Kiely Patricia M, Horton Peregrine, Chakman Joseph
Optometrists Association Australia, Melbourne, Australia.
Clin Exp Optom. 2007 Mar;90(2):83-107. doi: 10.1111/j.1444-0938.2006.00119.x.
Previous studies of the Australian optometric workforce have taken a coarse view of the distribution of optometrists, at best comparing concentrations of optometrists in city and country areas and between states and territories. A more discriminating approach recognising the size and variation in population density of the country is necessary for a more realistic insight into the optometric workforce. This study addresses the distribution of optometrists across smaller geographic units, known as local government areas (LGAs).
The number of equivalent full-time optometrists in each Australian LGA was determined using data from the Optometrists Association Australia database. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian national health program (Medicare) were applied to determine the demand for services based on age distributions in LGAs and to calculate the adequacy of the number of optometrists.
Optometrists are concentrated in areas of high population with capital city regions and their surrounds well-serviced but with rural and remote LGAs with low populations generally not having optometrists. The highest excesses of optometrists occur in the capital city LGAs of Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide (64, 60 and 28.4 equivalent full-time optometrists respectively). The highest deficits occur in Casey (Victoria), Lake Macquarie (New South Wales) and Onkaparinga (South Australia), (-16.4, -15.6 and -13.4 equivalent full-time optometrists, respectively).
There are substantial variations in the distribution of optometrists across LGAs in Australia but the variation is often a poor indicator of the ease with which people can access optometric services. In metropolitan areas, people may live close to an optometric practice in a neighbouring LGA. In rural areas, an LGA may appear to have an adequate number of optometrists but some residents may be several hours from the nearest optometrist or the optometric service is provided on a part-time basis.
以往对澳大利亚验光师劳动力的研究，对验光师的分布情况看法较为粗略，最多只是比较城市和乡村地区以及各州和领地之间验光师的集中程度。要更切实地了解验光师劳动力情况，需要采用一种更具区分性的方法，考虑到乡村地区人口密度的大小和差异。本研究探讨了验光师在更小地理单位（即地方政府区域，简称LGAs）中的分布情况。
利用澳大利亚验光师协会数据库中的数据，确定澳大利亚每个地方政府区域中等同全职验光师的数量。运用澳大利亚统计局和澳大利亚国家卫生项目（医疗保险）的数据，根据地方政府区域的年龄分布来确定服务需求，并计算验光师数量的充足程度。
验光师集中在人口密集地区，首都城市区域及其周边地区服务良好，但人口较少的农村和偏远地方政府区域通常没有验光师。验光师过剩最多的是墨尔本、悉尼和阿德莱德的首都城市地方政府区域（分别有64、60和28.4名等同全职验光师）。短缺最多的是凯西（维多利亚州）、麦夸里湖（新南威尔士州）和昂卡帕林加（南澳大利亚州），（分别短缺-16.4、-15.6和-13.4名等同全职验光师）。
澳大利亚各地地方政府区域的验光师分布存在很大差异，但这种差异往往不能很好地表明人们获得验光服务的难易程度。在大都市地区，人们可能住在邻近地方政府区域的验光诊所附近。在农村地区，一个地方政府区域可能看起来有足够数量的验光师，但一些居民可能离最近的验光师有几个小时的路程，或者验光服务是兼职提供的。
