Workforce projections for optometry

Area of Science:

• Optometry
• Public Health
• Healthcare Workforce Analysis

Background:

• Previous studies indicated a potential surplus of eye care providers.
• Limitations in prior data necessitated updated optometric workforce projections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To project future workforce requirements for optometrists through 2030.
• To address data limitations and outdated information from previous workforce studies.

Main Methods:

• Collected supply and demand data from 1,100 practicing optometrists via stratified random sampling.
• Utilized a forecasting tool to develop workforce and training requirement projections.
• Analyzed optometrist work hours, retirement rates, new entrants, patient encounters, and time requirements.

Main Results:

• Projections indicate a likely excess supply of optometrists for the next two decades.
• Annual optometrist retirements (approx. 550) are significantly lower than new entrants (over 1,100).
• Increased patient encounters are offset by reduced examination time, impacting overall demand.

Conclusions:

• Optometry should explore strategies to increase the demand for eye care services.
• Aligning actual demand with public health needs for eye care can help reduce the projected surplus.