Role Clarity Among Patient Care Technicians in Saudi Arabia: Outcomes of a Structured Educational Program

<b>Background:</b> Role clarity is a persistent challenge among Patient Care Technicians (PCTs), contributing to inconsistent task performance and safety risks. In Saudi Arabia, little is known about PCTs' understanding of their responsibilities. This study evaluated the impact of a targeted educational program designed to improve PCTs' role clarity, safety practices, and communication. <b>Methods:</b> A quasi-experimental pre-post study was conducted in September 2025 with 35 PCTs from the Hail Health Cluster. The one-day intervention included lectures, discussions, role-play, and case scenarios. Outcomes were measured using a validated instrument across four domains: role clarity; core clinical tasks and safety; communication and ethics; and objective knowledge. Pre-post changes were analyzed using paired <i>t</i>-tests (Cohen's d), and subgroup differences in change scores were examined using one-way ANOVA (η<sup>2</sup>) in SPSS v29. <b>Results:</b> Baseline scores were lowest in objective knowledge (41.4%) and role clarity (62.8%). Post-training, total composite scores improved significantly (+10.88%, <i>p</i> < 0.001, d = 1.63), with the most significant gain in objective knowledge (+19.8%, <i>p</i> < 0.001, d = 0.99). Role clarity showed only a modest, non-significant increase (+3.98%, <i>p</i> = 0.088, d = 0.30). No demographic differences were found. <b>Conclusions:</b> Targeted training was effective in reducing knowledge gaps; however, improving role clarity may require organizational reinforcement beyond brief training.

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Publication Details

Journal
Healthcare
Published
2026-01-21
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14020269
Primary Topic
Patient Safety and Medication Errors
Type
article
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article

Role Clarity Among Patient Care Technicians in Saudi Arabia: Outcomes of a Structured Educational Program

Maram Alawad, Wadida Darwish Alshammari, Khalf Mohmmad, Kristine Angeles Gonzales et al.
Healthcare
Patient Safety and Medication Errors
article

Role Clarity Among Patient Care Technicians in Saudi Arabia: Outcomes of a Structured Educational Program

Maram Alawad, Wadida Darwish Alshammari, Khalf Mohmmad, Kristine Angeles Gonzales, Fawziah Nasser Alrashedi, Lueife Ali Alrashedi, Eida Habeeb Alshammari, Asrar Eid Alrashidi, Afaf Mufadhi Alrimali, Ohoud Awadh Alreshidi, Nashi Masnad Alreshidi
article en

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Role clarity is a persistent challenge among Patient Care Technicians (PCTs), contributing to inconsistent task performance and safety risks. In Saudi Arabia, little is known about PCTs' understanding of their responsibilities. This study evaluated the impact of a targeted educational program designed to improve PCTs' role clarity, safety practices, and communication. <b>Methods:</b> A quasi-experimental pre-post study was conducted in September 2025 with 35 PCTs from the Hail Health Cluster. The one-day intervention included lectures, discussions, role-play, and case scenarios. Outcomes were measured using a validated instrument across four domains: role clarity; core clinical tasks and safety; communication and ethics; and objective knowledge. Pre-post changes were analyzed using paired <i>t</i>-tests (Cohen's d), and subgroup differences in change scores were examined using one-way ANOVA (η<sup>2</sup>) in SPSS v29. <b>Results:</b> Baseline scores were lowest in objective knowledge (41.4%) and role clarity (62.8%). Post-training, total composite scores improved significantly (+10.88%, <i>p</i> < 0.001, d = 1.63), with the most significant gain in objective knowledge (+19.8%, <i>p</i> < 0.001, d = 0.99). Role clarity showed only a modest, non-significant increase (+3.98%, <i>p</i> = 0.088, d = 0.30). No demographic differences were found. <b>Conclusions:</b> Targeted training was effective in reducing knowledge gaps; however, improving role clarity may require organizational reinforcement beyond brief training.

HealthcareVol. 14(2)
University of Ha'il (SA), Maternity and Children's Hospital (SA)
Quality Education
Openalex Percentile: Top 84%
Patient Safety and Medication Errors
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