Trainees learn how to master the use of the indirect ophthalmoscope – a prerequisite to successfully examining and diagnosing a patient at risk of developing ROP. Course A1 offers abstract scenarios in which colored geometric shapes have to be found on the retina. Multiple colored guiding rings guide the trainee on the perfect alignment of the patient eye, the lens, and the trainee’s own head position. Trainees learn to align the light source and the lens in relation to the examined eye and to interpret the inverted images of the retina as seen through the ophthalmoscope optics.

The Retinal Anatomy course offers an introduction of the basic anatomy of the posterior segment. In the first case, trainees learn to identify the anatomical features of a premature retina, their location and the relative distance between them. In the second case, they use the relative distance to identify the retinal and vascularization zones necessary for ROP diagnosis.

Course D1 challenges the ROP examination skills trainees have gained so far. Trainees are presented with ROP cases from the previous course C – but must now work against the clock and have only five minutes to finish the task. Once the timer starts, they must carefully examine the retina and try to remember what they see. Then, they are presented with five different retina images – only one of them represents the current case. By picking the correct image, trainees can prove their ability to remember important pathological features – even under time pressure.

The clinical cases are based on real patient cases with a complete, detailed clinical history, and were reviewed and commented upon by experienced ophthalmologists. Trainees are provided with comprehensive patient information and perform a targeted retina examination of the premature patient. The examination findings have to be classified in an input mask.