The Teaching & Fitting of RGP Lenses in Educational Institutions across the European Community Judith Morris MSc FCOptom FIACLE & Caroline Christie BSc FCOptom DipCLP FIACLE
The indicator is RGP fitting as a subject taught at undergraduate level has been downgraded in some institutions. The argument for less RGP education is that teaching should reflect what is being fitted in the market place; but is that in the patients' interest? In 2012 data on RGP teaching & fitting was collected from 15 countries & 50 institutions via members of IACLE. The data includes both basic & advance level information depending on the ‘undergraduate’ course. Institutions were grouped into Northern, Central & Southern Europe as these areas had common experiences.
RGP Teaching Hours
Total Hours of RGP Teaching 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0
Northern Europe
60
Southern Europe
50
Central Europe
350 Lectures Practical
40
300 250
30
200
20
150 100
10
50 0
0
% of RGP teaching of overall CL course
Students Fit ‘Real Patients’ & Practical Assessment? NORTHERN EUROPE
Yes No
CENTRAL EUROPE
Yes
Yes
SOUTHERN EUROPE
No
No 100%
100%
90%
90%
80%
80%
70%
70%
60%
60%
50%
50%
40%
40%
100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40%
30%
30%
30%
20%
20%
20%
10%
10%
10%
0%
0% Do students fit ‘real’ RGP patients?
Do students have a practical assessment of their RGP fitting skills?
Does your course receive industry support towards RGP education?
Do students fit ‘real’ RGP patients?
Yes No
100%
Do students have a practical assessment of their RGP fitting skills?
Do students fit ‘real’ RGP patients?
90% 80%
80%
80%
70%
70%
70%
60%
60%
60%
50%
50%
50%
40%
40%
40%
30%
30%
30%
20%
20%
20%
10%
10%
10%
0%
0%
0%
Free RGP diagnostic / trial lenses
Free RGP Lectures student lenses sponsored / (Voucher presented by Scheme) RGP industry
Workshops Educational DVDs or other sponsored / visits to RGP generic RGP presented by manufacturing educational RGP industry facilities materials
Time Dedicated to RGP’s since 2007 Increased : 11 institutions Remained the same : 35 institutions Decreased : 2 institutions BUT will this change when the current educators leave/retire & the next generation take over?
Does your course receive industry support towards RGP education?
100%
90%
Does your course receive industry support towards RGP education?
Do students have a practical assessment of their RGP fitting skills?
Industry Support 100%
90%
0%
Does your course receive industry support towards RGP education?
Does your course receive industry support towards RGP education?
Free RGP diagnostic / trial lenses
Free RGP Lectures student lenses sponsored / (Voucher presented by Scheme) RGP industry
Workshops Educational DVDs or other sponsored / visits to RGP generic RGP presented by manufacturing educational RGP industry facilities materials
Does your course receive industry support towards RGP education?
Free RGP diagnostic / trial lenses
Free RGP student lenses (Voucher Scheme)
Lectures sponsored / presented by RGP industry
Workshops sponsored / presented by RGP industry
Educational visits to RGP manufacturing facilities
DVDs or other generic RGP educational materials
CONCLUSIONS • Feedback was positive for RGP education across the teaching institutions • Require to raise importance in Eastern Europe & support growth in Southern Europe • Differences existed not only across Europe but even within countries! • Contact with “real patients”& practical assessment of skills varied • RGP Education should not be diminished even if market share has levelled off • Continued promotion of importance of RGP fitting as a ‘basic skill’ is crucial
Thanks to Translators : Giancarlo Montani (Italy), Javier Gonzalez-Perez (Spain), Sebastian Marx (Germany) & Reoveun Duerh (France)
