BACKGROUND: Primary Health Care (PHC) Services in Saudi Arabia has reportedly been poorly accessed and utilized. Another concern is that the kingdom has to be strategic in reducing inequalities that exist between rural and urban communities. At present, there were limited scientific studies on access, utilization, and satisfaction of PHC services in areas most central to the kingdom. AIM: The aim of this study is to explore the factors associated with access, utilization, and level of satisfaction with primary health care services in Hafar Al-batain of Saudi Arabia. METHOD: A survey was conducted on June to August 2018 and data were gathered from June to August 2018. A self-report questionnaire was used which asked for the participants’ characteristics, organization factors, financial factors, doctor-patient communication, access, utilization, satisfaction to PHC services and barriers were distributed to the different health centers. A total of 384 PHC receivers served as respondents of the study. Data analysis were processed and Chi-square was used to analyse quantitative data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences Ver. 21. Thematic analysis was used in analysing qualitative data. RESULTS: Findings showed that 50% of the total respondents were satisfied to some extent with the PHC services. On the other hand, only 39.7% were completely satisfied. Organizational, financial and doctor-patient communication factors were found to be barriers to PHC services in terms of access and utilization. Gender, age and educational level were found to influence perceived satisfaction towards PHC services. Themes relevant to barriers to PHC services were relevant to inadequate facilities and services, inaccessible location and access of health services, lack of specialized health care workers and services, poor observance of therapies and management, and insufficient implementation of policy and protocols. CONCLUSION: Health care services in Hafar Al-batin were found satisfying to some extent but were found to have areas which needs improvement which are relevant to factors in the organizational, finance, doctor patient communication and health promotion and prevention.
Background: Mental health nursing education, research, and practice is well examined in North America and Europe. But, evidence in literature relating to the future of nursing practice in Saudi Arabia is very limited. Purpose:The aim of this study was to explore the future directions of mental health nursing practice in Saudi Arabia by obtaining expert consensus and to recommend a future agenda for policymakers and researchers in the field of mental health nursing.Methodology: A Delphi method was used. The data was collected over three rounds. For the first round, the researcher utilized openended question questionnaire. Following the content analysis of the open-ended questions (639) responses were elicited. A 33 items questionnaire was then constructed with five major categories and were utilized later during the second and third round of the study. The initial sample consisted of (N= 87 males) and (N=63 females), Saudi and Non-Saudi. The rank of panel members were staff nurses, nurse managers, lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors, and professors. The second roundconsisted of (N=140), while the third round consisted of(N=120) of the experts panel who agreed to continue in participating in the study. Results:The results of the study showed that consensus among the experts was reached on 19 elements with agreement level of 80% or more. In conclusion, it was apparent that expert panel believes that there are many elements that should shape up the future of mental health nursing practice by 2025. However, less emphasis was apparent from the panel ratings on items such as the stigma associated with mental illness and mentally ill people. Conclusions:The results of the study showed that 19 items have achieved 80% and over of consensus and agreement by the experts. Most of the remaining items reached an agreement level by the experts panel ranging between 60% to 79%, which suggests that the future directions of mental health nursing practice in Saudi Arabia is not only limited to those items that achieved consensus by 80% or more, and that policymakers and nurse researchers should consider both thoroughly.
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