Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33419444›Full record

Trial reportBMC medical education2021

Perceived usefulness and ease of use of fundoscopy by medical students: a randomised crossover trial of six technologies (eFOCUS 1).

H P Dunn, C J Kang, S Marks, J L Witherow, S M Dunn, P R Healey, A J White

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC medical education, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed
5.4field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 38 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. The Use Of Fundus Photography In The Emergency Room-A Review.Current neurology and neuroscience reports · 2025
    Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

H P DunnFaculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. hamish.dunn@sydney.edu.au.
C J KangFaculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
S MarksFaculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
J L WitherowDiscipline of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine & Health Services, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
S M DunnFaculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
P R HealeyFaculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
A J WhiteFaculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
The University of Sydney · AUWestmead Institute for Medical Research · AUMacquarie University · AU

Funding

Australian Federal Government Research Training Program Scholarship SC1999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFundoscopy outside ophthalmology is in decline, and the technical demands of the traditional direct ophthalmoscope examination are likely contributing. Alternative fundoscopy technologies are increasingly available, yet valid comparisons between fundoscopy technologies are lacking. We aimed to assess medical students' perceptions of usefulness and ease of use of traditional and contemporary fundus-viewing technologies including smartphone fundoscopy.

methodsOne hundred forty-six second-year medical students participated in a cross-sectional, randomised, cross-over study of fundoscopy methods. Medical students completed small group training sessions using six current fundoscopy technologies including: a non-mydriatic fundus camera; two types of direct fundoscopy; and three types of smartphone fundoscopy. A novel survey of perceived usefulness and ease of use was then completed by students.

resultsRepeated-measures ANOVA found students rated both the perceived usefulness (p< 0.001) and ease of use (p< 0.001) of smartphone fundoscopy significantly higher than both the non-mydriatic camera and direct fundoscopy.

conclusionsSmartphone fundoscopy was found to be significantly more useful and easier to use than other modalities. Educators should optimise student access to novel fundoscopy technologies such as smartphone fundoscopy which may mitigate the technical challenges of fundoscopy and reinvigorate use of this valuable clinical examination.

Indexed as

Students, MedicalCross-Over StudiesCross-Sectional StudiesFundus OculiHumansOphthalmoscopySmartphoneDirect ophthalmoscopeEducationFundoscopyNon mydriatic cameraSmartphone

Identifiers

PMID33419444
PMCPMC7793394
OpenAlexW3118800028

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.