Interprofessional Arclight^TM eye health workshop: impact on students' clinical identification and ophthalmic skills

Visual impairment and blindness affect an estimated 2.2 billion people worldwide. Accessible low-cost diagnostic tools and interprofessional education and collaborative practice are part of ongoing strategies to improve eye care services. This study evaluated the impact of an interprofessional Arclight workshop on undergraduate healthcare students' clinical identification skills related to eye health, and self-reported confidence in ophthalmic skills. Undergraduate students from clinical medical officer, ophthalmic clinical officer, Bachelors and Diploma nursing, and medical programs at the University of Rwanda participated in a pilot interprofessional eye health workshop. The Arclight device, a low-cost ophthalmoscope and simulation eyes were used to enable students to practice ophthalmic skills and thereafter equip them. Clinical identification skills related to common eye conditions, and self-reported confidence in ophthalmic skills were assessed pre and post workshop. Overall, students' ability to identify common eye conditions, and self-reported confidence in relation to all skills statistically improved post workshop, with some differences between professional groups in relation to eye health skills. This IPE experience used the Arclight package as a vehicle for IPE, enabling healthcare students to share and acquire new skills and confidence in relation to recognizing common eye conditions and assessing eye health.