Department of Optometry and Vision Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Department of Biomedicine, Salus University, 8360 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA, 19027, USA.
BMC Ophthalmol. 2023 Aug 8;23(1):351. doi: 10.1186/s12886-023-03083-0.
Ghana and Nigeria are the two countries in Africa that currently run the Doctor of Optometry (OD) program in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Optometrists in these countries are licensed to provide glaucoma care. Despite the clinically relevant practice guidelines for glaucoma, there is no data on the practice patterns for glaucoma eye care in SSA, a region with the highest prevalence of glaucoma. This study aimed to profile glaucoma diagnosis adherence to practice guidelines among optometrists in two neighbouring anglophone countries (Nigeria and Ghana).
A web-based cross-sectional survey of practising optometrists was conducted in both countries. Each country data was weighted to reflect the total number of licensed and practising optometrists at the time of this survey. Descriptive analyses were performed against demography and practice factors using survey commands to adjust for sampling weights when estimating confidence intervals (CI) around prevalence estimates. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with glaucoma diagnosis.
A total of 493 optometrists (238, 48.3% and 255, 51.7%) from Ghana and Nigeria respectively, responded to the survey-the first to document and compare the glaucoma diagnostic criteria between optometrists in Ghana and Nigeria. More Ghanaian than Nigerian optometrists diagnosed glaucoma and over 90% in both countries reported that they frequently performed either tonometry, visual field testing, or fundus examination during glaucoma diagnosis. Ghanaian optometrists were significantly more likely to diagnose glaucoma than Nigerian optometrists (adjusted odd ratio, AOR = 6.15, 95%CI:1.63-23.15, P = .007). Optometrists who have practiced for more than 10 years (AOR = 7.04; 95%CI:1.74-28.47, P = .006) and private practice optometrists (AOR = 3.33; 95%CI:1.13-9.83, P = .03) were more likely to diagnose glaucoma.
The study provides information for evaluating glaucoma assessment for optometrists in both countries. Optometrists in both countries are reasonably well-equipped to diagnose glaucoma and are practicing at an adequate level, but with room for improvement.
加纳和尼日利亚是非洲目前在撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA）开展视光学博士（OD）课程的两个国家。这些国家的验光师获得了提供青光眼护理的许可。尽管有与临床相关的青光眼实践指南，但在 SSA 地区，即青光眼发病率最高的地区，没有关于青光眼眼保健实践模式的数据。本研究旨在描述在两个邻国（尼日利亚和加纳）的执业验光师中，青光眼诊断对实践指南的依从性。
在两国进行了一项基于网络的执业验光师横断面调查。根据当时的调查，对每个国家的数据进行加权，以反映获得许可和执业的验光师总数。使用调查命令对人口统计学和实践因素进行描述性分析，以调整置信区间（CI）中患病率估计值的抽样权重。进行简单和多元逻辑回归分析，以确定与青光眼诊断相关的因素。
共有 493 名来自加纳（238 名，48.3%）和尼日利亚（255 名，51.7%）的验光师分别对调查做出了回应-这是第一次记录并比较加纳和尼日利亚验光师之间的青光眼诊断标准。与尼日利亚的同行相比，加纳的验光师更有可能诊断出青光眼，并且两国超过 90%的验光师报告说，他们在诊断青光眼时经常进行眼压测量、视野测试或眼底检查。与尼日利亚的同行相比，加纳的验光师更有可能诊断出青光眼（调整后的优势比，AOR=6.15，95%CI：1.63-23.15，P=0.007）。从业 10 年以上的验光师（AOR=7.04；95%CI：1.74-28.47，P=0.006）和私人执业验光师（AOR=3.33；95%CI：1.13-9.83，P=0.03）更有可能诊断出青光眼。
该研究为评估两国的验光师进行青光眼评估提供了信息。两国的验光师都有相当的设备来诊断青光眼，并且他们的实践水平是足够的，但仍有改进的空间。
