Patient satisfaction and disease-related knowledge in otorhinolaryngology outpatient care in Saudi Arabia

Patient satisfaction and knowledge are recognized indicators of healthcare quality in specialized services such as otorhinolaryngology (ORL). This study aimed to assess patient satisfaction and knowledge to identify opportunities for improvement in a Saudi outpatient ORL setting. A cross-sectional study was carried out from July 2024 to January 2025 involving 180 adult patients at the outpatient ORL clinic of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital. A validated self-administered electronic questionnaire evaluated sociodemographic data, satisfaction across five domains, and disease-related knowledge. Satisfaction was measured with a 7-point Likert scale. The statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and comparative tests. The majority of participants were Saudi (176, 97.8%) and female (135, 75%), with a mean age of 33.5 years (SD = 12.5). Overall satisfaction was high (mean = 6.14 ± 1.12), with the highest scores in Staff Quality (6.31) and Communication (6.17), and the lowest in Access and Efficiency (5.79). Strong positive correlations were observed among satisfaction domains, particularly between Overall Experience and Staff Quality (r = 0.893, p < 0.001). Disease-related knowledge was also high (mean = 81.93%), particularly regarding medication administration (95.71%) and diagnosis awareness (93.29%). However, knowledge gaps were noted in the understanding of medication side effects (62.75%) and surgical complications (74.31%). Surgical patients reported significantly higher satisfaction (mean difference = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.02–0.68, p = 0.039). Patients expressed high satisfaction with ORL care, particularly in terms of staff quality and communication. Nonetheless, access and patient education on treatment risks require attention. These findings underscore the need for targeted education and service delivery enhancements to improve patient-centered care.