{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,21]],"date-time":"2026-05-21T18:12:22Z","timestamp":1779387142236,"version":"3.53.1"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,10]],"date-time":"2026-05-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778371200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Audiology Research"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Speech-language pathology (SLP) and audiology services are essential components of multidisciplinary rehabilitation, particularly for individuals with developmental, neurological, and communication-related disorders. National-level data describing the distribution and utilization of these services in Saudi Arabia remain limited. This study aimed to examine national patterns of rehabilitation service utilization, with a focus on SLP and audiology services in comparison to other rehabilitation specialties. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted using publicly available national open data released by the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH). Aggregated rehabilitation service encounters (n = 1,872,328 to 1,930,695) from 2023\u20132024 were analyzed by specialty, geographic region, sector (MOH clusters versus private sector), and pediatric age groups. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize utilization patterns and regional variation. Results: Rehabilitation services were widely delivered across both public and private sectors, with physiotherapy representing the largest share of encounters. SLP and audiology services contributed a smaller proportion of total rehabilitation encounters compared to other specialties. Service distribution varied regionally, with higher volumes concentrated in major urban areas including Riyadh, Makkah, and the Eastern Region. Pediatric service encounters were highest in early childhood (ages 3\u20137), with SLP and audiology services forming a consistent component of rehabilitation during this period. Conclusions: This study provides a descriptive overview of rehabilitation service utilization in Saudi Arabia, highlighting the distribution of SLP and audiology services relative to other specialties and across regions. Findings emphasize the importance of addressing regional variation, supporting workforce development, and enhancing national rehabilitation data systems to inform planning and ensure comprehensive access to communication and hearing services.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/audiolres16030069","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,21]],"date-time":"2026-05-21T16:46:18Z","timestamp":1779381978000},"page":"69","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Mapping Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Rehabilitation Services Across Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-0706-3196","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohammed F.","family":"Alharbi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, College of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawarrah 42353, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5237-5945","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmad A.","family":"Alanazi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, P.O. Box 3660, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"43","article-title":"Audiology and speech-language pathology practice in Saudi Arabia","volume":"11","author":"Alanazi","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int. J. Health Sci."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (2026, February 02). Quick Statistics About Voice, Speech, and Language, Available online: https:\/\/www.nidcd.nih.gov\/health\/statistics\/quick-statistics-voice-speech-language."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2026, February 02). Deafness and Hearing Loss. 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