Department of Ophthalmology (Guinness Eye Centre), Lagos University Teaching Hospital/College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
Medical Affairs Unit, Allergan, an AbbVie Company, Chicago, USA.
Int Ophthalmol. 2022 Oct;42(10):3005-3015. doi: 10.1007/s10792-022-02286-6. Epub 2022 Apr 30.
To determine the status of sub-specialization among Nigerian ophthalmologists as well as their dispositions and barriers against sub-specialization with a view to providing valuable information for the purpose of human resources for eye care planning thereby providing useful insight into the future of ophthalmic practice in Nigeria.
This was a web-based, cross-sectional study conducted among ophthalmologists in Nigeria. An online questionnaire was distributed through e-mails using Qualtrics software (Qualtrics, Provo, UT, USA). Information concerning socio-demographic characteristics, type of practice, location of practice, years of practice, status and disposition to sub-specialization as well as barriers to sub-specialization were obtained through the questionnaire.
Two hundred and four Nigerian ophthalmologists participated in the study out of which 118 (57.8%) were females. One hundred and ten (54.0%) respondents had undergone sub-specialty training. The sub-specialties with the highest number of patronage was Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (14.2%). Respondents who had practised for more than 7 years were three times more likely to have undergone sub-specialty training compared to respondents who had practised for 7 years and below [odds ratio (OR) = 3.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.33-6.83, p = 0.01]. The main barriers to the availability and uptake of sub-specialty services as well as the challenges of sub-specialty services at the centres with established sub-specialty practice were non-availability/inadequate trained specialist and inadequate equipment.
Nigerian ophthalmologists are well disposed to sub-specialization although the extent of sub-specialization among them was a little above average. The main barriers to the availability and uptake of sub-specialty services as well as the challenges of sub-specialty services at the centres with established sub-specialty practice in this study were non-availability/inadequate trained specialist and inadequate equipment.
确定尼日利亚眼科医生的亚专科专业化状况，以及他们对亚专科专业化的态度和障碍，以期为眼科保健人力资源规划提供有价值的信息，从而为尼日利亚眼科实践的未来提供有用的见解。
这是一项在尼日利亚眼科医生中进行的基于网络的横断面研究。使用 Qualtrics 软件（Provo，UT，美国）通过电子邮件分发在线问卷。通过问卷获取有关社会人口统计学特征、执业类型、执业地点、执业年限、亚专科专业化状况和态度以及亚专科专业化障碍的信息。
共有 204 名尼日利亚眼科医生参与了这项研究，其中 118 名（57.8%）为女性。110 名（54.0%）受访者接受过亚专科培训。就诊人数最多的亚专科是小儿眼科和斜视（14.2%）。与执业 7 年及以下的受访者相比，执业超过 7 年的受访者接受亚专科培训的可能性高三倍[优势比（OR）=3.01，95%置信区间（CI）=1.33-6.83，p=0.01]。亚专科服务的可用性和接受度的主要障碍以及已建立亚专科实践中心的亚专科服务的挑战是缺乏/培训不足的专业人员和设备不足。
尼日利亚眼科医生对亚专科专业化的态度良好，尽管他们中的亚专科专业化程度略高于平均水平。本研究中，亚专科服务的可用性和接受度的主要障碍以及已建立亚专科实践中心的亚专科服务的挑战是缺乏/培训不足的专业人员和设备不足。
