Early detection of eye diseases in general practice

Abstract: Most of the time general practitioners are the first to face an ophthalmologic complaint of a patient. Many of the eye diseases are more easily treated when caught in early stages and this brings up the importance of their early detection. However, the patient often does not have any complaints at the beginning of an eye disease, and does not know that he needs to see a specialist. Here comes the role of general practitioners who can look for risk factors and take part in eye screening. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge of general practitioners about the risk factors for eye diseases and their readiness to take part in screening of eye diseases. Methods: Thirty randomly selected general practitioners were given written ques- tionnaires RESULTS: 67% of the general practitioners that took part in the survey think that they know most of the risk factors for eye diseases and they also proved that knowledge of the most important ones in an open - ended question. Many general practitioners are confident and willing to take part in screening for eye dis- eases. Conclusion: General practitioners can play a significant role in early detection of eye diseases. They should be encouraged to look for risk factors and be included in screening programs