title: Red reflex screening in New Zealand: a large survey of practices and attitudes in the Auckland region.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Red reflex testing forms an essential part of newborn (within the first week of life) and infant (6 weeks of age) screening in New Zealand, as outlined in the Well Child/Tamariki Ora handbook. This survey of practitioners undertaking red reflex screening aimed to determine current practices and attitudes of screeners, as well as any barriers to screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  A short, multiple-choice, on-line questionnaire was sent to approximately 1,500 health care professionals undertaking red reflex screening, over a 4-week period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four hundred and eighty-three survey responses were received from 267 GPs (55.4%), 153 midwives (31.7%), and 50 paediatricians (10.4%). Thirty-six respondents (7.8%) performed red reflex screening only when they had time to do so, 13 (2.8%) only undertook this when there were concerns raised by the parents. Most respondents (97.3%) used an ophthalmoscope to perform screening. Seventynine respondents (16.6%) felt they were "not sure/underconfident" at performing this test. Only 83 of 479 respondents (17.3%) had received any formal training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The development of an online resource or practical 'refresher' sessions would be well received and likely to improve current practices.
authors.affiliation: Fellow in Paediatric Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Naz
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Raoof
authors.affiliation: Consultant Ophthalmologist, Department of Ophthalmology, Greenlane Clinical Centre, 214 Green Lane West, Epsom, Auckland 1051, New Zealand. shuandai@me.com.
authors.forename: Shuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D001766:Blindness / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002386:Cataract / Q000151:congenital; D002983:Clinical Competence; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007318:Inservice Training; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000592:standards; D009520:New Zealand; D019721:Ophthalmoscopes; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015351:Vision Screening / Q000592:standards