Public awareness regarding the field of pediatric emergency medicine as a medical subspecialty in Saudi Arabia: a cross sectional study

<p><strong>Introduction:</strong> Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) is a critical subspecialty focused on providing emergency care for children within emergency settings. Despite its importance, public awareness of PEM remains limited, including in Saudi Arabia, where pediatric emergency departments, similar to those in many countries worldwide, are frequently overutilized for nonurgent conditions.</p> <p><strong>Objective:</strong> This study aimed to evaluate public awareness, knowledge, and attitudes toward PEM among parents attending a pediatric emergency department in Saudi Arabia, and to identify sociodemographic factors influencing this awareness.</p> <p><strong>Methodology:</strong> A cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to November 2024 at a tertiary care hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study included 332 parents or guardians accompanying pediatric patients aged 0 to less than 14 years of age with mild to moderate medical acuity levels in the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Department. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Associations between awareness levels and sociodemographic variables were assessed using the chi-square test.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> Although 84% of participants were aware of Emergency Medicine as a specialty, only 47.9% recognized PEM as a distinct subspecialty, and only 20% accurately identified the role of PEM physicians in their child’s care. The primary reasons for using emergency services were immediate access to care, trust in the emergency team, and limited access to primary care. Parents' awareness of PEM as a distinct medical subspecialty exhibited significant associations with gender, education level, and employment status.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The findings highlight a considerable gap in public awareness of PEM as a medical subspecialty in Saudi Arabia. Targeted public education campaigns, increasing collaborations between pediatric emergency medicine physicians and primary healthcare centers, and integration of PEM awareness into community health initiatives are recommended to optimize healthcare utilization and enhance pediatric outcomes.</p>