Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
3rd International Eastern Black Sea Family Medicine Congress, Ordu, Türkiye, 22 - 24 Mayıs 2025, ss.64-65, (Özet Bildiri)
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and practice levels of family physicians working in primary healthcare services regarding eye screenings, diagnosis, and treatment of eye diseases.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with family physicians working in Erzincan, Trabzon, and Erzurum provinces. Data were collected between September and December 2024 through a 37-item questionnaire administered via Google Forms, which was developed based on a literature review and a pilot test. The questionnaire included demographic information and Likert-type questions assessing knowledge and practice levels regarding eye health screenings. In the data analysis, descriptive statistics, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman correlation analysis were used. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: A total of 124 family physicians participated in the study. Among the participants, 40.3% reported performing the red reflex test only on infants aged 0–3 months, while 29.8% stated that they did not perform it at all. Additionally, 21.8% of the respondents reported that a direct ophthalmoscope was not available in their centers or that they were unsure of its presence. The average knowledge score was 58.15 out of 100, with male physicians scoring significantly higher than female physicians (p=0.023). While no significant relationship was found between knowledge level and age, total duration of medical practice, or professional title, a positive and significant correlation was observed between the total duration of family medicine practice and knowledge level (r=0.240, p=0.007).
Conclusion: Significant deficiencies were identified in the knowledge and practice levels of family physicians regarding eye health screenings and early diagnosis methods. To enhance eye health services in primary care, the development of regular training programs, improved accessibility of ophthalmological examination equipment, and the establishment of national screening protocols are crucial (Rowe et al., 2004; Solomon et al., 2022). This study provides essential data to strengthen the role of family physicians in eye health services and to address existing gaps in knowledge and practice.