Practice and Knowledge of Funduscopy by Medical Practitioners in Owo, Nigeria

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Aim: This study was carried out to determine the practice of funduscopy by medical practitioners and also identify possible barriers to it in a Nigerian community.Methodology: The study was conducted in March and April 2008 at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria. Eighty medical practitioners were selected by simple random sampling and interviewed with the aid of a questionnaire. Information obtained included biodata of the respondents, practice of funduscopy, barriers to the practice offunduscopy, as well as the use of dilating eye drops for funduscopy.Results: More than half of the respondents (58.8%) practiced funduscopy while the remaining 41.3% did not. Most respondents (89.4%) who practiced funduscopy did so rarely. The majority of the respondents (88.8%) expressed a desire for further training in funduscopy. The barriers to the practice of funduscopy were mainly lack of skills (30%) and lack ofaccess to an ophthalmoscope (28.8%). Very few respondents (7.5%) used topical mydriatics for funduscopy. The level of experience and of the respondents significantly affected the practice of funduscopy with a p value of 0.032.Conclusion: More than half of the respondents performed funduscopy, however most of them did so rarely. The barriers to the practice of funduscopy include lack of skills and access to an ophthalmoscope.