title: Primary health care services utilization and satisfaction among the elderly in Asir region, Saudi Arabia.
abstract: Use of primary health care (PHC) services and satisfaction among elderly people (60 + years) in Asir was studied in 26 PHC centres. They visited PHC centres significantly less often than younger adults but they were referred significantly more often to secondary and tertiary care and for more laboratory tests. A random sample of 253 elderly people attending the centres was interviewed about accessibility, continuity, humaneness, informativeness and thoroughness of care. Overall, 79.0% were satisfied with the services provided. The leading 3 items of dissatisfaction were: not enough audiovisual means for health education (65.1%), long time spent in the centre (46.4%), and not enough specialty clinics (42.5%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mahfouz
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Al-Sharif
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: El-Gama
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kisha
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001296:Audiovisual Aids / Q000592:standards; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards; D006808:Humanism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013664:Teaching Materials / Q000592:standards; D013997:Time Factors