Health of ophthalmologists as a prerequisite of quality medical services

Introduction: The effectiveness and efficiency of the medical sector workforce directly depend on health of medical professionals. Scientific literature pays considerable attention to the health of surgeons, physicians, obstetricians, gynecologists, infectionists and dentists paying very little, if any, attention to health problems of ophthalmologists. This study is intended to bridge this gap. The aim at revealing the current situation and characteristics of health status of ophthalmologists using the results of sociological research and identifying health problems of the respondents in order to determine reliable preventive measures.

Materials and methods: The authors used bibliographic, medical-statistical, sociological and informational-analytical methods as well as analyzed questionnaires of the sociological survey conducted among ophthalmologists from various regions of Ukraine.

Results: The results of the sociological survey allowed determining the main medical-demographic and occupational characteristics of the ophthalmologists working at health facilities. It was found that11,1±2,1 per 100 respondents assess their health condition as very good and 34,3±3,2 per 100 respondents - as good. At the same time every third respondent reports own health condition as satisfactory, 18,5±2,6 per 100 respondents report their health condition as bad and 2,8±1,2 per 100 respondents - as very bad. Chronic diseases in the history were confirmed by 52,8±3,4 per 100 ophthalmologists, recurrent acute diseases were reported by 48,6±3,4 per 100 respondents. Some ophthalmologists reported their low medical activity due to a number of reasons. The main factors that adversely affect the health of ophthalmologists include considerable workload, the need to work part-time for subsistence, neuro-emotional stress, insufficiently equipped medical and diagnostic process lacking modern technologies, poor team atmosphere, lack of comfort at the workplace and others.

Conclusions: Own health condition assessed by ophthalmologists, the prevalence of chronic and acute pathology, factors of the working environment affecting health serve as the ground for improving prophylaxis activities among ophthalmologists and strengthening their health as a prerequisite for the quality medical services.