Search Results

Abstract

Objetivos: O objetivo deste estudo é comparar as curvas de aprendizagem dos especialistas em dois campos diferentes sem experiência prévia de dacriocistorrinostomia endonasal endoscópica e revelar as complicações com as taxas de sucesso cirúrgico.
Métodos: Foram investigados retrospectivamente 90 pacientes que receberam dacriocistorrinostomia endonasal endoscópica consecutiva com preservação da mucosa realizada por um oftalmologista (Grupo 1, n=45) e realizada por um otorrinolaringologista (Grupo 2, n=45) entre outubro de 2017 e outubro de 2019. Foram incluídos no estudo pacientes admitidos com epífora e diagnosticados com obstrução primária do ducto nasolacrimal adquirido como resultado do teste de irrigação lacrimal, com idade superior a 18 anos e com, pelo menos, 6 meses de acompanhamento. Em todos os casos, patologias adicionais, como o desvio do septo, foram avaliadas por meio da realização de imagens maxilofaciais. Os prontuários dos pacientes foram avaliados quanto à duração da cirurgia, complicações e desempenho funcional.
Resultados: A média de duração cirúrgica dos pacientes no Grupo-2 foi de 36,27 ± 11,61 minutos, enquanto no Grupo-1 foi de 43,62 ± 16,89 minutos, sendo a diferença estatisticamente significativa (p=0,018). O desempenho funcional no Grupo 1 foi de 84,4% (73,3% nos primeiros 15 casos, 93,3% nos últimos 15 casos) no Grupo 2, essa taxa foi de 88,9% (80% nos primeiros 15 casos, 93,3% nos últimos 15 casos) e a diferença não foi estatisticamente significativa (p=0,53). A intervenção do septo além da cirurgia endoscópica em ambos os grupos (p=0,03, p=0,005, respectivamente) e sangramento intenso durante a cirurgia (para ambos os grupos, p<0,0001) diminuiu significativamente o sucesso funcional.
Conclusão: A dacriocistorrinostomia endonasal endoscópica, realizada após o treinamento necessário, pode ser realizada com alto sucesso e com baixas taxas de complicações por oftalmologistas que não estão familiarizados com a cirurgia endoscópica após adquirirem experiência com trinta casos.

Keywords: Obstrução dos ductos lacrimais; Ducto nasolacrimal/cirurgia; Dacriocistorinostomia/métodos; Endoscopia; Oftalmologia/educação

Abstract

Objetivos: Avaliar o perfil das consultas de emergência oftalmológicas durante os primeiros meses de quarentena por pandemia de covid-19 em um hospital oftalmológico de referência em São Paulo e compará-lo com o mesmo período do ano anterior.
Métodos: Os dados foram extraídos do serviço de emergência do Hospital Ophthal Especializado, São Paulo, Brasil. Todos os casos registrados entre 23 de março e 19 de maio de 2020 foram incluídos no estudo como Grupo 2020. Os casos registrados entre 23 de março e 19 de maio de 2019 foram incluídos no estudo como Grupo de 2019. Tabelas de frequência foram utilizadas para análises descritivas. Os testes Qui-quadrado e Exato de Fisher foram aplicados para comparar variáveis categóricas entre os grupos.
Resultados: Observamos uma diminuição de 46,15% no número de casos durante a pandemia Covid-19 em 2020 quando comparado ao mesmo período sem pandemia em 2019. Foi observado um aumento significativo nos achados de pálpebra (+12,3%), córnea (+97,1%), retina (+173,1%), refração (+62,9%), glaucoma (+43,9%), esclera (+68,8%), trauma (+39,3%), herpes (+54,7%) e catarata (+549,9%) em 2020 quando comparado para 2019. Por outro lado, houve redução nos casos de conjuntivite (-33,4%), transtornos do aparelho lacrimal (-81,0%), iridociclite (-39,9%) e consultas pós-operatórias (-80,1%).
Conclusão: durante a fase inicial da pandemia Covid-19, foi observada uma redução drástica no número de pacientes que procuram o serviço de emergência ocular. Houve também uma mudança nos principais motivos para visitas com frequências mais altas de casos de alta gravidade como distúrbios da retina, distúrbios da córnea, glaucoma e trauma, e frequências mais baixas de condições transmissíveis como conjuntivite.

Keywords: COVID-19; Emergências; Isolamento Social; Oftalmologia; Quarentena.

Abstract

PURPOSE: Natural language models and chatbots, particularly OpenAI’s Generative Pre-Trained Transformer architecture, have transformed human interaction with digital interfaces. The latest versions, including ChatGPT-4o, offer enhanced functionalities compared to their predecessors. This study evaluates the accuracy of ChatGPT-4, ChatGPT-4o, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet in answering questions from the Brazilian Retina and Vitreous Society certification exam.
METHODS: We compiled 200 multiple-choice questions from the Brazilian Retina and Vitreous Society 2018 and 2019 exams. Questions were categorized into three domains: Anatomy and Physiology of the Retina, Retinal Pathology, and Diagnosis and Treatment. Using a standardized prompt developed according to prompt design guidelines, we tested ChatGPT-4, ChatGPT-4o, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet, recording their first responses as final. Three retina specialists performed a qualitative analysis of the answers. Accuracy was determined by comparing responses to the official correct answers. Statistical analysis was conducted using chi-square tests and Cohen’s Kappa.
RESULTS: Claude 3.5 Sonnet achieved the highest overall accuracy (72.5%), followed by ChatGPT-4o (66.0%) and ChatGPT-4 (55.5%). Claude 3.5 Sonnet and ChatGPT-4o significantly outperformed ChatGPT-4 (p<0.01 and p=0.03, respectively), while no significant difference was observed between Claude 3.5 Sonnet and ChatGPT-4o (p=0.16). Model responses agreed 74.5% of the time, with a Cohen’s κ of 0.47. Retinal Pathology was the best-performing domain for all models, whereas Anatomy and Physiology of the Retina and Diagnosis and Treatment were the weakest domains for Claude 3.5 Sonnet and ChatGPT-4, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to assess Claude 3.5 Sonnet, ChatGPT-4, and ChatGPT-4o in retina specialist certification exams. Claude 3.5 Sonnet and ChatGPT-4o significantly outperformed ChatGPT-4, highlighting their potential as effective tools for studying retina specialist board exams. These findings suggest that the enhanced functionalities of Claude 3.5 Sonnet and ChatGPT-4o offer substantial improvements in medical education contexts.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence; ChatGPT; Retina; Medical education; Ophthalmology, Large language model; Natural language processing

Abstract

Objetivo: Avaliar os resultados da destreza da microcirurgia de duas avaliações sequenciais de treinamento usando a tecnologia de realidade virtual.
Métodos: Estudo transversal multicêntrico em que todos os candidatos que foram aceitos como residentes de primeiro ano em uma de seis instituições de ensino de oftalmologia. Os residentes foram submetidos a duas séries idênticas de testes de destreza padronizados e reprodutíveis usando equipamento de realidade virtual (Eyesi^®): “sequência 1” e “sequência 2”. Cada sequência consistiu em 5 níveis de dificuldade que foram avaliados usando um sistema de pontuação proprietário. Os dados foram testados quanto à normalidade utilizando o teste de Shapiro-Wilk. As diferenças entre os testes nas sequências 1 e 2 foram avaliadas com o teste de Wilcoxon signed-rank.
Resultados: Os dados não seguiram uma distribuição normal. Houve melhora da sequência 1 em todos os testes (todos os valores de p<0,05). A soma de todas as pontuações (pontuação total) melhorou da sequência 1 (mediana= 152,50) para a sequência 2 (mediana= 256,00; p<0.001). Não houve correlação entre os valores da sequência delta e as pontuações médias.
Conclusão: Duas avaliações sequenciais de treinamento utilizando a tecnologia de realidade virtual mostraram melhora relevante nas quantificações da destreza da microcirurgia. Essas informações devem ser consideradas se abordagens de realidade virtual forem utilizadas para fins de teste, pois a experiência prévia pode levar a melhores resultados.

Keywords: Destreza motora; Realidade virtual; Competência clínica; Procedimentos cirúrgicos oftalmológicos/educação

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the quality and reliability of YouTube videos as an educational resource about retinopathy of prematurity.
METHODS: Videos were sourced from YouTube using the search terms "retinopathy of prematurity" and "premature retinopathy" with the default settings. Each video was assessed on the following metrics: views, likes, dislikes, comments, upload source, country of origin, view ratio, like ratio, and video power index. The quality and reliability of the videos were evaluated by two independent researchers using the DISCERN questionnaire, the JAMA benchmarks, the Global Quality Score scale, the Health on the Net Code of Conduct, and the Ensuring Quality Information for Patients scale.
RESULTS: The study assessed 92 videos, the majority of which (42 videos, 45.7%) originated from the United States. Most of the videos focused on screening, pathophysiology, and diagnosis of retinopathy of prematurity (61.9%). The primary contributors were medical organizations (19 videos, 20.6%), nonacademic health channels (19 videos, 20.6%), and physicians (15 videos, 16.3%). Significant differences were found between the DISCERN (p=0.003), JAMA (p=0.001), Global Quality Score (p=0.003), Health on the Net Code of Conduct (p=0.006), and Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (p=0.001) scores among different video sources. However, the key video metrics did not differ. Using the DISCERN and Global Quality Score scales, the overall YouTube video content on retinopathy of prematurity was rated as moderate in quality. Using the Health On the Net Code of Conduct and Ensuring Quality Information for Patients scales, it was rated as high quality. Strong correlations were observed between the scores on all of the scales (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION: Videos from medical organizations and healthcare centers were of a higher quality than those from nonmedical sources. Despite the varied foci of each evaluation scale, the strong correlation between them indicates that they provide reliable and comprehensive assessments of the quality of informational content.

Keywords: Retinopathy of prematurity; YouTube; Information dissemination/methods; Online education; Internet access; Social media/instrumentation; Information seeking behavior; Internet/statistics & numerical data; Consumer health information; Social networking

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the academic and professional trajectories of graduates from the Graduate Program in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, including geographic distribution, occupational characteristics, and scientific productivity.
METHODS: This descriptive, retrospective, quantitative study included 498 alumni who completed the program between 1979 and 2021. Data were obtained from institutional records and supplemented by public databases (Google Scholar, Lattes Platform, and LinkedIn). The analyzed variables included demographic characteristics, academic background, current professional role, and bibliometric indicators (citation count and h-index). Statistical analyses comprised nonparametric tests and linear regression, with a significance level set at 5%.
RESULTS: Most alumni were Brazilian (96.6%) and physicians (90.7%), predominantly located in the Southeast region (66.9%). Doctoral training was completed by 80.5% of participants. Alumni with current institutional ties to Universidade Federal de São Paulo or Hospital São Paulo demonstrated significantly higher citation counts and h-index values. No significant correlation was observed between time since graduation and citation count (p=0.185). Alumni engaged in academic roles or with postdoctoral training showed greater scientific productivity.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the strong academic performance and professional integration of alumni from Universidade Federal de São Paulo, particularly within public institutions and the Southeast region of Brazil. Doctoral training and institutional affiliation were associated with higher scientific productivity. Alumni tracking provides valuable insights into the impact of postgraduate programs and informs strategic planning and development.

Keywords: Factual databases; Program evaluation; Medical education; Graduate education; Ophthalmology; Linear models

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine factors related to the professionalism of ophthalmology residents.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out involving 48 ophthalmology residents in Brazil. Professionalism was assessed using the professionalism mini-evaluation exercise, completed by both preceptors and residents, and the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine Professionalism Questionnaire, completed by the residents. The association between the professionalism score assigned by the preceptor through the professionalism mini-evaluation exercise and various sociodemographic and educational variables was assessed. The correlation between the residents’ self-assessment across both instruments and the preceptor’s assessments was measured using Spearman’s Rho.
RESULTS: All 48 residents were included, with equal representation across the 3 years of residency. The majority were female (58.3%) and between 25 and 29 years old (66.7%). The average professionalism score on the professionalism mini-evaluation exercise given by the preceptors was 3.0 (75%). A significant association was found between the year of training and the score in the doctor-patient relationship domain, with first-year residents showing lower scores (p=0.002). Male residents had higher scores in the “Interprofessional” domain (p=0.031). Graduates from private medical schools scored higher in both the “doctor-patient relationship” (p=0.015) and “reflective skills” (p=0.033) domains. Lower interest in professionalism was linked to lower scores in the “Interprofessional relationships” (p=0.033) and “time management” (p=0.003) domains. A strong correlation was observed between preceptor’s professionalism mini-evaluation exercise scores and residents’ self-assessed professionalism mini-evaluation exercise scores (r=0.917). However, the correlation between the self-assessed professionalism mini-evaluation exercise and the Pennsylvania questionnaire scores was weak (r=0.226).
CONCLUSION: Professionalism scores among ophthalmology residents were associated with year of training, gender, type of undergraduate education, and level of interest in the topic.

Keywords: Internship and residency; Ophthalmology; Professional competence; Education, professional; Physician-patient relations; Surveys and questionnaires

Abstract

PURPOSE: In Brazil, it has traditionally been standard practice to teach a wide range of surgical techniques to all ophthalmology residents, with the aim of equipping them to manage most ocular conditions. However, with modern developments, access to subspecialists has expanded to nearly the entire country. This raises the question of whether it is still necessary to teach numerous surgical techniques to every resident. This study evaluates the effectiveness of surgical training in Brazilian ophthalmology residency programs to determine if comprehensive surgical training for all residents is truly effective, thereby providing evidence to inform educational policy decisions.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a questionnaire distributed to physicians engaged in eye care.
RESULTS: A total of 137 physicians responded to the survey, with 104 (76.0%) having already completed their specialization. The findings indicate that most practicing ophthalmologists received surgical training during residency in cataract, glaucoma, oculoplastic, and strabismus surgeries. Nonetheless, many of these specialists no longer perform most of these surgeries in practice, except for cataract surgery. While 53.8% of those who completed residency reported satisfaction with their training, 35.6% indicated that they wished they had received better surgical preparation.
CONCLUSION: The training of ophthalmology specialists must be made more efficient. Training efficiency is reduced when time and resources are devoted to surgical procedures that many specialists will not perform in their careers.

Keywords: Opthalmologists; Teaching; Education, medical; Ophthalmological surgical procedures; Simulation training; Wet lab; Surveys and questionnaires

Abstract

OBJETIVO: Nos últimos 20 anos, o número de escolas médicas no Brasil aumentou, mas as vagas para especialização em Oftalmologia não acompanharam a demanda crescente. Este estudo quer estimar a demanda por especialização e avaliar a oferta de oportunidades de aprendizado em Oftalmologia.
MÉTODOS: Estudo epidemiológico com pesquisa em banco de dados provenientes do Ministério da Educação e Conselho Brasileiro de Oftalmologia. Estes dados foram checados através de 120 editais publicados pelos serviços de Residência em 2021.
RESULTADOS: De 2002 a 2021, o número de vagas em faculdades de Medicina aumentou 370%, enquanto o número de vagas certificadas de especialização em Oftalmologia aumentou 64%. Houve um desalinhamento de 11.4% entre os dados do Conselho Brasileiro de Oftalmologia e do Ministério da Educação.
CONCLUSÃO: A proporção de graduados em Medicina aumentou muito mais do que a oferta de oportunidades de especialização em Oftalmologia, o impacto disto na busca por vagas de especialização não acreditadas é desconhecido, políticas de monitoramento das vagas de especialização em Oftalmologia devem ser estabelecidas.

Keywords: Oftalmologia; Ensino; Educação médica; Especialização

Abstract

PURPOSE: To determine and analyze the usability metrics of a free mobile learning app for ophthalmology in Brazil.
METHODS: Metric data from the management dashboard of the CBOQUIZ app were used. All users registered on the platform between March 2019 and June 30, 2021 were included. The number of questions answered, number of correct answers, number of questions answered and correct answers by subject area, and user performance by geographic region were analyzed.
RESULTS: There were 458 active users during the research period and 107,245 questions answered (average, 234.16 questions per user). Of the questions answered, 81,600 (75.5%) were correct and 2,645 were incorrect. The states in Brazil with the best performance were Espírito Santo, Paraiba, and Paraná. The subject area with the lowest hit rate was basic sciences (69.1%), within which embryology demonstrated the lowest hit rate (58.28%). The posterior segment had the highest number of questions answered, followed by miscellaneous topics and the anterior segment. Questions on strabismus were the least answered.
CONCLUSION: The app was used consistently throughout the period studied, and participants adhered to this teaching modality. Performance asymmetry was observed across the Brazil states. The CBOQUIZ app can be used to homogenize ophthalmology teaching in the country.

Keywords: Ophthalmology; Mobile applications; Teaching; Smartphone; Education, distance; Internship and residency; Brazil

Abstract

PURPOSE: The OrbiTau surgical simulator is a synthetic eye model developed to enhance cataract surgical training. Herein, we aimed to describe the perspectives of Harvard’s Ophthalmology faculty and residents regarding the effectiveness of OrbiTau.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which 11 surgeons from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, with prior experience utilizing simulated phacoemulsification platforms, conducted cataract surgery with the OrbiTau. Subsequently, they completed a satisfaction questionnaire using the Likert scale.
RESULTS: Regarding the various OrbiTau components, 90.90% of the participants reported that the OrbiTau lens capsule was comparable to that of the human lens during capsulotomy. Furthermore, 72.72% of the participants found that the OrbiTau lens consistency was analogous to that of the human lens nucleus. Approximately 63.63% of the participants reported that the model’s posterior lens capsule resembled the native posterior capsule, and 72.72% of the participants noted that the model’s red reflex was similar to that of the dilated human pupil. Most participants believed that the OrbiTau was easier to use and more realistic than other commercially available simulators.
CONCLUSION: Our single-institution survey of the Orbitau demonstrated that this model realistically replicates ocular structures and may be a viable option for cataract surgery training.

Keywords: Cataract extraction/education; Simulation training/methods; Ophthalmology/education; Phacoemulsification/education; Ophthalmologists/education; Surgeons/education; High fidelity simulation training

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on cataract surgery by residents who had mandatory surgical simulator training during residency.
METHODS: In this retrospective, observational analytical study, the total number of cataract surgeries and surgical complications by all senior residents of 2019 (2019 class; prepandemic) and 2020 (2020 class; affected by the reduced number of elective surgeries due to the COVID-19 pandemic) were collected and compared. All residents had routine mandatory cataract surgery training on a virtual surgical simulator during residency. The total score obtained by these residents on cataract challenges of the surgical simulator was also evaluated.
RESULTS: The 2020 and 2019 classes performed 1275 and 2561 cataract surgeries, respectively. This revealed a reduction of 50.2% in the total number of procedures performed by the 2020 class because of the pandemic. The incidence of surgical complications was not statistically different between the two groups (4.2% in the 2019 class and 4.9% in the 2020 class; p=0.314). Both groups also did not differ in their mean scores on the simulator’s cataract challenges (p<0.696).
CONCLUSION: Despite the reduction of 50.2% in the total number of cataract surgeries performed by senior residents of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence of surgical complications did not increase. This suggests that surgical simulator training during residency mitigated the negative effects of the reduced surgical volume during the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; Pandemics; Cataract extraction/education; Internship and residency/methods; Simulation training/methods; Phacoemulsification/education; Surgery, computer-assisted; Computer simulation; Clinical competence; Ophthalmology/education

Abstract

O treinamento de biofeedback por microperimetria é um método de reabilitação da visão que envolve treinamento de atenção, controle oculomotor e reabilitação do locus preferencial de fixação da retina. Esse treinamento pode melhorar significativamente a acuidade visual para longe e perto na degeneração macular relacionada à idade. Estudos anteriores mostraram que o treinamento de biofeedback usando a nistagmografia elétrica pode reduzir a amplitude do nistagmo e aumentar o período de foveação. Entretanto, os resultados não se mantiveram após o término das sessões. Aqui é relatado um caso de tratamento com biofeedback por microperimetria para melhorar a acuidade visual e a estabilidade de fixação em uma criança de 11 anos de idade. O treinamento teve impacto benéfico e afetou positivamente a estabilidade da fixação e a visão para longe, para perto e de leitura. Subjetivamente, foi relatada melhoria da qualidade de vida. Em contraste com estudos anteriores, os efeitos positivos foram mantidos até 12 meses após a terapia. Até onde sabemos, este é o primeiro caso na literatura que relata benefícios de longo prazo.

Keywords: Nistagmo patológico/reabilitação; locus retiniano preferencial; Baixa visão; Testes de campo visual

Abstract

This article systematically reviewed 327 documents in the core collection of the Web of Science database regarding ChatGPT applications in the writing domain. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the latest progress and potential applications. ChatGPT demonstrates significant potential in overcoming writing anxiety, improving writing efficiency, generating initial scientific papers, and assisting researchers and students in giving feedback. However, it still faces significant challenges in data accuracy and the ethics of generated content, including inaccurate or outdated information, plagiarism risks, gender or race biases, etc. Authorship verification is particularly important for academic writing and publishing as it relates to objectivity, accuracy, and fairness. Future studies need to explore how to address these challenges through improvements at the technical and policy levels, ensuring that ChatGPT promotes the sustainable development and application of academic writing while adhering to ethical standards.

Keywords: ChatGPT; Writing; Authorship; Ethics; Data accuracy; Plagiarism; Students; Bias