Comparison of Digital Camera Real-Time Display with Conventional Teaching Tube for Slit Lamp Microscopy Teaching

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To compare slit-lamp microscopy teaching outcomes with digital camera real-time display and conventional teaching tube in undergraduate education of clinical ophthalmology.

Methods

Thirty-seven Year 4 medical students were assigned to two groups for slit lamp microscopy teaching with digital camera real-time display (n = 18) and teaching tube (n = 19). The outcome measures included a 5-item questionnaire on their experience and the quality of slit lamp photos taken by the students.

Results

The overall satisfaction score was significantly higher in the group of digital camera real-time display compared with the group of teaching tube (4.5 ± 0.5 vs. 4.2 ± 0.7, P = .013). The former group also achieved higher quality score of the slit-lamp photography (4.1 ± 0.3 vs. 3.6 ± 0.5, P = .002).

Conclusions

The digital camera real-time display attachment is more effective in undergraduate ophthalmic education over conventional slit-lamp teaching tube. It is also more favored by students and is thus highly recommended for clinical ophthalmology education.

KEYWORDS:

• Undergraduate education
• ophthalmology
• digital camera real-time display
• slit-lamp microscope
• learning outcomes

Authors’ contributions

HC made a substantial contribution to the concept or design of the work, and analyzed and interpreted the data. ZH performed the study and drafted the article and CPP revised it critically for important intellectual content. JY and HW scored the photos made by students. All authors read, revised, and approved the final manuscript.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author (HC) at [email protected] upon reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no financial conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Grant for Key Disciplinary Project of Clinical Medicine under the Guangdong High-level University Development Program and the Intramural Grant of Joint Shantou International Eye Center.