Online learning tool for retina leads to measurable performance improvement
NEW YORK — An online learning tool aimed at teaching trainees key retinal pathology findings on fundus examination and OCT was successful in terms of number of users and measurable performance improvements.
The method, presented in a poster at the American Society of Retina Specialists annual meeting by Benjamin Lin, MD, and colleagues, consisted of a series of fundus photos and OCT scans featuring the basic pathological features and diagnoses of retinal diseases. Each image was described in detail, and key features leading to the diagnosis were highlighted and annotated. Images were then compiled into multiple choice quiz modules, with one for fundus photographs and two, beginner and intermediate, for OCT. Additional teaching resources offered included articles, didactic videos and American Academy of Ophthalmology Basic and Clinical Science Course flashcards. All content was made available for free on the EyeGuru.org web platform. User metrics were collected from 2016 to 2021.
A total of 11,000 users subscribed to the platform, accounting for about half of all U.S. ophthalmology residents. There were approximately 800,000 views per year, with a 168% year-over-year increase in traffic since 2017. There were 3,048 users per beginner OCT quiz, 1,802 users per intermediate OCT quiz and 1,664 users per fundus photo quiz. The average number of quiz repeats by the same user was 2.6, with an average 6.8-point improvement (19%) in quiz score from first to last attempt.
According to the authors, online learning tools have the potential to fill in the existing gap in retinal education between medical school and residency, and efforts should be made to widen the availability of such tools to train the next generation of ophthalmologists.
“This is especially true in the era of the coronavirus pandemic, which has limited traditional in-person didactics,” they wrote.
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Lin B, et al. Evaluating the efficacy of an online retina exam and optical coherence tomography teaching modules. Presented at: American Society of Retina Specialists annual meeting; July 13-16, 2022; New York.
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