Model for teaching direct ophthalmoscopy

Many patients, especially in remote and rural areas, reach advanced stages of eye disease due to a lack of adequate medical care and timely referral. In part, this is because the available doctors do not perform direct ophthalmoscopy, which, if performed, could lead them to diagnose vision-threatening conditions in time. Common clinical conditions, such as diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure, require fundoscopic monitoring for better disease control. The clinical condition of these patients could be better managed if the clinician were trained to perform fundoscopy. The result of investing in simulation-based education with models is the training of more knowledgeable and confident doctors who value fundoscopic examination, understanding that its performance can lead to the correct referral and early diagnosis of diseases that can put the patient’s vision and life at risk. In this way, the population will be better served and patients will be referred early to an ophthalmology service. Thus, the model can be tested in training courses for students.