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Ophthalmology workforce over a decade in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: demographics, distribution, and future challenges.
Aldebasi, Tariq; Alhejji, Abdullah M; Bukhari, Bushra H; Alawad, Nawaf K; Alghaihab, Sarah M; Alakel, Raghad M; Alhamzah, Albanderi; Almudhaiyan, Tariq; Alfreihi, Shatha; Alrobaian, Malek; Gangadharan, Shiji.
Afiliación
  • Aldebasi T; Department of Ophthalmology, King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • Alhejji AM; King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • Bukhari BH; College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • Alawad NK; College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • Alghaihab SM; Department of Ophthalmology, King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • Alakel RM; College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • Alhamzah A; Department of Emergency Medicine, King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • Almudhaiyan T; Department of Surgery, Division of Ophthalmology, King Fahd University Hospital, Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
  • Alfreihi S; Department of Surgery, Division of Ophthalmology, King Fahd University Hospital, Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
  • Alrobaian M; Department of Ophthalmology, King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • Gangadharan S; King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Hum Resour Health ; 22(1): 19, 2024 Mar 04.
Article en En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38439073
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The ophthalmology workforce is an integral component of any health care system. However, the demand for eye care has imposed a heavy burden on this system. Hence, this study aimed to estimate the trends, demographic characteristics, distribution, and variation between Saudi and non-Saudi ophthalmologists and the future challenges of the ophthalmology workforce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

METHODS:

This study was conducted in the KSA and included ophthalmologists practicing from 2010 to 2023. From the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, we obtained the number, gender, nationality, and rank of ophthalmologists. The geographic distribution of ophthalmologists in the KSA was obtained from the Ministry of Health Statistical Yearbook 2021.

RESULTS:

As of January 2023, the KSA had a total of 2608 registered ophthalmologists, with approximately 81.06 ophthalmologists per 1,000,000 people. Only 38% of all ophthalmologists in the country were Saudis. The percentage of Saudi female graduates increased from 13.3% to 37.2% over 12 years [Sen's estimator of slope for median increase per year = 1.33 (95% CI 1.22-1.57) graduates; trend test P < 0.001). Additionally, we found that the geographic distribution of ophthalmologists varied (test for homogeneity of rates, P < 0.0001), with the larger regions having a higher concentration of ophthalmologists than the smaller regions (75.6 in Riyadh versus 42.8 in Jazan per 1,000,000 people). However, the World Health Organization's target for the ophthalmologist-to-population ratio has been achieved in all 13 health regions of KSA.

CONCLUSION:

The recommended ophthalmologist-to-population ratio has been achieved in the KSA, and the number of Saudi ophthalmologists has almost doubled over the past 8 years. However, the majority of ophthalmologists are still non-Saudi, as Saudi ophthalmologists constitute approximately one-third of the ophthalmology workforce in the KSA. The geographical distribution of ophthalmologists varies, which might affect access to care in peripheral regions. In response to the growing demand for eye care in the KSA, several more effective measures might need to be considered.
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Texto completo: 1 Banco de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Oftalmología / Pueblos de Medio Oriente Límite: Female / Humans País/Región como asunto: Asia Idioma: En Revista: Hum Resour Health Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Arabia Saudita

Texto completo: 1 Banco de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Oftalmología / Pueblos de Medio Oriente Límite: Female / Humans País/Región como asunto: Asia Idioma: En Revista: Hum Resour Health Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Arabia Saudita