Person-Centered Care in a Tertiary Hospital Through Patient’s Eyes: A Cross-Sectional Study
Bashayer Al-Sahli, Abdelmoneim Eldali, Mohammed Aljuaid, Khaled Al–Surimi
Abstract
Background: The current trend in healthcare systems around the world is moving towards a person (or patient)-centered care (PCC) model. While some healthcare organizations have only recently embraced the PCC approach, there is no evidence of person-centered care in Saudi hospitals. This study aimed to assess patients’ perspectives on the climate of person-centered care and its associated factors in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted in 16 inpatient departments at a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The validated version of the Person-centered Climate Questionnaire-Patient (PCQ-P) was distributed to 300 adult patients admitted to the hospital for more than 48 hours. The patients were interviewed face-to-face, using the PCQ-P. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis were performed using SPSS (version 22; IBM, NY, USA). Results: A total of 300 questionnaires were completed. More than half (53%) were females; 39.7% aged 21– 40 years; 72.7% married; 49% hold a high school diploma; and 67.4% unemployed. For route of admission into hospital, 39.8% of the respondents were admitted as elective or outpatient appointments, and 45% had been admitted for less than a week. Most patients (84.3%) reported that they preferred to be treated in a governmental hospital. Inpatients’ overall mean PCQ-P score was 73 ± 9.988 out of 85. Results suggested significant associations between patient characteristics and their perspectives on person-centered care, such as age ( P =0.005), gender ( P < 0.001), nationality ( P =0.026), area of residency ( P =0.001), route to admission ( P =0.002), length of stay ( P =0.003), and hospital preference ( P =0.010). Conclusion: Overall, patients’ perspective on person-centered care seems positive. Patient and hospital characteristics could play an important role in shaping patients’ perceptions of the climate of person-centered care domains. Keywords: person-centered care, patients’ perspective, hospital, PCQ-P – Arabic version