Factors Influencing Patient-Centered Care and Shared Decision-Making in Primary Care Settings in Saudi Arabia: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undergone many reforms in light of Vision 2030, and the health sector is no exception. Vision 2030 highlights the importance of utilization and increased quality in primary care. Patient-centered care (PCC) and shared decision-making (SDM) are two methods used to increase healthcare quality globally. However, there is limited research on the implementation of such methods in primary care within Saudi Arabia. Thus, this scoping review aims to address this gap by investigating the different factors influencing the implementation of PCC and SDM in primary care in Saudi Arabia. The scoping review completed a comprehensive search of three databases, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science, resulting in eight articles that met the inclusion criteria. The review found three major themes of influencing factors: patient-specific factors, physician-specific factors, and health system and external factors. The review highlights the lack of research in this area and provides context for the implementation of new reforms and policies in relation to PCC and SDM in primary care in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Most notably, it emphasizes the importance of increasing health literacy, improving physician training, investigating cultural influence, and enhancing policies.