Background: The implementation of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system initiated a significant transition in the healthcare system from traditional paper-based medical records to a digital version. Though EMR offers several benefits compared to Paper Medical Records (PMR), patient satisfaction with the EMR has been an area of concern. The objective of this study is to explore patient satisfaction with the EMR compared to the PMR of patients attending five Primary Healthcare Centers in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with patients who attended five Primary Health Care centers (PHCs) in the Western Region during 2018. A sample of 377 participants was invited to complete a self-developed structured questionnaire with multiple choice and Likert Scale questions. The questionnaire was distributed to participants in the PHC waiting areas. Results: The sample size realized as (n = 377) participants, the majority (65.0%) were female. The overall patient satisfaction was 3.708. Patient satisfaction with the EMR was statistically significant compared to the PMR (3.7241 vs. 3.6919, p < 0.001). Several factors provided evidence of the overall satisfaction with the implementation of the EMR, including an increase in physician attention during the clinical consultation (82.3%), increased explanation of tests and medication (85.8%), increased time spent with the patient during the consultation (80.4%) and increased active listening by the physician (77.3%). Besides, the patients felt confident to ask the physician question related to health during clinical consultation (84.0%). Conclusion: Patient satisfaction during the clinical consultation and overall satisfaction with various PHC services improved with the implementation of EMR.

Background Lower respiratory tract infections are one of the international leading causes of lost disability-adjusted years, and hence prevention measures, including isolation of high-suspect patients, were established to reduce the risk of transmission. However, isolation can negatively affect the psychological health of isolated patients, leading to anxiety or depression. The study aim was to investigate the association between types of isolation and the levels of anxiety and depression. Other factors that negatively influence the psychological status were identified. Methods This was an observational analytical cross-sectional study. The study included patients aged 18 years and above who had been isolated for at least 48 hours at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Jeddah, in the western region of Saudi Arabia. The data was gathered by interviewing the patients using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results Among the included 97 isolated patients, 52 (53%) were men, and 45 (47%) were women with a mean age of 49.39 ± 1.87. Among all participants, 70% were married, and 72% had children. The means of anxiety and depression scores were 5.08 ± 0.39 and 7.48 ± 0.40, respectively. There was no significant association between HADS and types of isolation (P=0.550). Female gender was significantly associated with abnormal HADS (36% vs. 17%; P=0.040). On the other hand, the frequency of physician follow-up visits reduced the risk for abnormal HADS (22% vs. 50%; P=0.040) Conclusion Just over one-fourth of the isolated patients had raised anxiety or depression scores. A trend to higher HADS was observed in airborne isolated patients. We found also that females were more susceptible to anxiety and depression, while frequent physician visits improved the psychological wellbeing of isolated patients.