Assessing Patient Satisfaction in Saudi Public Hospitals: Collaborative Role, Health Informatics, Pharmacy and Radiology in Enhancing Care Delivery

Abstract

Saudi Arabia has recognized that health care is important to foster the development of its people. Since 1931, the country has made tremendous progress in developing an extensive health care network. The Ministry of Health in collaboration with other health sectors is clearly established in the Kingdom and has the largest volume in health care provisions. Moreover, it offers a variety of specialized health care programs with a network of hospitals, centers, and primary care units. Community needs are driving the demand for increased services and flexible, appropriate approaches to ensure that patients are satisfied. Several studies have also shown that satisfaction is associated with good outcomes of care. Length of stay in a health care facility, charges to the health care staff, and protocol compliance are among these. Since high patient satisfaction is associated with high overall service quality, and since patients can choose among different health care providers who suit their needs best, the successful implementation of all functions of the Saudi Ministry of Health and health care services is crucial in maintaining the performance of various sectors, technology, and health professionals. Therefore, it has become essential to improve the provision of critical health care functions in order to enhance patient satisfaction and tourism, as well as to increase the hiring and maintenance processes for Saudi public health care.