Background: Smoking causes blindness-related diseases. Eye-care providers are uniquely positioned to help their patients quit smoking. Aims: Using a pre-/postevaluation design, this study evaluated a web-based training in smoking cessation counseling targeting eye-care providers. Method: The training was developed based on the 3A1R protocol:…

Two studies of strabismus ("crossed eyes") in children with autism are reported. A clinical optometric evaluation of 34 individuals with autism, ages 7 to 19 years, found a strabismus rate of 50% and a parent survey of 7,640 families of children with autism found an incidence of 18% (compared to 2-4% in the general population). (Author/DB)

Professionals in the field of low vision are increasingly concerned about the paucity of optometry students who are expressing any interest in low vision as a clinical subspecialty. Concurrent with this apparent disinterest is an increased demand for these services as the baby boomer population becomes more predisposed to age-related vision loss.…

The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry's Gerontology Curriculum Development Committee summarizes the results of a survey of institutional practice and presents its recommendations for implementing a comprehensive optometric gerontology curriculum at each member institution. (MSE)

A survey of 14 optometric schools and colleges found frequent and regular use of student ratings of instructors with a variety of methods used to ensure validity. Urges a multifaceted approach to teaching assessment to include input from those who deliver the instruction (teacher self-evaluation) and from objective colleagues (peer evaluation).…

Aside from essential managerial information realized from faculty load studies, there exist two underlying fundamental principles: that equity is important (among individual faculty members, departments, and institutions); and there is a relationship between workload and the quality of education. (MLW)

The purposes of this study were to determine if (1) the attitudes of optometry students could be changed with structured experimental treatments; (2) any attitude change that did occur could be maintained over a short period of time; (3) differential treatment effects would occur due to different types of treatments. (Author/MLW)

Studies from various institutions report faculty spend from 25 to 41 hours per week in teaching activities. The variability in total hourly work week reported tends to be a function of time spent in research endeavors rather than assigned teaching load. (MLW)

Optometry, as a primary eye/vision care provider, serves as a valuable resource in providing detection, education, referral, and follow-up services for patients with high blood pressure. A 1977 survey of 500 optometrists and a 1980 survey of schools and colleges of optometry are discussed. (MLW)

Barriers to success for women in optometry are reviewed including social pressures discouraging women applicants, role conflicts, access to informal networks, and discriminatory feelings of faculty. A 1968 National Center for Health Statistics survey of practice patterns of women optometrists, female enrollment, and practice preferences of women…

A study attempted to quantify risk of blood exposure in optometric clinical education by surveying optometric interns in their fourth year at the Southern California College of Optometry concerning their history of exposure or use of a needle. Results indicate blood exposure or needle use ranged from 0.95 to 18.71 per 10,000 patient encounters.…

A study compared the perceptions of remedial optometry students concerning themselves, cognitive strategies used in studying, the studying and evaluation processes, and study habits with their tutors' perceptions. Two predominant problems emerged: the extent of responsibility of the student in academic difficulty and discrepancies in tutor/tutee…

Controversy over the issue of drug licensure for optometrists is discussed. A study to analyze optometrists in terms of academic qualifications as compared to clinicians currently licensed to use pharmaceuticals is described. (MLW)

Results of a survey of U.S. and Canadian optometry programs concerning curriculum design, clinical and residency training programs, continuing education, and research projects planned or under way in geriatric optometry are presented and discussed. (MSE)

The findings of an analysis of first- through fourth-year students enrolled in the schools and colleges of optometry in 1975-76, conducted by the American Optometric Association, are discussed. Demographic, racial/ethnic background, sex distribution, socioeconomic, and financial resource characteristics of optometric students are described.…