Factors and Opportunities of Comprehensive Service to the Elderly in Primary Health Care Centers in Saudi Arabia
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- Category: Vol. 82, December 2014
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Factors and Opportunities of Comprehensive Service to the Elderly in Primary Health Care Centers in Saudi Arabia, MOHAMMED S. AL HAMHUM
Abstract
Objective: To determine the influencing factors for pro-viding comprehensive service to the elderly at primary health care centers (PHCCs) as perceived by physicians.
Subjects and Methods: A study questionnaire has been developed by the researcher. The questionnaire comprised nine items that describe the opinion of respondents regarding the degree of importance of each itemin providing comprehensive service to the elderly at PHCCs. Each item has been assessed by participants in a 5-point Lickert scale. A total of 354 PHC physicians constituted the sample size for this study. Using the study questionnaire sheets, the interviews focused on the role currently played by PHCCs for the care of the elderly, and the way they can be improved in order to provide an efficient and comprehensive care for such vulnerable age group.
Results: The respondents’ mean scores for the 9 items for comprehensive service to the elderly at PHCCs were: Visiting specialist (4.38±0.74), additional technical staff (4.68±0.54), social workers (4.50±0.66), sports and social activities (3.82±0.90), additional building facilities and equipment (4.21±0.85), hospital PHCC service coordinator (4.18±0.72), citizen PHCC relations committee (4.12±0.73), health support council (4.19±0.58) and others (3.59±1.58). The first factor in the rotated component matrix was heavily loaded with the “visiting specialist” and “additional technical staff”, with factor loading values of 0.852 and 0.824 respectively. Hence, the researcher renamed the first influencing factor for providing comprehensive health care to the elderly into: “Visiting specialists supported by additional staff”. The second factor was heavily loaded with “hospital-PHCC service coordinator” (0.905) and “citizen-PHCC relations committee” (0.803). Hence, the researcher renamed the second influencing factor for providing comprehensive health care to the elderly into: “PHCC service coordinator and citizen-PHCC relations committee”.
Conclusion: The two influencing factors for providing comprehensive service to the elderly at primary health care centers as perceived by physicians are “visiting specialists supported by additional technical staff” and the presence of “PHCC service coordinator and citizen-PHCC relations committee”.