Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Primary Healthcare Centers in Saudi Arabia: Insights from the Field Trial of the Patient-Reported Indicator Survey Instrument

Introduction: Patient-reported outcome measures are increasingly used to assess whether healthcare services improve outcomes that matter to patients. Saudi Arabia participated in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Patient-Reported Indicator Survey to pilot standardized patient-reported indicators in Ministry of Health primary healthcare centers. This study aimed to evaluate selected patient-reported outcome measures among adults attending primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia and assess differences between patients with and without chronic conditions. Methods: This cross-sectional field trial used the internationally developed Patient-Reported Indicator Survey patient questionnaire. A stratified random sample of 25 Ministry of Health primary healthcare centers was selected across Saudi health regions. Eligible patients were aged 45 years or older, had visited a participating center within the previous six months, and lived in a private household. Data were collected through computer-assisted telephone interviews between July and September 2022. Descriptive statistics summarized patient characteristics and patient-reported outcome domains. Independent sample t-tests compared mean scores between patients with and without chronic conditions. Results: Of 10,316 invited patients, 1,285 completed the survey, yielding a response rate of 12.5%. Most respondents reported at least one chronic condition (n = 1,092; 85.0%). Overall mean scores were 2.20 (SD 0.76) for physical, mental and social functioning, 2.48 (SD 1.11) for symptoms, and 3.13 (SD 1.21) for well-being, with lower scores indicating better outcomes. Patients with chronic conditions reported worse scores than those without chronic conditions for physical, mental and social functioning (2.26 vs 1.85; 95% CI 0.309 to 0.515; p < 0.001), symptoms (2.56 vs 2.05; 95% CI 0.348 to 0.669; p < 0.001), and well-being (3.19 vs 2.79; 95% CI 0.213 to 0.575; p < 0.001). Regional variation was observed across all three outcome domains. Conclusion: The field trial provides baseline evidence on patient-reported outcomes among primary healthcare users in Saudi Arabia. The findings show poorer self-reported outcomes among patients with chronic conditions and highlight the importance of integrating patient-reported measures into primary care improvement, chronic disease management, and value-based healthcare measurement.