School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Cardiff Unit for Research and Evaluation in Medical and Dental Education (CUREMeDE), School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2022 Nov;42(6):1147-1158. doi: 10.1111/opo.13032. Epub 2022 Aug 20.
The need to validate core competency skills in qualified optometrists wishing to take part in extended roles in glaucoma care has been questioned. This analysis examines the ability of qualified optometrists to perform relevant core competency skills under standardised objective assessment conditions to explore whether such validation is justified. It also investigates if there are associations between performance, gender and length of time since qualification.
Anonymised data from the Cardiff University assessment programme for the Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Centre (WOPEC) Local Optical Committee Support Unit glaucoma referral filtering and monitoring pathway delivered between January 2017 and March 2020 were analysed. Results were combined with demographic data from the General Optical Council register of optometrists in the UK to investigate associations between performance and practitioner characteristics, namely length of time since qualification and gender.
The assessment results of 2215 optometrists practising in England (approximately 15% of all UK registered optometrists and 30% of all optometrists registered in England) were analysed. Failure rates for first time assessment in each of five objective structured clinical examination style practical assessments were 8.5% (van Herick); 8.8% (slit lamp binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy); 10.1% (Goldmann applanation tonometry calibration); 21.9% (Goldmann applanation tonometry) and 23.3% (case scenario interpretation and management). There were either no associations or at most very weak associations between performance and practitioner characteristics.
Our results suggest that these competencies are not universally present in optometrists practising in England and that ongoing training and assessment of these competencies is justified for entry into extended roles. There are no meaningful associations between performance in these assessments and gender or time since qualification.
对于希望参与青光眼护理扩展角色的合格验光师，验证核心能力技能的必要性受到了质疑。本分析通过标准化客观评估条件下的相关核心能力技能，考察了合格验光师的能力，以探讨这种验证是否合理。它还调查了绩效、性别和资格后时间之间是否存在关联。
分析了 2017 年 1 月至 2020 年 3 月期间卡迪夫大学威尔士验光研究生教育中心（WOPEC）地方光学委员会支持单位青光眼转诊过滤和监测途径评估计划的匿名数据。结果与英国通用光学委员会验光师登记处的人口统计学数据相结合，以调查绩效与从业者特征（即资格后时间和性别）之间的关联。
分析了在英格兰执业的 2215 名验光师（约占英国所有注册验光师的 15%和英格兰所有注册验光师的 30%）的评估结果。五次客观结构化临床考试式实践评估中，第一次评估的失败率分别为 8.5%（van Herick）、8.8%（裂隙灯双目间接检眼镜）、10.1%（Goldmann 压平眼压计校准）、21.9%（Goldmann 压平眼压计）和 23.3%（案例情景解释和管理）。绩效与从业者特征之间没有关联或最多只有非常弱的关联。
我们的结果表明，这些能力在英格兰执业的验光师中并非普遍存在，并且有理由对这些能力进行持续的培训和评估，以进入扩展角色。这些评估中的表现与性别或资格后时间之间没有有意义的关联。
