Supply, distribution, and capacity of optometrists in Indiana.
BACKGROUND
The Indiana Optometric Association and the Indiana Health Care Professional Development Commission identified a need to collect and analyze data on the health professions workforce for formulating goals and strategies to accommodate demands for health care services in Indiana. This study looks at the supply, distribution, and services of optometrists practicing in Indiana.


METHODS
Data compiled by the Indiana State Department of Health, Indiana Health Care Development Commission, and the Project HOPE Center for Health Affairs were analyzed with the results of a survey of practitioner members of the Indiana Optometric Association. Supply, distribution, services, provider-to-population ratios, per capita demand, and optometric productivity were used to evaluate the current and future capacity of Indiana optometrists to the year 2010.


RESULTS
An estimated 893 optometrists practiced in 86 of 92 counties and comprised 77% of the state's licensed eye and vision care workforce in 1995. Optometric workforce capacity appeared to be related to county population, but unrelated to the urban/rural classification or the per-capita income of Indiana counties. Contact lenses, disease, geriatrics, and pediatrics were the most prevalent areas of practice specialty.


CONCLUSIONS
Optometrist capacity in Indiana is sufficient at both the state and county levels, and optometric services are appropriately distributed such that patient access to optometric care is geographically unburdened. Estimates regarding supply are elastic, depending on the assumptions applied.
Marshall
E C
EC
School of Optometry, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.
D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007196:Indiana; D009907:Optometry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012955:Societies, Medical