The NYEE-Orbis oculoplastic surgery online curriculum: global access to oculoplastics education

This study investigates the global reach of two novel, interactive, online, and free courses entitled "Basics of Oculoplastic Surgery" (BOS) and "Intermediate Oculoplastic Surgery" (IOS) and assesses how effectively they enhanced knowledge of oculoplastics conditions and procedures.

The two courses were developed and uploaded online via the e-learning platform of Orbis International, Cybersight. Pre- and post-course surveys were administered to all enrollees to assess for demographics, course progress, baseline experience, and learning outcomes. Pre- and post-course survey data were compared using chi-square tests for yes or no questions and student t-tests for Likert scale items for each course separately.

As of August 2024, the BOS course had 2776 enrollees from 150 countries, while the IOS course had 1722 enrollees from 139 countries. The most frequent users of both courses were ophthalmologists, residents, medical students, nurses, and optometrists. For the BOS and IOS courses, 518 (18.7%) and 188 (10.9%) enrollees completed the courses, respectively. Pre- and post-course survey participants reported significant improvements in understanding oculoplastic procedures and conditions in the two courses (p < 0.0001 for all). Qualitative feedback for the BOS and IOS were overwhelmingly positive (95.2% and 96.9%, respectively).

Both the BOS and IOS courses effectively reached a global audience and improved self-reported comfort and knowledge in oculoplastic procedures and conditions. These courses demonstrate promise as accessible and useful oculoplastic surgery education tools to international audiences of various backgrounds.