Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33727466›Full record

ArticleIndian journal of ophthalmology2021

Impact of COVID-19 on Indian optometrists: A student, educator, and practitioner's perspective.

Shivalika Sehgal, Lakshmi Shinde, Gopinath Madheswaran, Paula Mukherjee, Pavan Verkicharla, Soumya Easwaran, Kalika Bandamwar

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Indian journal of ophthalmology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 14% 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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Accuracy and precision of a sphero-cylindrical over-refraction app for smartphones.Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists) · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Analysis of COVID-19 publications in theIndian journal of ophthalmology · 2022
    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 4 institutions in 1 country.

Shivalika SehgalL. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Lakshmi ShindeOptometry Council of India, Karnataka, India.
Gopinath MadheswaranManipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
Paula MukherjeeOptometry Council of India, Karnataka, India.
Pavan VerkicharlaL. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Soumya EaswaranThe Institute of Mathematical Sciences, CIT Campus, Taramani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Kalika BandamwarChitkara School of Health Sciences, Chitkara University, Punjab, India.
L V Prasad Eye Institute · INManipal Academy of Higher Education · INChitkara University · INInstitute of Mathematical Sciences · IN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe optometry profession has experienced massive changes amid lockdown in COVID 19 pandemic. This study gauges the impact of COVID-19 on optometry education and practices in India.

methodsThe impact of COVID-19 among key stakeholders of Indian optometry that included educators, students, and practitioners was surveyed. The content validity of the survey tool was achieved through a focused group discussion with experts.

resultsOf the 1408 responses, 118 were educators, 845 were students and 445 were practitioners. Post COVID-19 lock-down, a high percentage of students (96%) and educators (94%) were now using online mode of education to learn and teach. The blended learning methods were reported to be used by 81% of educators. Practical skills were the most difficult to teach by educators and to learn by students. Almost a third of the students were concerned about their internships and job opportunities amid the pandemic. Practitioners felt confident in performing routine eye examinations with personal protective equipment (PPE). Telemedicine was found to be adopted by 55% of the private practitioners and 49% of the eye hospitals.

conclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity to reform Indian optometry education through blended learning methods. Optometry practices changed and adapted instantly to the new hygiene norms that have raised the standard of care provided to patients. Telemedicine emerged as a mode of providing care by optometrists. Overall, all key stakeholders of optometry in India were found to have adapted well to the sudden changes due to COVID 19 pandemic.

Indexed as

AdultCommunicable Disease ControlCOVID-19Cross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHealth EducatorsHealth PersonnelHealth SurveysHumansIndiaMaleMiddle AgedOptometristsOptometryPersonal Protective EquipmentSARS-CoV-2COVID-19optometry educationoptometry educatorsoptometry practitionersoptometry studentspandemic impact

Identifiers

PMID33727466
PMCPMC8012977
OpenAlexW3136796062

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
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.