Assessment of patient satisfaction with healthcare services in primary healthcare centers: a cross-sectional study in Aseer region, Saudi Arabia

Objectives: This study aimed to systematically evaluate patient satisfaction indices with primary healthcare services in urban (Abha) versus rural (Belahmer) settings within Saudi Arabia, while concurrently examining the moderating effects of educational attainment and gender demographics on satisfaction outcomes. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among Saudi nationals aged 18 years and above, recruited through systematic sampling from two strategically selected primary healthcare centers in Abha and Belahmer cities, the southern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during June-July 2023. Patient satisfaction assessment was conducted utilizing the validated Leeds Satisfaction Questionnaire to evaluate multidimensional aspects of healthcare service quality and patient experience indicators. Results: The study encompassed 394 participants, with 194 participants recruited from Belahmer primary healthcare center (PHC) and 200 from Abha PHC. Among Belahmer participants, 33% expressed satisfaction with the received care, while 10.2% reported dissatisfaction. Conversely, Abha PHC demonstrated 14.9% satisfaction rates with only 12% expressing dissatisfaction. Regarding stress-related perceptions of healthcare encounters, 34.3% of Belahmer participants perceived PHC visits as non-stressful, compared to 18.5% of Abha participants sharing similar sentiments. Conclusion: Patient satisfaction with healthcare services delivered at primary healthcare facilities in Southern Saudi Arabia demonstrated moderate levels with no statistically significant disparities between urban and rural healthcare delivery contexts. These findings provided critical evidence-based insights for healthcare policymakers to implement targeted quality improvement initiatives and enhance medical care standards within respective healthcare sectors.