Comm Eye Health South Asia Vol. 35 No. 117 2022 pp 16. Published online 12 May 2023.

Key community eye health messages

Photo: RP Centre, AIIMS CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Photo: RP Centre, AIIMS CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Types of research

• Basic (experimental) research involves testing or attempting to prove a hypothesis through experimentation.

• Clinical research addresses how diseases in individuals can present and be diagnosed and how a condition can be managed.

• Epidemiological research studies the distribution of disease and other health-related conditions in populations and applies it to control health problems.

(Photo: LVPEI, India CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
(Photo: LVPEI, India CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB)

• It is a population-based eye health survey which assesses the prevalence and causes of vision impairment and blindness among people aged 50 years and above.

• A certified RAAB trainer supports the RAAB survey and requires a local team and time commitment.

• The changes in the RAAB survey protocol are reflected by version number, from RAAB4.0, RAAB4.03, RAAB5, RAAB6, to the most recent RAAB7 (2021).

Benefits of developing research skills

• Helps to answer clinical question and to deliver good quality eye care by making evidence-based decisions.

• Provides knowledge to build on to engage with complex topics in a specialised field.

• Expands knowledge about specific problems and is a great chance to expand the network.