Authors : Basem Eldeek, Saddig Jastaniah, Rawan BenKuddah, Hussain Abubakr, Hashim Fida, Safwan Tayeb, Yousef Abaalkhail and Majed Abaalkhail
Abstract: The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia provides primary health care by the use of a network of Primary Healthcare Centers (PHC) throughout the Kingdom and with a referral system to advanced health care through general and specialist hospitals. In this study, a mixed method (qualitative and quantitative) was designed for consumers attending PHC in Jeddah during the period from September 2011 to April 2012. The aim of this study is to assess patients’ satisfaction and to give an insight into patients’ views regarding health care services provided at primary health care centers in Jeddah. In addition, this study attempts to identify barriers that obstruct achievement of high quality in primary care organizations. Patients’ satisfaction from a scale of 1-5 being 5 highly satisfied studyshowed that they were satisfied with several aspects of access (Physician 4.3/5, health team 3.66/5, geographical location 3.66/5, facilities 4.11/5 and outcome 4.2/5). Results also suggest that many factors including the communication skills, experience, gender of physician, language are critical determinants of the health system’s performance which at present some of these aspects are inadequately considered in policies and programs for developing health care systems. Moreover, it was concluded that in order to deliver a primary and functional health care, the system must address the citizens’ necessities, expectations and acceptance and provide the best service according to affordability of the Ministry of Health Resources.
Basem Eldeek, Saddig Jastaniah, Rawan BenKuddah, Hussain Abubakr, Hashim Fida, Safwan Tayeb, Yousef Abaalkhail and Majed Abaalkhail, 2014. An Insight into the Pattern and Components of Health Care Quality Affecting the Utilization of Health Care to Saudi Residents of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Research Journal of Medical Sciences, 8: 87-93.