Responsiveness of the healthcare system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: evidence from a nationally representative survey.

BACKGROUND: Responsiveness is one of the widely used metrics in assessing the performance of healthcare systems. An analysis of the determinants of health care demand and supply and how the Saudi health system responds to the needs of patients (inpatient and outpatient) is needed; hence the need for this study. METHODS: We analysed data from the Saudi Health Systems Responsiveness survey - a nationally representative survey of 10,000 households interviewed in 2017. Using this dataset, we descriptively analysed the level of responsiveness of inpatient and outpatient services (using the standard World Health Organization (WHO) responsiveness dimensions). Based on a logit modelling approach, the relationship between responsiveness and its key determinants was analysed in terms of healthcare demand and supply. RESULTS: Over four fifths of respondents are satisfied with the level of inpatient and outpatient responsiveness. Furthermore, we find that those in bad health tend to show lower levels of satisfaction with inpatient and outpatient care. We also find some evidence that age, gender, and to some extent nationality act as correlates of health system responsiveness. Specifically, we find evidence that Saudi nationals are less satisfied with health services compared to foreign nationals. CONCLUSION: Based on these findings improving the responsiveness of public healthcare facilities would need to be prioritized. Focusing on patients in worse health and lower socio-economic status should also be one of the main priorities.

Erratum: Alnowibet et al. Healthcare Human Resources: Trends and Demand in Saudi Arabia. Healthcare 2021, 9, 955.

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Healthcare Human Resources: Trends and Demand in Saudi Arabia.

This paper estimates the impact of policies on the current status of Healthcare Human Resources (HHR) in Saudi Arabia and explores the initiatives that will be adopted to achieve Saudi Vision 2030. Retrospective time-series data from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and statistical yearbooks between 2003 and 2015 are analyzed to identify the impact of these policies on the health sector and the number of Saudi and non-Saudi physicians, nurses and allied health specialists employed by MOH, Other Government Hospitals (OGH) and Private Sector Hospitals (PSH). Moreover, multiple regressions are performed with respect to project data until 2030 and meaningful inferences are drawn. As a local supply of professional medical falls short of demand, either policy to foster an increase in supply are adopted or the Saudization policies must be relaxed. The discrepancies are identified in terms of a high rate of non-compliance of Saudization in the private sector and this is being countered with alternative measures which are discussed in this paper. The study also analyzed the drivers of HHR demand, supply and discussed the research implications on policy and society. The findings suggest that the 2011 national Saudization policy yielded the desired results mostly regarding allied health specialists and nurses. This study will enable decision-makers in the healthcare sector to measure the effectiveness of the new policies and, hence, whether to continue in implementing them or to revise them.