Performance of respiratory therapy programs in the Saudi Respiratory Care Licensure Examination: Cross-sectional national results

Abstract

Background: Recently, there has been an increase in the number of respiratory therapy programs. However, a national consensus is lacking in intended learning objectives, appropriate teaching methods, and suitable assessment tools. Consequently, variations in outcomes among these programs are expected. Aim: To evaluate the performance of respiratory therapy programs in the Saudi Respiratory Care Licensure Examination (SRCLE). Methods: The SRCLE data were retrieved from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) database as of 18 March 2024. The datasets included the number of applicants, overall passing rates, maximum scores, and average scores. Data were categorized based on academic institution, including the type of university (governmental or private), nationality, gender, passing status, number of exam attempts, and year of examinations. Performance comparisons were conducted based on gender and year of examinations. Results: The database from the SCFHS shows that 1305 examinees underwent the SRCLEs from the second quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2024. Females accounted for 46% of the total, while Saudi examinees made up 97% of all applicants. The overall passing rate stood at 96%. The average score was 613, with the highest score recorded being 740. Notably, there was no significant difference in performance between males and females (p = 0.299). However, there was a considerable variance in performance based on the year of examination (p = 0.024). Conclusion: The existing data demonstrates that most respiratory therapy programs perform well in SRCLE. We found no significant differences based on gender or the type of school attended. Additionally, the performance of these programs has remained consistent over the years.