Adopting the World Health Organization’s eye care competency framework in Saudi healthcare system

African Vision and Eye Health

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Adopting the World Health Organization’s eye care competency framework in Saudi healthcare system
 
Creator Alhassan, Mosaad Almustanyir, Ali Almoajel, Alia
 
Subject Primary Eye Care; Optometry; Ophthalmology primary eye care; optometry; Saudi Arabia; scope of practice; Delphi study
Description Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the Eye Care Competency Framework (ECCF) as a guideline to ensure proper delivery of eye care in healthcare systems. Improving the eye healthcare system in Saudi Arabia is essential to prevent or limit the high rate of ocular morbidity. This may be achieved by enabling optometrists to function as primary eye care providers within the primary eye healthcare system in line with WHO’s framework.Aim: This study aimed to engage experts in eye healthcare services to explore the possibilities of adopting the WHO’s ECCF in Saudi Arabia’s healthcare system.Setting: A 2-round Delphi study was conducted by enrolling 19 experts with great knowledge and experience in ocular health from different institutes across Saudi Arabia.Methods: The experts’ opinions were collected using a 5-point Likert scale during both rounds to determine their opinions regarding the clinical skills of optometrists in Saudi Arabia. Statements reaching a consensus of ≥ 80% were adopted and considered applicable.Results: The statements were classified into six domains: practice, professionalism, learning and development, management and leadership, community and advocacy, and evidence. All statements were deemed suitable to be adopted and applied to the healthcare system in Saudi Arabia.Conclusion: This study established the applicability of the ECCF as a universal model and guideline to enable optometrists to function as primary eye care providers.Contribution: This model can be applied to improve the primary eye healthcare system in other countries.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor the Deanship of Scientific Research and Research Center, College of Applied Medical Sciences at King Saud University the Deanship of Scientific Research and RSSU at King Saud University
Date 2024-05-27
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Survey
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/aveh.v83i1.899
 
Source African Vision and Eye Health; Vol 83, No 1 (2024); 9 pages 2410-1516 2413-3183
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/899/2437 https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/899/2438 https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/899/2439 https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/899/2443 https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/899/2444 https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/899/2440
 
Coverage North Africa; Middle East — Experts in Ocular health professions
Rights Copyright (c) 2024 Mosaad Alhassan, Ali Almustanyir, Alia Almoajel https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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