the need for reading glasses. Because of unmet needs and an ageing global population, eye health is a major public health and sustainable development concern which warrants urgent political action. Universal health coverage is not universal without affordable, high quality, equitable eye care. In line with the WHO World report on vision, we urge countries to consider eye care as an essential service within universal health coverage. To deliver comprehensive services including promotion, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation, eye care needs to be included in national strategic health plans and development policies, health financing structures, and health workforce planning. Coordinated intersectoral action is needed to systematically improve population eye health, also within healthy ageing initiatives, schools, and the workplace. Integration of eye health services with multiple relevant components of health service delivery and at all levels of the health system is of central importance. for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (J R Ehrlich),
We agree with the points raised by Dr Nairn et al. and that running a regular simulation-based su... more We agree with the points raised by Dr Nairn et al. and that running a regular simulation-based surgical skill ("dry-lab") session would enable safe and efficient acquisition of competence. This is why, through the Training Committee of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, the Simulation lead and Surgical Skills lead have set all regions the target of ensuring simulation training in cataract complications, namely vitreous loss, is undertaken at least annually in each region for all trainees. The Simulated Ocular Surgery Trials are two separate educational-intervention randomised controlled trials. The first of these, the OLIMPICS (ophthalmic learning and improvement initiative in cataract surgery) trial will be published early next year. These are the first ever prospective RCTs evaluating the utility of intense simulationbased surgical education versus conventional training alone in cataract and glaucoma surgery.
Background: There are 2.7 ophthalmologists per million population in sub-Saharan Africa, and a ne... more Background: There are 2.7 ophthalmologists per million population in sub-Saharan Africa, and a need to train more. We sought to analyse current surgical training practice and experience of ophthalmologists to inform planning of training in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey. Potential participants included all current trainee and recent graduate ophthalmologists in the Eastern, Central and Southern African region. A link to a web-based questionnaire was sent to all heads of eye departments and training programme directors of ophthalmology training institutions in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa, who forwarded to all their trainees and recent graduates. Main outcome measures were quantitative and qualitative survey responses. Results: Responses were obtained from 124 (52%) trainees in the region. Overall level of satisfaction with ophthalmology training programmes was rated as ‘somewhat satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ by 72%. Most fre...
To develop and test the validity of a surgical competency assessment tool for simulated small-inc... more To develop and test the validity of a surgical competency assessment tool for simulated small-incision cataract surgery (SICS).
Background/aimsTo develop, test and determine whether a surgical-competency assessment tool for s... more Background/aimsTo develop, test and determine whether a surgical-competency assessment tool for simulated glaucoma surgery is valid.MethodsThe trabeculectomy ophthalmic simulated surgical competency assessment rubric (Sim-OSSCAR) was assessed for face and content validity with a large international group of expert eye surgeons. Cohorts of novice and competent surgeons were invited to perform anonymised simulation trabeculectomy surgery, which was marked using the Sim-OSSCAR in a masked fashion by a panel of four expert surgeons. Construct validity was assessed using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Krippendorff’s alpha was calculated for interobserver reliability.ResultsFor the Sim-OSSCAR for trabeculectomy, 58 of 67 surgeons (86.6%) either agreed or strongly agreed that the Sim-OSSCAR is an appropriate way to assess trainees’ surgical skill. Face validity was rated as 4.04 (out of 5.00). Fifty-seven of 71 surgeons (80.3%) either agreed or strongly agreed that the Sim-OSSCAR contents repre...
More than a third of the global burden of blindness is due to cataracts, yet cataract surgery is ... more More than a third of the global burden of blindness is due to cataracts, yet cataract surgery is one of the most cost-effective surgical treatments in medicine. Poor surgical outcomes in many settings remain a major challenge, raising concerns about the quality and efficacy of surgical training. Reflective learning from video recordings of a trainees' surgical performance has a high educational impact and is available routinely for surgical training within high-resource institutions. However, the prohibitive cost and limited portability of current surgical video recording systems make its use problematic in low-resource settings and outreach environments. Objective: The study's aim was to evaluate the potential of smartphone-captured surgical videos for surgeon learning via self-recording and self-review as well as the potential to support live telesurgical consultation. Methodology: A quantitative and qualitative methodology was used to explore and describe the utility and acceptance of smartphone videos in two training facilities in Nepal. Twenty surgeries were recorded on the smartphone for surgeon self-review, to assess image quality, and its application to measure performance against the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) Ophthalmology Surgical Competency Assessment Rubrics (OSCAR) SICS Rubric. The same system was used to transmit 15 different surgeries live via Skype from Nepal to an ophthalmologist surgical trainer in South Africa to evaluate the feasibility of live consultation. Findings: Overall video quality was described as high in 65% and moderate in 35% for the videos recorded for self-review. In the surgeries streamed via Skype, quality was described as high in 92.9% and moderate in 7.1%. There were no instances where the video quality was described as poor. The video quality was good enough that the surgeons could measure against ICO-OSCAR rubric in all cases.
The majority of blindness in sub-Saharan Africa is treatable. In 2001, it was estimated that appr... more The majority of blindness in sub-Saharan Africa is treatable. In 2001, it was estimated that approximately 1% of Africans were blind, with cataract accounting for approximately half of all cases (1). "VISION 2020: The Right to Sight" was launched in 1999 as a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), and is the global initiative for elimination of avoidable blindness (WHO/PBL/97.61 Rev 1). Important principles inherent to
Purpose The quality of cataract surgery delivered in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a significant co... more Purpose The quality of cataract surgery delivered in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a significant constraint to achieving the elimination of avoidable blindness. No published reports from routine SSA cataract services attain the WHO benchmarks for visual outcomes; poor outcomes (\6/60) often comprise 20% in published case series. This Delphi exercise aimed to identify and prioritise potential interventions for improving the quality of cataract surgery in SSA to guide research and eye health programme development. Methods An initial email open-question survey created a ranked list of priorities for improving quality of surgical services. A second-round face-to-face discussion facilitated at a Vision 2020 Research Mentorship Workshop in Tanzania created a refined list for repeated ranking. Results Seventeen factors were agreed that might form target interventions to promote quality of cataract services. Improved training of surgeons was the top-ranked item, followed by utilisation of biometry, surgical equipment availability, effective monitoring of outcomes of cataract surgery by the surgeon, and well-trained support staff for the cataract pathway (including nurses seeing post-operative cases). Conclusion Improving the quality of cataract surgery in SSA is a clinical, programmatic and public health priority. In the absence of other evidence, the collective expert opinion of those involved in ophthalmic services regarding the ranking of factors to promote quality improvement, refined through this Delphi exercise, provides us with candidate intervention areas to be evaluated.
Cataract remains the most common cause of blindness globally, and glaucoma is the third after unc... more Cataract remains the most common cause of blindness globally, and glaucoma is the third after uncorrected refractive error. Surgical management remains a priority, yet surgical training of ophthalmologists continues in the outdated apprentice model. Simulation-based surgical education is yet to be tested to the level of a randomised-controlled trial in ophthalmology. We designed two separate and independent multi-centre multi-country investigator-masked randomised controlled educational-intervention parallel group efficacy trials. Post-graduate doctors in ophthalmology training programmes at collaborating institutions in five East and Southern African countries were assessed for eligibility for inclusion (not having performed the procedure as primary surgeon) into either the OLIMPICS (ophthalmic learning and improvement initiative in cataract surgery) or GLASS (glaucoma simulated surgery) trials. Fifty-one surgical trainees were recruited into the GLASS trial, and 50 into the OLIMPI...
Background: Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) is becoming increasingly prevalent and aggre... more Background: Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) is becoming increasingly prevalent and aggressive in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a phenomenon linked with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, although association rates in Angola are currently unknown. A topical treatment that is effective in HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals may be preferable to surgery in some contexts. We aimed to estimate the proportion of OSSN associated with HIV in Angola and to report on the success of topical 5-fluorouracil as a primary treatment in HIVpositive and HIV-negative patients. Methods: Photographs of OSSNs taken at presentation and following treatment with 5-fluorouracil in patients presenting to Boa Vista Eye Clinic, Angola, between October 2011 and July 2013 were grouped into HIV-positive and HIV-negative groups and analyzed to compare presenting features and treatment response. Eighty-one OSSNs were analyzed for clinical features and 24 met the inclusion criteria for analysis of treatment response. Results: Eighty-two patients presented with OSSN between October 2011 and July 2013. Twenty-one (26%) were HIV-positive and typically had OSSNs that exhibited more pathological features than those in HIV-negative patients. Twenty-four (29%) patients met the inclusion criteria for analysis of treatment response; of these, 26 (91%) OSSNs in both groups displayed at least partial resolution after one treatment course. In the HIV-positive group, five of eight patients displayed complete resolution, two showed partial resolution, and one failed. In the HIV-negative group, five of 16 showed complete resolution, ten of 16 had partial resolution, and one failed. Conclusion: Individuals presenting with OSSN in Angola are more likely to have HIV infection compared with the general population. Regardless of HIV status, 5-fluorouracil drops can be an effective strategy for management of OSSN without incurring the costs and risks of surgery in the developing world setting.
Background/AimGlaucoma accounts for 8% of global blindness and surgery remains an important treat... more Background/AimGlaucoma accounts for 8% of global blindness and surgery remains an important treatment. We aimed to determine the impact of adding simulation-based surgical education for glaucoma.MethodsWe designed a randomised controlled, parallel-group trial. Those assessing outcomes were masked to group assignment. Fifty-one trainee ophthalmologists from six university training institutions in sub-Saharan Africa were enrolled by inclusion criteria of having performed no surgical trabeculectomies and were randomised. Those randomised to the control group received no placebo intervention, but received the training intervention after the initial 12-month follow-up period. The intervention was an intense simulation-based surgical training course over 1 week. The primary outcome measure was overall simulation surgical competency at 3 months.ResultsTwenty-five were assigned to the intervention group and 26 to the control group, with 2 dropouts from the intervention group. Forty-nine wer...
Cataracts account for 40% of cases of blindness globally, with surgery the only treatment. OBJECT... more Cataracts account for 40% of cases of blindness globally, with surgery the only treatment. OBJECTIVE To determine whether adding simulation-based cataract surgical training to conventional training results in improved acquisition of surgical skills among trainees. A multicenter, investigator-masked, parallel-group, randomized clinical educational-intervention trial was conducted at 5 university hospital training institutions in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe from October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2019, with a follow-up of 15 months. Fifty-two trainee ophthalmologists were assessed for eligibility (required no prior cataract surgery as primary surgeon); 50 were recruited and randomized. Those assessing outcomes of surgical competency were masked to group assignment. Analysis was performed on an intention-to-treat basis. The intervention group received a 5-day simulation-based cataract surgical training course, in addition to standard surgical training. The control group received standard training only, without a placebo intervention; however, those in the control group received the intervention training after the initial 12-month follow-up period. The primary outcome measure was overall surgical competency at 3 months, which was assessed with a validated competency assessment rubric. Secondary outcomes included surgical competence at 1 year and quantity and outcomes (including visual acuity and posterior capsule rupture) of cataract surgical procedures performed during a 1-year period. RESULTS Among the 50 participants (26 women [52.0%]; mean [SD] age, 32.3 [4.6] years), 25 were randomized to the intervention group, and 25 were randomized to the control group, with 1 dropout. Forty-nine participants were included in the final intention-to-treat analysis. Baseline characteristics were balanced. The participants in the intervention group had higher scores at 3 months compared with the participants in the control group, after adjusting for baseline assessment rubric score. The participants in the intervention group were estimated to have scores 16.6 points (out of 40) higher (95% CI, 14.4-18.7; P < .001) at 3 months than the participants in the control group. The participants in the intervention group performed a mean of 21.5 cataract surgical procedures in the year after the training, while the participants in the control group performed a mean of 8.5 cataract surgical procedures (mean difference, 13.0; 95% CI, 3.9-22.2; P < .001). Posterior capsule rupture rates (an important complication) were 7.8% (42 of 537) for the intervention group and 26.6% (54 of 203) for the control group (difference, 18.8%; 95% CI, 12.3%-25.3%; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This randomized clinical trial provides evidence that intense simulation-based cataract surgical education facilitates the rapid acquisition of surgical competence and maximizes patient safety.
IntroductionCataract is the leading cause of blindness globally and a major cause of vision impai... more IntroductionCataract is the leading cause of blindness globally and a major cause of vision impairment. Cataract surgery is an efficacious intervention that usually restores vision. Although it is one of the most commonly conducted surgical interventions worldwide, good quality services (from being detected with operable cataract to undergoing surgery and receiving postoperative care) are not universally accessible. Poor quality understandably reduces the willingness of people with operable cataract to undergo surgery. Therefore, it is critical to improve the quality of care to subsequently reduce vision loss from cataract. This scoping review aims to summarise the nature and extent of the published literature on interventions to improve the quality of services for primary age-related cataract globally.Methods and analysisWe will search MEDLINE, Embase and Global Health for peer-reviewed manuscripts published since 1990, with no language, geographic or study design restrictions. To ...
Background: Cataract is a leading cause of blindness and vision impairment globally. Cataract sur... more Background: Cataract is a leading cause of blindness and vision impairment globally. Cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed operations worldwide, but good quality services are not universally available. This scoping review aims to summarise the nature and extent of published literature on interventions to improve the quality of services for age-related cataract globally. Methods: We used the dimensions of quality adopted by WHO-effectiveness, safety, people-centredness, timeliness, equity, integration and efficiency-to which we added planetary health. On 17 November 2019, we searched MEDLINE, Embase and Global Health for manuscripts published since 1990, without language or geographic restrictions. We included studies that reported qualityrelevant interventions and excluded studies focused on technical aspects of surgery or that only involved children (younger than 18 years). Screening of titles/ abstracts, full-text review and data extraction were performed by two reviewers independently. Studies were grouped thematically and results synthesised narratively.
There is extensive evidence showing that improving eye health contributes directly and indirectly... more There is extensive evidence showing that improving eye health contributes directly and indirectly to achieving many Sustainable Development Goals, including reducing poverty and improving work productivity, general and mental health, and education and equity. Improving eye health is a practical and cost-effective way of unlocking human potential. Eye health needs to be reframed as an enabling, cross-cutting issue within the sustainable development framework. In 2020, 1•1 billion people had distance vision impairment or uncorrected presbyopia. By 2050, this figure is expected to rise to 1•8 billion. Most affected people live in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) with avoidable causes of vision impairment. During the life course, most people will experience vision impairment, even if just the need for reading glasses. Because of unmet needs and an ageing global population, eye health is a major public health and sustainable development concern which warrants urgent political action. Universal health coverage is not universal without affordable, high quality, equitable eye care. In line with the WHO World report on vision, we urge countries to consider eye care as an essential service within universal health coverage. To deliver comprehensive services including promotion, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation, eye care needs to be included in national strategic health plans and development policies, health financing structures, and health workforce planning. Coordinated intersectoral action is needed to systematically improve population eye health, also within healthy ageing initiatives, schools, and the workplace. Integration of eye health services with multiple relevant components of health service delivery and at all levels of the health system is of central importance. for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (J R Ehrlich),
We agree with the points raised by Dr Nairn et al. and that running a regular simulation-based su... more We agree with the points raised by Dr Nairn et al. and that running a regular simulation-based surgical skill ("dry-lab") session would enable safe and efficient acquisition of competence. This is why, through the Training Committee of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, the Simulation lead and Surgical Skills lead have set all regions the target of ensuring simulation training in cataract complications, namely vitreous loss, is undertaken at least annually in each region for all trainees. The Simulated Ocular Surgery Trials are two separate educational-intervention randomised controlled trials. The first of these, the OLIMPICS (ophthalmic learning and improvement initiative in cataract surgery) trial will be published early next year. These are the first ever prospective RCTs evaluating the utility of intense simulationbased surgical education versus conventional training alone in cataract and glaucoma surgery.
Background: There are 2.7 ophthalmologists per million population in sub-Saharan Africa, and a ne... more Background: There are 2.7 ophthalmologists per million population in sub-Saharan Africa, and a need to train more. We sought to analyse current surgical training practice and experience of ophthalmologists to inform planning of training in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey. Potential participants included all current trainee and recent graduate ophthalmologists in the Eastern, Central and Southern African region. A link to a web-based questionnaire was sent to all heads of eye departments and training programme directors of ophthalmology training institutions in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa, who forwarded to all their trainees and recent graduates. Main outcome measures were quantitative and qualitative survey responses. Results: Responses were obtained from 124 (52%) trainees in the region. Overall level of satisfaction with ophthalmology training programmes was rated as ‘somewhat satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ by 72%. Most fre...
To develop and test the validity of a surgical competency assessment tool for simulated small-inc... more To develop and test the validity of a surgical competency assessment tool for simulated small-incision cataract surgery (SICS).
Background/aimsTo develop, test and determine whether a surgical-competency assessment tool for s... more Background/aimsTo develop, test and determine whether a surgical-competency assessment tool for simulated glaucoma surgery is valid.MethodsThe trabeculectomy ophthalmic simulated surgical competency assessment rubric (Sim-OSSCAR) was assessed for face and content validity with a large international group of expert eye surgeons. Cohorts of novice and competent surgeons were invited to perform anonymised simulation trabeculectomy surgery, which was marked using the Sim-OSSCAR in a masked fashion by a panel of four expert surgeons. Construct validity was assessed using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Krippendorff’s alpha was calculated for interobserver reliability.ResultsFor the Sim-OSSCAR for trabeculectomy, 58 of 67 surgeons (86.6%) either agreed or strongly agreed that the Sim-OSSCAR is an appropriate way to assess trainees’ surgical skill. Face validity was rated as 4.04 (out of 5.00). Fifty-seven of 71 surgeons (80.3%) either agreed or strongly agreed that the Sim-OSSCAR contents repre...
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Papers by William Dean