Acta Medica Leopoliensia (Dec 2021)

ATTITUDE OF FAMILY DOCTORS TO PREVENTION OF EYE DISORDERS IN CHILDREN

  • Natalia Medvedovska,
  • Lubov Denysiuk

DOI
https://doi.org/10.25040/aml2021.3-4.084
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 27, no. 3-4
pp. 84 – 97

Abstract

Read online

The aim of our study was to analyze the results of a survey conducted by family doctors, family pediatricians with clarification of their attitude to the prevention of visual impairment in children. Materials and Methods. Results of a sociological survey conducted among family doctors and family pediatricians in Ukraine (504 questionnaires). Methods of sociological research and medical statistics were used. Results and Discussion. Almost all family doctors recognize that preventive work should be the main in their practice (92.86±1.15)%, however, the available equipment of the workplace in more than half of family doctors (52.38±2.22)% does not allow preventive examinations of visual functions in children. Only a quarter (25.4±1.94)% of family doctors consider their workplace fully equipped for full primary care. High awareness of family physicians about risk factors (95.63±0.91)%, hygienic norms of visual load in childhood (79.37±1.80)%, is combined with the fact that only 18.25±1.72)% of family doctors in daily practice conduct preventive diagnostic ophthalmological examinations of children, having sufficient knowledge and skills to conduct them. Their preventive work is limited to oral information about the possible risk of diseases and eye injuries (92.06±1.20)%. Most doctors recognize the need for regular vision testing in children and support the introduction of a state prevention program for the preservation of vision from childhood (98.41±0.56)%. Conclusions. The results of the study suggest a lack of ability of primary care to solve the problem of preventing the growth of ophthalmic pathology among children. The algorithm of preventive intervention, based on organizational, diagnostic, treatment-and-prophylactic measures, should first of all be focused on cooperation of family doctors, family pediatricians, pediatric ophthalmologists and paramedics of medical and educational institutions in order to timely identify risk factors for effective management formation of visual functions in children of different ages.

Keywords