ArticleHuman resources for health2024
Ophthalmology workforce over a decade in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: demographics, distribution, and future challenges.
Article in Human resources for health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.
- Associations between medical education reforms and trends in the ophthalmology workforce and cataract surgery performance in Kazakhstan.Human resources for health · 2026Article
- Stigma of hearing loss and the use of hearing aids among adults with hearing loss: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Predictors of Considering a Vascular Surgery Career Among Medical Students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.Advances in medical education and practice · 2026Article
- Enablers and Barriers Among Women Ophthalmologists: A National Cross-Sectional Survey in Saudi Arabia.Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Article
- Career choice of Saudi medical students: opting for ophthalmology residency programs - perceptions and sociodemographic influencing factors - a cross-sectional study in Northern Saudi Arabia.BMC medical education · 2024Article
- Parents' Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Pediatric Ophthalmic Disorders in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.Pediatric reports · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe 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).
methodsThis 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.
resultsAs 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.
conclusionThe 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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