Disability inclusion assessment in primary healthcare centers in Eastern Saudi Arabia: a way forward

Individuals with disabilities often experience barriers in accessing healthcare facilities, including physical barriers such as inaccessible facilities, transportation difficulties, and a lack of assistive devices. Other barriers may include a lack of communication assistive devices and stigma or negative attitudes from healthcare personnel or society. Published literature emphasizes the value of creating a supportive and safe environment for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society. Establishing guidelines for disability inclusion becomes imperative to ensure equitable access to healthcare services. This study aimed to identify challenges related to accessibility in infrastructure, services, equipment, processes, and training in primary healthcare settings. The study was conducted in Dammam, AlKhobar, and AlQatif in August 2022, using an analytical, quantitative cross-sectional approach. A total of 56 primary healthcare centers (PHCs) were assessed across multiple domains. Government-built PHCs had an average accessibility rate of 83.2%, while those located in rented buildings scored an average of 67.1%. One domain that scored highly among both building types was the clinic rooms domain, with an average score of 90%. Conversely, the services domain showed significant differences, with an average accessibility rate of 47% for rented buildings and 75% for government-built buildings. Finally, the study looked into recommendations drawn from other health systems and recommended ways to help improve disability needs inclusion in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia.