GLAUCOMA AWARENESS AND SELF-CARE PRACTICES AMONG NON-OPHTHALMOLOGY DOCTORS IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTER, BELAGAVI

Abstract

Background: Glaucoma is a major cause of irreversible visual impairment and blindness, with delayed diagnosis contributing substantially to permanent vision loss. Because patients with systemic risk factors such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension frequently encounter non-ophthalmology physicians before being referred for ophthalmic evaluation, non-ophthalmology doctors can play an important role in identifying individuals at risk, providing appropriate health education, and facilitating timely referral. Despite this role, limited information is available regarding glaucoma awareness, disease-related knowledge, and self-care or clinical practices among non-ophthalmology doctors in India. Aim: To assess glaucoma awareness and self-care practices among non-ophthalmology doctors working in a tertiary care centre in Belagavi. Materials and Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among non-ophthalmic clinical and non-clinical postgraduate doctors at KAHER’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and its affiliated KLE’s Prabhakar Kore Hospital, Belagavi, during January 2026 to June 2026. A total sample size of 130 participants was specified in the study protocol. Clinical postgraduates involved in direct patient care, excluding ophthalmologists, and non-clinical postgraduates who were medical graduates not involved in direct patient contact were eligible. Participants unwilling to participate and those submitting incomplete questionnaires were excluded. A structured self-administered questionnaire developed by the investigators with reference to previous studies and standard frameworks was used. The questionnaire comprised 15 closed-ended questions addressing awareness, knowledge of glaucoma, recognition of risk factors, referral practices, consideration of family history, steroid-related ocular risks, coordination with ophthalmologists, fundoscopy, visual symptoms, normal-tension glaucoma, types of glaucoma, and the role of non-ophthalmology doctors in early detection. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s chi-square test were planned for analysis, with statistical significance defined as P ≤0.05. Results: The study protocol was designed to assess awareness among non-ophthalmology doctors and to compare glaucoma-related knowledge between clinical and non-clinical postgraduate doctors. The questionnaire specifically evaluated recognition of glaucoma, its risk factors, appropriate screening and referral practices, family history, steroid-related ocular effects, fundoscopy, normal-tension glaucoma, different glaucoma types, and the perceived role of non-ophthalmology doctors in early detection. However, the attached study document contains the protocol and questionnaire but does not provide the completed dataset, participant-wise responses, statistical analysis, or finalized results. Consequently, numerical estimates of awareness, knowledge, self-care practices, subgroup differences, or statistical significance cannot be reported from the available source without introducing unsupported data. Conclusion: Assessment of glaucoma awareness and self-care practices among non-ophthalmology doctors is relevant because these physicians may contribute substantially to early recognition and referral of individuals at risk for glaucoma. The structured questionnaire used in this study provides a framework for evaluating important domains of glaucoma-related knowledge and clinical practice. Identification of knowledge gaps among non ophthalmology doctors may help guide targeted ophthalmology education, improve risk-based referral, and strengthen early detection strategies for glaucoma in tertiary-care settings.