Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: This research assesses the health outcomes and experiences of patients receiving primary care as part of Saudi Arabia’s participation in the OECD Patient-Reported Indicator Surveys (PaRIS). It benchmarks results for adults aged 45 and older with chronic conditions against other participating countries, with the goal of informing Saudi Arabia's ongoing reforms. This is the first of its kind multinational effort studying patient reported experiences and outcomes.
METHODS: Saudi Arabia’s participation in the OECD PaRIS project was coordinated by the Center for Value in Health, which led all national implementation activities. These included translation and cultural validation of the survey into Arabic, provider recruitment, patient sampling, and data collection. A nationally representative sample included over 100 primary care providers, 7,500 patients aged 45 and older. In addition, a sample of 7,500 aged 18 to 44 to understand more fully the burden of chronic disease in this key demographic in the country. Key indicators measured included self-reported physical health, mental health, social functioning, and primary care features such as consultation time and continuity of care.
RESULTS: Patients with multiple chronic conditions in Saudi Arabia reported better physical and mental health than the OECD average. Physical health scores remained above the “good-fair” threshold, even among those with three or more conditions. Social functioning was notably high, with 98% of patients with one condition and 90% with three or more reporting positive social functioning, exceeding OECD averages. However, primary care service features were less favorable: only 14% had consultations longer than 15 minutes (OECD average 47%), 40% had continuity with the same care professional for five or more years (OECD 58%).
CONCLUSIONS: Saudi Arabia shows strong patient-reported outcomes, but key primary care gaps remain. Findings were shared with stakeholders to inform policy and improvement. A full cross-country analysis is underway to support the national reforms.