Abstract
Purpose The pediatric ophthalmic examination is often considered a challenge to ophthalmologists
at any level of training. New tools need to be developed and tested to enhance resident
and fellow training in pediatric ophthalmology. To our knowledge, this pilot project
introduces the first educational rubric designed specifically for a pediatric ophthalmic
examination.
Methods Preliminary surveys were completed by 11 ophthalmic residents, of all three postgraduate
years (PGY), to gauge comfort level with the pediatric ophthalmic examination. A one-page
Pediatric Examination Assessment Rubric (PEAR) was developed and reviewed by 13 content
experts (12 pediatric ophthalmologists and a lead developer of the Ophthalmic Clinical
Exercise Examination [OCEX] tool) at eight academic institutions. A total of five
educators from three academic institutions used the rubric to evaluate a total of
six residents during a new strabismus evaluation. Postevaluation surveys were completed
by both the five educators and the six residents.
Results Preliminary surveys showed that only 18.2% of residents felt their pediatric examination
skills were good. Residents noted higher levels of frustration and less comfort with the pediatric
examination when compared with an adult examination. Thirteen experts' comments were
incorporated into the rubric to establish content validity. Postevaluation surveys
showed that 60% of faculty and 100% of residents found the rubric to be very effective in providing feedback.
Conclusion In this pilot project, we established the need for more concrete educational tools
in pediatric ophthalmology, created an educational tool, established content validity,
and demonstrated feasibility. The PEAR helps residents identify skills to target for
improvement based on the quality of their pediatric ophthalmic examinations. At three
academic institutions, the PEAR was shown to be easy to use and a useful tool for
training residents to perform the pediatric ophthalmic examination.
Keywords
pediatric ophthalmology - resident training - strabismus - educational tool
