Abstract
<jats:p>Relevance. Keratoconus is a chronic progressive disease of the cornea characterized by its thinning and cone-shaped deformation. As a result, the structure of the collagen fibers of the cornea is disrupted, irregular astigmatism develops, myopic refraction increases, and maximum corrected visual acuity decreases. Purpose of the study. To determine the level of awareness among primary care physicians regarding the clinical manifestations, risk factors, and diagnostic methods of keratoconus, and to identify the main organizational and professional challenges that hinder its timely detection. Materials and methods. The study was conducted at family clinics in the Mirzo-Ulugbek and Yunusobod district among ophthalmologists using a questionnaire method. Results and conclusion. Thirty primary care physicians participated in the study. Women predominated among the respondents, accounting for 60% of the total. The average age of the study participants was 36,8 ± 7,2 years, and the average professional experience was 6,3 ± 6,4 years. The largest group consisted of doctors with 3 to 10 years of experience (46,7%), which indicates a predominance of specialists with an average level of practical experience. Thus, the study mainly involved doctors with average professional experience and practical experience. </jats:p>