Teleophthalmology in Saudi Arabia

Kalantan, HatemA

doi:10.4103/sjopt.sjopt_189_22

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The uneven geographical distribution of health workers complicates accessibility to health care, resulting in suboptimal outcomes and further increasing health costs. Teleophthalmology and artificial intelligence might serve as good solutions to this issue [ 29 ]. Moreover, Saudi governmental initiatives have taken proactive measures to improve geographical imbalances in ophthalmic care.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ophthalmology workforce over a decade in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: demographics, distribution, and future challenges

Aldebasi,

Alhejji,

Bukhari

et al. 2024

Hum Resour Health

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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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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ophthalmology workforce over a decade in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: demographics, distribution, and future challenges

Aldebasi,

Alhejji,

Bukhari

et al. 2024

Hum Resour Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Tele ophthalmology and arti cial intelligence might serve as a good solution to this issue. [30] Moreover, Saudi governmental initiatives have taken proactive measures to improve geographical imbalances in ophthalmic care. This has been achieved through the establishment of new ophthalmology programs across the kingdom, re ecting a targeted effort to broaden access and distribute resources more equitably.…”

Section: Foreign Ophthalmologists In Saudi Arabiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Ophthalmology workforce over a decade in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Demographics, distribution, and future challenges

Aldebasi,

Alhejji,

Bukhari

et al. 2023

Preprint

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BACKGROUND The workforce of ophthalmology is an integral component of any healthcare system. The demand for eye care has imposed a heavy burden on the eye care system. Hence, this study aims to estimate the trends, demographics, 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 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 KSA was obtained from the Ministry of Health statistical yearbook 2021. RESULTS As of January 2023, KSA had a total of 2608 registered ophthalmologists, with approximately 81.06 ophthalmologists per 1,000,000 people. Only 38% of all the ophthalmologists in the country were Saudis. 69.7% of ophthalmologists were male. The percentage of Saudi female graduates increased from 13.3% to 37.2% over 12 years. Additionally, we found that the geographic distribution of ophthalmologists varied, 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 opthalmologist-to-population ratio has been accomplished in 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 KSA. The geographical distribution of ophthalmologists varied, which might affect the access to care in the peripheral regions. In response to the growing demand for eye care in KSA, several more effective measures need to be established.

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Teleophthalmology in Saudi Arabia

Cited by 2 publications

References 29 publications

Ophthalmology workforce over a decade in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: demographics, distribution, and future challenges

Ophthalmology workforce over a decade in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: demographics, distribution, and future challenges

Ophthalmology workforce over a decade in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Demographics, distribution, and future challenges

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