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Pediatricians' knowledge, attitude and practice on treating children with red eye disease
Dina Mostovoy1, Anna Bunin2, Yotam Eyni2
1Department of Ophthalmology, Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon, Israel.
Insights
Pediatrician knowledge on treating red eye disease is moderate, with more experienced doctors showing less knowledge and a tendency to overprescribe antibiotics. Enhanced training is crucial for accurate pediatric eye care.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Medical Education
Background:
- Pediatricians are vital for early detection and treatment of pediatric ocular disorders like red eye.
- Assessing pediatrician knowledge is key to understanding and improving the management of common childhood eye conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate pediatricians' knowledge of treating red eye disease in children.
- To identify factors influencing this knowledge level.
- To explore the implications of potential knowledge gaps.
Main Methods:
- A correlational quantitative study involving 152 pediatricians.
- Data collected via questionnaires assessing knowledge, attitudes, and experience with red eye disease.
Main Results:
- Moderate knowledge levels were observed; most correctly identified viral conjunctivitis but a significant minority (14.5%) inappropriately prescribed antibiotics.
- A negative correlation exists between pediatrician experience (age, years in practice) and knowledge regarding red eye treatment.
- Higher knowledge correlated positively with willingness to perform eye tests and negatively with antibiotic prescription rates.
Conclusions:
- Lack of knowledge regarding red eye disease is more prevalent among experienced pediatricians.
- Adequate knowledge is essential for appropriate treatment readiness and execution.
- Targeted educational interventions and knowledge refreshers are necessary, especially for seasoned practitioners.
Background:
Pediatricians play an important role in the early detection and prompt treatment of ocular disorders in children, including red eye disease. Our aim was to examine the knowledge level of pediatricians regarding treating children with red eye disease, as well as the factors that affect the knowledge level, and the potential implications of a low level of knowledge.
Methods:
In this correlational quantitative study, 152 expert pediatricians completed a questionnaire that included questions on knowledge, attitudes, and experience in treating red eye disease.
Results:
Respondents' mean level of knowledge was moderate. Most of the respondents (89.5%) knew that the most likely diagnosis for a child with red eyes and a discharge is viral conjunctivitis and that pain, blurred vision, and a clouded cornea, are symptoms indicative of a more complex systemic problem. In contrast, 78.3% of the pediatricians claimed that the treatment of choice for viral conjunctivitis is a conservative treatment that includes eye flushing and strict hygiene. However, 14.5% (n = 22) of the pediatricians were found to prescribe antibiotics. A negative association was found between the pediatrician's age and years of experience, and level of knowledge concerning treatment of children with red eye. A strong positive association was found between pediatricians' level of knowledge and their attitudes to performing eye tests. Moreover, a negative association was found between the level of knowledge and the number of cases in which pediatricians prescribed antibiotics for children with red eye.
Conclusions:
The research findings indicate that lack of knowledge was more conspicuous among pediatricians with more experience. Knowledge appears to be critical both for readiness to treat red eye and for proper treatment. It is necessary to provide pediatricians with tools for treating eye disorders in children and to refresh their knowledge on red eye, particularly among pediatricians with more years of experience.
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