Abstract
Purpose :
There is a dearth of advertisement-free mobile applications to assist medical personnel in performing an ophthalmic history and physical examination. Our aim was to evaluate student perceptions of a novel, no-cost mobile application, EyeCheck, to teach students the ophthalmic patient intake process.
Methods :
EyeCheck was developed with clinical input from ophthalmologists as a free mobile application for iOS and Android. The app includes three sections: history, eye exam, and ophthalmic pharmacology, as well as tools including a flashlight, Snellen eye charts, and eye drop administration instructions. A 10-week pilot study was performed with a cohort of pre-clinical medical students at a single academic institution. Students were administered an anonymous survey consisting of five-point Likert scale questions with higher numbers representing more positive responses. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results :
A total of 12 first- and second-year medical students were surveyed. Students reported that EyeCheck helped them learn more about obtaining an ophthalmic history, with a mean Likert score of 4.3 and standard deviation (SD) of 0.75, and learn about performing an eye exam (4.0, SD = 0.76). Regarding specific components of the eye exam, students reported that EyeCheck helped them learn to assess visual acuity (4.1, SD = 0.79), extraocular movements (4.0, SD = 0.85), visual fields (4.1, SD = 0.79), and pupillary reflexes (3.9, SD = 0.79). Students agreed that EyeCheck helped them learn more about ophthalmological pharmacology (3.9, SD = 0.79). Overall, students reported that EyeCheck was easy to use (4.4, SD = 0.51), expressed a moderate interest in continuing app usage (3.5, SD = 1.17), and recommended it to others looking to learn about the ophthalmic examination (4.3, SD = 0.89).
Conclusions :
EyeCheck appears to be an effective educational tool based on medical student pilot survey data. Medical students reported that the application helped them learn the eye exam. As a comprehensive mobile app capable of guiding trainees through the ophthalmic intake process, EyeCheck provides an opportunity to streamline the ophthalmic training process and reduce the need for disaggregated educational materials. Future research should evaluate ophthalmologist and non-ophthalmic provider feedback on the app, as well as clinical outcomes associated with the use of the EyeCheck application.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.