Sleep medicine in Saudi Arabia: Current problems and future challenges.
Sleep medicine is a relatively new specialty in the medical community. The practice of sleep medicine in Saudi Arabia (KSA) began in the mid to late nineties. Since its inception, the specialty has grown, and the number of specialists has increased. Nevertheless, sleep medicine is still underdeveloped in the KSA, particularly in the areas of clinical service, education, training and research. Based on available data, it appears that sleep disorders are prevalent among Saudis, and the demand for sleep medicine service is expected to rise significantly in the near future. A number of obstacles have been defined that hinder the progress of the specialty, including a lack of trained technicians, specialists and funding. Awareness about sleep disorders and their serious consequences is low among health care workers, health care authorities, insurance companies and the general public. A major challenge for the future is penetrating the educational system at all levels to demonstrate the high prevalence and serious consequences of sleep disorders. To attain adequate numbers of staff and facilities, the education and training of health care professionals at the level of sleep medicine specialists and sleep technologists is another important challenge that faces the specialty. This review discusses the current position of sleep medicine as a specialty in the KSA and the expected challenges of the future. In addition, it will guide clinicians interested in setting up new sleep medicine services in the KSA or other developing countries through the potential obstacles that may face them in this endeavor.
University Sleep Disorders Center, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed S
AS
Bahammam
Sleep. 2000 Jun 15;23(4):471-80
10875554
Sleep. 1998 Jun 15;21(4):331-2
9646376
Sleep Med. 2005 Jan;6(1):55-61
15680297
Chest. 2010 May;137(5):1217-24
20442123
J Clin Sleep Med. 2009 Dec 15;5(6):497
20465013
Sleep. 2006 Mar;29(3):299-305
16553015
J Clin Sleep Med. 2009 Jun 15;5(3):240-5
19960645
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2004 Jul 15;170(2):195; author repy 195-6
15242853
Lung. 2008 Jan-Feb;186(1):7-12
18066623
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005 Dec 1;172(11):1357-8
16301297
Int J Clin Pract. 2005 Aug;59(8):874-80
16033605
Saudi Med J. 2008 Jul;29(7):1064-5
18626547
Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2000 Nov;6(6):512-8
11100962
East Mediterr Health J. 2007 Mar-Apr;13(2):441-8
17684864
Prog Brain Res. 1965;18:140-59
14329033
Arch Intern Med. 1997 Feb 24;157(4):419-24
9046893
Chest. 2003 Oct;124(4):1406-14
14555573
JAMA. 2002 Nov 6;288(17):2151-62
12413375
J Sleep Res. 2009 Mar;18(1):136-41
19250180
N Engl J Med. 1993 Apr 29;328(17):1230-5
8464434
Sleep Breath. 2008 Nov;12(4):323-9
18369671
Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1964 Dec;17:617-29
14240854
Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1949 Nov;1(4):455-73
18421835
Singapore Med J. 2006 Oct;47(10):875-81
16990963
J Clin Psychiatry. 2009 Aug;70(8):1098-104
19758521
Thorax. 2008 Oct;63(10):860-5
18408048
Am J Manag Care. 2010 Aug;16(8):617-26
20712395
Sleep. 1995 Jul;18(6):425-32
7481413
J Sleep Res. 2006 Jun;15(2):231-8
16704580
Saudi Med J. 2000 Feb;21(2):180-3
11533778
Sleep. 1999 Sep 15;22(6):740-7
10505819
Neuroepidemiology. 1993;12(3):164-78
8272177
Ann Saudi Med. 2006 Jan-Feb;26(1):7-13
16521868
Neurol Clin. 2005 Nov;23(4):945-65, v
16243610
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2004 Mar 15;169(6):668-72
15003950
Ann Saudi Med. 2000 Jan;20(1):83-5
17322756
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002 May 1;165(9):1217-39
11991871
J Appl Physiol. 1955 Jul;8(1):1-10
13242483
Sleep. 2000 Dec 15;23(8):1017-8
11145316
Thorax. 2010 Sep;65(9):762-3
20805164
Saudi Med J. 2000 Dec;21(12):1164-7
11360092
Saudi Med J. 2009 Dec;30(12):1572-6
19936423
Rev Clin Esp. 2009 Sep;209(8):371-81
19775585
Saudi Med J. 2006 Sep;27(9):1352-7
16951772
Pediatrics. 2002 Jul;110(1 Pt 1):68-72
12093948
Crit Care Med. 1999 Feb;27(2):270-4
10075049
J Clin Sleep Med. 2005 Jan 15;1(1):23-6
17561611
J Natl Med Assoc. 2005 Mar;97(3):370-4
15779501
J Clin Sleep Med. 2006 Apr 15;2(2):133-42
17557485
Ann Saudi Med. 2000 Jan;20(1):24-8
17322737
Saudi Med J. 2007 Jun;28(6):917-21
17530111
Ann Saudi Med. 2010 May-Jun;30(3):203-8
20427936
Chest. 2001 Aug;120(2):377-83
11502632
Sleep. 2005 Jan;28(1):145-6
15700729
Sleep. 1999 Mar 15;22(2):225-9
10201067
Sleep. 2009 Feb;32(2):247-52
19238812
Lancet. 1981 Apr 18;1(8225):862-5
6112294
J Clin Sleep Med. 2006 Apr 15;2(2):207-11
17557496
Rev Neurol (Paris). 1965 Jun;112(6):568-79
5856212
Ann Surg. 1999 Feb;229(2):163-71
10024095
Saudi Med J. 2008 Mar;29(3):423-6
18327372
Am J Med. 2000 Feb 15;108(3):216-26
10723976
Saudi Med J. 2005 May;26(5):824-9
15951877
Sleep. 2010 Sep;33(9):1255-60
20857874