Optometry clinical training and practice at the public health facilities in South Africa: a documentation review.

BACKGROUND: Three bodies involved in the training of health professionals in South Africa, the Health Professions Council of South Africa, Council for Higher Education and the Department of Health, are expected to align and meet the quality education, training and practice standards of health professions, including clinical training and practice of optometry students at public health facilities. OBJECTIVES: To review documents related to optometric student clinical training standards in South Africa, to determine their alignment and ascertain whether they serve their intended purpose. METHODS: A qualitative documentation review study using content analysis to collect, explore and compare data from purposively sampled documents, apraised using the international centre for allied health evidence instrument. RESULTS: Two themes emerged from the review, namely; the required optometry knowledge, skills and conduct and the required optometry processes and procedures. However, the frameworks of the reviewed documents vary vastly in terms of quality, transparency and core content. CONCLUSION: There is general alignment of the defined clinical training and supervision standards amongst universities offering optometric education and the regulatory authorities within the public health facilities in South Africa. There is still a need to standardise the documents guiding optometry student clinical training and practice, with clear, consistent, referenced, accurate and evidence-based recommendations.