Patients Evaluation of the Quality of Diabetes Care in Primary Health Care Centers at Qassim, Saudi Arabia

Objectives: To identify the evaluation of diabetic patient type-2 to the quality of health care provided by physicians in Primary Health Care (PHC) centers in Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia, and to detect the contribution of patients demographic and disease related variables to the level of this evaluation.Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among adult patients with diabetes type-2 attending PHC centers in the Qassim region in Saudi Arabia during the period from March to mid-April, 2016. The random cluster sample was used for selection of the eligible patients from six PHC centers. Patients completed a questionnaire, included demographic and disease related variables and the 14 items of the Patients Evaluation of the Quality of Diabetes Care” scale (PEQD).The Results: The response rate was 91.8%, 326 patients reported mean evaluation score 65.6%. The highest percentages of low evaluation scores were reported for the organizational items: The time between appointments and the waiting time (61.2%, 62.0% respectively). The physician s medico-technical competence got the highest percentages of “very good and excellent” evaluation mean score (68.0%). Among the demographic and disease related variables, the regression analysis indicated the significant impact of the low educational level (OR=2.57 p-value=0.001) and the duration of disease (OR= 2.27; p-value=0.004) on the patients low overall evaluation score for quality of care (dependent variable).Conclusion: The diabetic patients judgment on the overall quality of the provided service was moderate and low evaluation of the organizational items of the used scale. Low education and disease duration (5 years and more) were the most significant factors contributed in the evaluation results. Our recommendations are: To promote the doctor patient relationship through the implementation of educational programs to encourage health service providers of PHC for professional deal with the diabetic patients. Further qualitative research is needed for exploring the needs and the personal factors affect the interaction between the chronic diabetic patients and physicians in PHC centers.