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ERIC Number: EJ908034
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Nov
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0145-482X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Medical School Students' Knowledge of and Familiarity with Visual Impairments: A Pilot Study
McKenzie, Amy R.; Henzi, David L.
Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, v104 n11 p709-714 Nov 2010
A limited amount of research has been conducted on the knowledge of and familiarity with individuals with disabilities of medical students. There have been studies on these individuals' satisfaction with medical services and the accessibility of medical services to them, the role of health care providers in working with these individuals, and the perceptions of medical students by individuals with physical disabilities. Only two studies, however, have investigated medical students' perception of individuals with visual impairments and hearing impairments. To ensure high-quality care for individuals with visual impairments, there is a need to investigate future physicians' knowledge of visual impairments. This study investigates medical students' overall comfort with and knowledge of examining the eye and understanding of ocular conditions, comfort level in working with children and adults with visual impairments, and knowledge of local and state educational and rehabilitation services for individuals with visual impairments. The responses of the participants regarding confidence in performing eye examinations followed a distinct pattern of being most comfortable in examining the posterior section of the eye and the least confident in examining the anterior section of the eye. In general, the participants were comfortable performing a general eye examination screening. The participants reported a general discomfort in working with patients who are blind or have low vision. Almost 93.0% of the participants were unaware of educational agencies, and an alarming 97.4% were unaware of rehabilitation agencies.
American Foundation for the Blind. 11 Penn Plaza Suite 300, New York, NY 10001. Tel: 800-232-5463; Tel: 212-502-7600; e-mail: afbinfo@afb.net; Web site: http://www.afb.org/store
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A