The Role of Effective Communication and Demonstration in Establishing Good Practices of Contact Lens use among College Students- A Randomized Control Trial
Journal Title: Journal of Medical Science And clinical Research - Year 2017, Vol 5, Issue 3
Abstract
Background: Contact lens (CL) is a modified lens generally preferred by young people as they provide a wider field of vision, reduce aberrations, do not fog, boost self-confidence and are more convenient for physical activity. Care and maintenance of CL is imperative to prevent complications such as Contact Lens Associated Red Eye [CLARE], papillary conjunctivitis, dry eye, corneal epithelial microcyst and microbial keratitis. The practice of good communication skills in the medical profession is integral for compliance to medical advice and education improves knowledge of good practices in CL use. The purpose of this study is to highlight the importance of good communication in influencing the knowledge about good practice of CL among medical students which in turn can ensure safe CL wear. This is not optimally achieved by simply giving a handout. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of an interactive talk and demonstration in establishing good practices of CL use compared to just giving the participant a handout alone using a pre-structured questionnaire for assessment. Methodology: The study was a randomised controlled trial to assess the use and care of CL among 64 college students using CL. All students who were current CL users for correction of refractive power were recruited to the study, if they gave written informed consent. The sociodemographic data and relevant details of the participants were collected and the knowledge and practice questionnaire on CL use was administered. Each participant was allocated by permuted block randomisation, with allocation concealment, to one of the two arms of the study. Participants in Group A received the printed handout with interactive talk and demonstration regarding CL lens use and care while those allocated to Group B only received the CL information handout. The follow-up questionnaire was administered and the data was analysed using the Mann Whitney U test to see if there was a significant difference between the groups. Results: Out of the 64 students surveyed, 46 (71.9%) were medical students and 18(28.1%) were non-medical students and the majority were females (95.3%). Regarding type of CL, 60.9% used monthly disposable soft CL, 26, 6% used yearly replaceable soft CL while 7.8% used extended wear CL.CL was being used by 17.2 % for more than 5 years, by 54.7% students for 1-5 years and 28.1% for less than a year. Only 39 students (60.9%) followed the recommended method of hand washing and only 42 (65.6%) students correctly followed the ideal method of cleaning contact lens. Complications during CL use were reported by 24 students (37.5%) of whom only 16 students (66.6%) immediately consulted the doctor. There was a significant improvement in the learning scores of students of Group A, who received the interactive talk, demonstration and questionnaire compared to Group B. (p<0.001) Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of good communication in educating CL wearers about good practices of CL use, as it significantly improved the learning scores of the taught group while this was not optimally achieved by simply giving a handout alone
Authors and Affiliations
Ms. Kripa Anna Joseph
Keywords
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