The Satisfaction Under Health Insurance Coverage in Saudi Arabia: a Systematic review

Abstract

Background and Objective: The Saudi government formed the Council of Health Insurance (CHI) in 1999 to increase population access to healthcare and reduce healthcare expenses. Although the MOH continues to be Saudi Arabia's major tool for obtaining universal health care, concerns persist about its effectiveness and quality. Research on patient satisfaction has been an effective tool for learning more about the patient satisfaction and the effectiveness of healthcare systems. to compile current research on Saudi Arabia's health insurance system's impact on patient satisfaction and experience. Methodology: The author conducted a systematic review of primary literature on CHI patient satisfaction in sex databases from 2010 to 2022. (including PubMed, Google Scholar and Saudi Digital Library (SDL). Results: This search found 32 distinct results, Eight of which matched the criteria for full data extraction. The eight qualifying studies, which represented the majority of research in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, were published between 2010 and 2022, and reported moderate overall satisfaction with the CHI cover (65.5%). Furthermore, CHI enrollees were most satisfied with provider healthcare environments (64.5%), billings (53.8%), pharmaceutical services (49.9%), and wait times (45.8%). Importantly, historical trends show that satisfaction with the CHI is rising, however to varying degrees depending on the domain. Conclusion: Beneficiaries of the CHI are fairly satisfied with the program. They consider it an improvement over not having insurance, but believe that the plan may be significantly improved. The authors make two main recommendations: (1) shorter wait times may increase patient satisfaction and serve as a focal point for improving the overall scheme; and (2) more research across all 13 states is required to fully understand patient satisfaction and experience with CHI covered in expectation of potential framework expansion.