Abstract
BACKGROUND: For patients who have apparent disfigurement of the eye, ocular prostheses are an essential kind of treatment. Students from medical colleges can play a major role in sensitizing needy patients to the availability of prosthetic devices for the correction of eye disfiguration. To do this, they must be reasonably aware and knowledgeable about the availability, functioning and general aspects of ocular prosthetics. The purpose of the study was to assess the awareness, knowledge, and attitude regarding ocular prosthetics in students studying allied health sciences (AHS), medicine, and nursing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out using a self-administered, closed-ended, structured questionnaire to gather information on awareness, knowledge and attitude towards ocular prosthetics from AHS, medical and nursing students of Goa. RESULTS: A total of 322 pupils took part in the study. The primary source of information included classroom lectures, workshops and conferences (46.0%), followed by internet resources and social media (33.5%). The knowledge and attitude differed significantly between AHS, medical, and nursing students. Overall, 3(rd)-year students had adequate knowledge scores (8.39 ± 2.4) compared to 2(nd)-year (5.71 ± 3.0) and 1(st)-year students (3.95 ± 3.4). CONCLUSIONS: Students had deficient knowledge of certain aspects of ocular prosthesis, indicating a need for education in the subject. The study also highlights how students' knowledge and attitude can influence the future of prosthetic rehabilitation.