Assessing Patient Satisfaction in General Surgical Wards: Insights from a Transformative Experience Study in Saudi Arabia

Background: Patient satisfaction is a key indicator of quality in healthcare, reflecting patients’ experiences and perceptions of care received. This study aimed to assess patient satisfaction with surgical care in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and identify the factors influencing it.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted from August to October 2024 at King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, involving 200 surgical patients admitted for elective or emergency procedures. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire that was translated to Arabic and was based on the patient satisfaction questionnaire (PSQ-18), covering sociodemographic details and patient satisfaction across communication, accessibility, technical quality, and interpersonal manner. Responses were measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Statistical analysis using IBM SPSS version 27.0.1 included descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman’s correlation, with significance set at P < 0.05.
Results: Overall, patient satisfaction was high, with 89.5% of respondents agreeing that the surgical care received was excellent. Non-Saudi participants reported significantly higher satisfaction (median 57.0, IQR: 53.0–64.0) compared to Saudi participants (median 54.0, IQR: 49.0–59.0; P-value = 0.043). Major surgery patients had higher satisfaction scores (median 56.0, IQR: 50.0–60.0) than those undergoing minor surgeries (median 52.0, IQR: 49.0–58.0; P-value = 0.024). No significant correlation was found between length of hospital stay and satisfaction (r = -0.005, P-value = 0.949).
Conclusion: High satisfaction levels highlight strengths in communication and facilities. However, improvements in access to specialists and reduced emergency wait times are needed. Recommendations include clearer communication, improved specialist access, and enhanced interpersonal training for healthcare providers. Expanding these strategies may improve surgical care satisfaction in other regions as well.