Current Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Home Health Care Among Primary Health Care Physicians in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Home health care (HHC) is designed to assist individuals in improving their function and live with greater independence, promote optimal health, help patients remain at home, avoid hospitalization, and prolong expensive hospital care. Primary health care (PHC) physicians play an essential role in providing continuity of care for HHC patients. However, there is a deficiency in medical education and training. Aim This study aimed to document the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of HHC among PHC physicians in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted in the Al-Ahsa region of Saudi Arabia between February and July 2025. The target population included all PHC physicians (family medicine consultants, specialists, residents, and general practitioners) working at the Ministry of Health (MOH) PHC centers in Al-Ahsa. The study involved 220 PHC physicians. Participants were selected using simple random sampling, and a self-administered questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, IBM Corp., Version 27, Armonk, NY). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used, with a p-value ≤ 0.05 considered significant in all tests. Results Of the 220 participants, most were female (63.6%), aged 20-30 years (56.8%), and family medicine residents (39.5%). Only 10% of the participants had formal HHC training. Knowledge was generally poor, with only 3.6% of respondents demonstrating good knowledge. Attitudes were modest, with 20.9% showing a positive attitude toward HHC. Only 15.5% of the participants had a good practice score. The most reported barriers were lack of experience (34.1%) and unavailable service (18.2%). There was a significant association between formal training and greater years of experience were significantly associated with higher knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) scores (p < 0.001). Conclusion The results of this study indicate low KAP scores among PHC physicians in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The findings of this study highlight the need for systemic improvements in HHC training and integration within PHC settings. Exposing PHC physicians to the HHC field will empower them to deliver comprehensive, coordinated, and high-quality home-based care services.