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Care Barriers for Patients With Nonsyndromic Orofacial Clefts in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Hanaa Allaf1, Narmin Helal2, Osama Basri3
1King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Patients with orofacial clefts in Saudi Arabia face significant barriers to care, primarily related to appointment scheduling and accessibility. Addressing these healthcare system gaps is crucial for ensuring adequate treatment for these children.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Public Health
- Pediatric Care
Background:
- Orofacial clefts are common congenital conditions requiring comprehensive, long-term treatment.
- Patients with nonsyndromic orofacial clefts (NSOFC) may encounter various challenges throughout their care journey.
- Understanding these barriers is essential for improving healthcare delivery in Saudi Arabia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and evaluate the barriers encountered by patients with NSOFC during their treatment in Saudi Arabia.
- To analyze the factors contributing to difficulties in accessing and receiving necessary medical care.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted across eleven governmental healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia.
- A validated questionnaire was administered via telephonic interviews to parents/guardians of pediatric patients with NSOFC.
- Data from 240 participants were analyzed to identify care-barrier factors.
Main Results:
- The primary barriers identified were geographic accessibility, appointment availability, and scheduling difficulties.
- Scheduling-related barriers had the highest mean score, with 89% citing scheduling difficulties as a reason for not receiving care.
- Care barriers were significantly associated with patient gender, age, place of residency, and caregiver's education level.
Conclusions:
- Significant gaps exist within the healthcare system that impede adequate care for NSOFC patients.
- Addressing issues related to appointment scheduling, accessibility, and geographic factors is imperative.
- Improving healthcare services is necessary to ensure comprehensive and timely treatment for children with orofacial clefts.
Objective:
To evaluate the barriers faced by patients with nonsyndromic orofacial clefts (NSOFC) throughout their treatment course in Saudi Arabia.
Design:
A cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Eleven different governmental health care centers across Saudi Arabia. Patients: Records of pediatric patients with NSOFC.
Interventions:
A questionnaire with multiple validation stages was designed to assess the barriers in care of these patients through telephonic interviews with the parents or guardians of patients with NSOFC.
Main Outcome Measures:
We identified 3 care-barrier-related factors: (1) geographic accessibility, (2) appointment availability and accessibility, and (3) scheduling-related barriers.
Results:
Overall, 240 participants of both sexes, with orofacial cleft of various types and with various demographic characteristics (residence, family monthly income, and caregiver level of education) were included. The highest mean score of care barriers was reported for scheduling-related barriers. Overall, 186 individuals reported sometimes/often not receiving the required medical care for the following reasons: scheduling difficulties (89%; 37.1%), prolonged waiting room time (40%; 16.7%), and transportation difficulties (36%; 15.0%). A linear regression showed that parents cited late appointments as the main reason for patients with NSOFC not receiving adequate medical care. Care-barrier factors were significantly related to gender (P = .035), patient age (P < .001), place of residency (P < .001), and caregiver's level of education (P = .015).
Conclusions:
Gaps in the health care system directly related to common care barriers need to be addressed to ensure adequate care for patients with NSOFC.
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