title: Health care services provided to type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess health care services provided to type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients and diabetes health care expenditure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was part of a nationwide, household, population based cross-sectional survey conducted at the University Diabetes Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between January 2007 and December 2009 covering 13 administrative regions of the Kingdom. Using patients' interview questionnaires, health care services data were collected by trained staff.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 5,983 diabetic patients were chosen to assess health care services and expenditure. Approximately 92.2% of health services were governmental and the remaining 7.8% were in private services. The mean annual number of visits to physicians was 6.5±3.9 and laboratories was 5.1±3.9. Diabetic patients required one admission every 3 years with a mean admission duration of 13.3±28.3 days. General practitioners managed 85.9% of diabetic cases alone, or shared with internists and/or endocrinologists. Health care expenditure was governmental in 90% of cases, while it was personal in 7.7% or based on insurance payment in 2.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health services and its expenditure provided to diabetic citizens in Saudi Arabia are mainly governmental. Empowerment of the role of both the private sector and health insurance system is badly needed, aside from implementing proper management guidelines to deliver good services at different levels.
authors.affiliation: University Diabetes Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail. krubeaan@dsrcenter.org.
authors.forename: Khalid A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Al-Rubeaan
authors.forename: Hamad A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Al-Manaa
authors.forename: Tawfik A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Khoja
authors.forename: Ahmad H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Al-Sharqawi
authors.forename: Khaled H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Aburisheh
authors.forename: Amira M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Youssef
authors.forename: Metib S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Alotaibi
authors.forename: Ali A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al-Gamdi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006296:Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult