Services satisfaction of type 2 diabetic patients attending Arar’s diabetic center, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES: To determine type 2 diabetic patients’ satisfaction with the services provided by the Diabetic Center, Arar, Saudi Arabia, and to assess the relationship between patients’ satisfaction and their diabetic control. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study, carried out in 322 patients at the Arar Diabetic Center, Arar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between January and April 2018. A systematic random sampling technique was applied to include every second type 2 diabetic patient attending the center. We interviewed the type 2 diabetic patients using a predesigned questionnaire tested for validity and reliability. RESULTS: The mean age of the studied population was 48.5±13.05. The overall satisfaction rate was 65.8%. There was a significant association between patient satisfaction to both self-reported health status (p=0.001) and mode of treatment (p=0.02). Regarding service related factors: 78% of patients were satisfied with the time spent during consultation; 58.7% were satisfied with information given regarding the disease; 58.7% were dissatisfied with dietary advice; and 44.7% were dissatisfied with information given regarding medications. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was controlled in 64% of patients. There was a statistically significant association between patients’ dissatisfaction and poor diabetic control. CONCLUSION: Two-thirds of the patients were satisfied with the services provided by the Diabetic Centres of Arar city, Saudi Arabia. The study recommends emphasis on patient education and addressing patient needs and worries.