These continuing professional development (CPD) Test Yourself questions are based on the contents of this issue. You can use the questions to test your own under-standing; we hope that you will also discuss them with your colleagues and other members of the eye care team. The questions have been developed in association with the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) and are based on the style of the ICO Advanced Examination: www.icoexams.org/exams/advanced
| ANSWERS | |||
| 1. a. False. Neither is acceptable. Draw one line through the error and sign it. Everyone makes mistakes in making notes and it is best to be open and honest when it comes to correcting an error which you have made. b. False. Give your full name. c. true. For example, BP and VA are both acceptable. All abbreviations must be commonly understood and in general use. d. true. For example, measure and record visual acuity rather than writing “the patient can now see much better”. If you need to write an opinion, state that is what it is, i.e. “Based on the BP, heart rate, and general state of the patient, my opinion is that there is improvement today.” | |||
| 2. a. False. Patient information is confidential and many countries have confidentiality legislation which must be followed. b. true. c. False. Both have advantages and disadvantages, depending on your circumstances. d. False. Some countries have legislation specifying the length of time. If there is no such legislation, we recommend that the notes are kept for a minimum of five years for an adult and 15 years for a child. | |||
| 3. a. true. We all make mistakes. Auditing identifies problems so we can learn from them. b. False. ALL staff should receive regular feedback. c. False. Doing so will give you unreliable estimates of actual trends in the clinic. All outcomes MUST be recorded for a valid audit. d. true. Collecting excess data makes it confusing and difficult to analyse. | |||
| 4. a. False. Only clean components which are visibly dirty. b. true. A water-based solution is best, others may cloud the surface. c. False. Apply the solution to the cloth or swab first, or else it can damage the equipment. d. False. Usually, laser optics and the optics of some other high-tech machines have to be handled only by trained technicians. | |||
| 1. Think about how to keep good nursing records. Which of the following statements are true and which are false? | True | False | |
| a | If you make an error in a patient's nursing record, you can correct it using sticky labels or correction fluid. | □ | □ |
| b | Date and sign each entry, giving your first name. | □ | □ |
| c | It is acceptable to use some abbreviations in the nursing record. | □ | □ |
| d | It is better not to write opinions in the nursing record. | □ | □ |
| 2. Think about managing patient records in the clinic. Which of the following statements are true and which are false? | True | False | |
| a | Patient records must be kept safe because they could have commercial value. | □ | □ |
| b | If you remove a patient file, leave a ‘taken by’ note with your name and location. | □ | □ |
| c | Electronic patient records are better than paper records. | □ | □ |
| d | It is up to individual eye units for how long they keep patient records. | □ | □ |
| 3. Think about auditing to improve patient outcomes. Which of the following statements are true and which are false? | True | False | |
| a | Auditing should not be used to find a guilty person and punish him or her. | □ | □ |
| b | Surgeons should receive regular feedback about the auditing results. | □ | □ |
| c | Don't include patients in an audit if a good outcome is unlikely. | □ | □ |
| d | You should only collect the data you plan to analyse, not just as much data as possible. | □ | □ |
| 4. Think about how to care for and clean optical surfaces. Which of the following statements are true and which are false? | True | False | |
| a | All optical components should be cleaned regularly, whether or not they are visibly dirty. | □ | □ |
| b | Only some solutions are safe to use on plastic lenses. | □ | □ |
| c | Cleaning solution can be applied directly onto the lens to be cleaned. | □ | □ |
| d | The internal optics of laser machines can be handled by anyone who has read the instructions. | □ | □ |