đź‘€Bridging the Gap: investigating Pediatric Eye Care Access Across the US
👀Access to pediatric eye care is a critical aspect of children’s health, yet a recent study sheds light on significant gaps in access across the United States. Investigators conducted a comprehensive cross-sectional study to pinpoint the geographic distribution of pediatric eye care providers compared to patient demographics, aiming to identify areas lacking adequate access to care.
📉Utilising four public databases, researchers meticulously tracked the practise locations of pediatric optometrists and ophthalmologists across the nation from April 2023 to July 2023. The findings revealed a total of 586 pediatric optometrists and 1060 pediatric ophthalmologists practising within the specified timeframe.
🌎Alarmingly, the study unveiled that out of the 2,834 counties without pediatric ophthalmologists, a staggering 2,731 also lacked pediatric optometrists. This disparity highlights the urgent need to extend pediatric eye care across, particularly in underserved areas identified in the study’s data.
👶The implications of this research are profound, underscoring the pressing necessity for interventions to bridge the gap in pediatric eye care access. With a substantial portion of counties in the US lacking access to essential eye care services for children, efforts to address this disparity are crucial for safeguarding the visual health and well-being of the nation’s youth.
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