In 2015, the Armenian EyeCare Project, in partnership with the Orange Foundation (France), developed an online training platform. The program targets two primary audiences — ophthalmologists and primary healthcare providers. It is also open to anyone who wants to get information on eye care or test their subject knowledge.
The Online training platform is based on two textbooks authored by Drs. Roger Ohanesian and Marianne Shahsuvaryan — “Essentials of Ophthalmology” and “Eye Diseases.” These textbooks are used by the Project for a series of trainings, workshops and other activities in Yerevan and in the rural communities of Armenia to share current information about new developments in the field of ophthalmology. Following the use of the textbooks in the Project’s classes they decided to make the textbooks available to a much wider audience and initiated the design of the online platform, which provides educational opportunities and shares a database of training materials and supporting tool kits in ophthalmology for those who want to participate.
Each online platform includes three components: digitalized textbooks, video presentations and an online self-assessment test. The textbooks cover a wide spectrum of ophthalmology and provide exhaustive information on the given topic, while the video presentations are digests with case studies and delayed answers to facilitate the learning process. The third component of the online platform is the self-assessment test with randomized multiple-choice questions to check the acquired knowledge. The online tool can be reached at www.test.aecp.am.
The platform and all materials are available in three languages — Armenian, English and Russian — increasing the numbers of students involved. Those who pass the tests are provided with Continuing Medical Education credits granted by the Ministry of Health of Armenia.
Those who have used the online platform and successfully completed all tests include family medicine doctors, ophthalmologists, Next Generation mentees, AECP observers, medical students and clinical residents from Armenia and elsewhere.
