Introduction
Implementing various initiatives has already become a strong trend to improve care quality, patient outcomes, and cooperation between departments. There are many directions in which these initiatives can be developed, including data analytics, cost and quality control, and patient satisfaction. Quality initiatives are about offering and delivering change to improve patient care and transform services (Backhouse & Ogunlayi, 2020). Patient satisfaction is a crucial indicator for measuring and comparing the quality of care in hospitals (Chen et al., 2019). Thus, many countries address patient satisfaction and quality initiatives to modify services and achieve positive results. For example, the patient satisfaction perspective is promoted with bed shift reports in the United States and interactions between healthcare services in Saudi Arabia. Attention to vulnerable populations in American hospitals and sustainability approaches in the KSA facilities represent quality initiatives. These approaches can be properly integrated and coordinated with the National Transformation Program (NTP) initiative in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This essay aims to compare the methods of the USA and KSA patient satisfaction and quality initiatives and discuss the principles of their integration with the NTP course.
Patient Satisfaction Initiatives in the USA and the KSA
Many factors determine the way how patients accept hospitals, cooperate with care providers, and participate in treatment processes. According to Chen et al. (2019), patient satisfaction strengthens patient experiences. If the patient’s expectations about the services and the staff are met, they can entrust their lives and follow recommendations. In the United States, the patient satisfaction initiative is based on bedside shift reports as a gold standard due to its expected outcomes like high satisfaction, quality, and patient safety (Jimmerson et al., 2021). It is not easy for nurses to gather all the necessary information and notice all changes during regular handoffs. The main idea is to initiate communication with patients and their families at the bedside and encourage their participation in critical content and shared decision-making (Jimmerson et al., 2021). This US program promotes effective information sharing and increases patient satisfaction.
Compared to the American programs, where attention is paid to measurement, most KSA interventions promote administrative shifts, privatization, and independence from oil reserves. Inadequate healthcare delivery and related communication barriers result in low patient satisfaction levels (Gosadi, 2020). The Patient Experience Measurement Program identifies and covers primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of care and imposes cooperation between the departments (Gosadi, 2020). Structurization of services and responsibilities positively affects nursing care and patient satisfaction.
Quality Initiatives in the USA and the KSA
Quality initiatives are offered to create a positive healthcare environment, retain employees, and maintain patient health. While many American hospitals accept non-profit or private opportunities, in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Health (MOH) is the main contributor to hospital health services. The sustainability of quality improvement is one of its current initiatives in the KSA to underline the role of institutional powers in delivery and education (Alasmari et al., 2021). The analysis of recent studies and goals of American hospitals proves that the US healthcare system can be improved if more vulnerable populations are recognized. The recent method covers many rural and urban communities where populations cannot get access to high-quality care (Bhatt & Bathija, 2018). It is important to address social determinants of health and design global budgets or virtual care services. In the American initiative, nurse morale and obligations affect quality improvement, while the KSA approach focuses on administrative change supported by the MOH.
Integration with the National Transformation Program
In the KSA, integrating new initiatives with the NTP is a common step. This program introduces a clear governmental plan to achieve operational excellence in healthcare services from economic and organizational perspectives. Thus, the creation of a stable working environment, the enhancement of living standards, and the removal of various barriers are the major goals. The main integration steps are the creation of a need, the choice of a team, the identification of funding sources (the MOH), communication, feedback, and evaluation.
Addressing the goals and methods of the chosen USA and KSA healthcare initiatives, the NTP initiative can include many elements to stabilize health care in the country. The American and Saudi Arabian perspectives are characterized by similar outcomes like increased patient satisfaction and safety, quality improvement, shared decision-making, problem-solving, and (Gosadi, 2020; Jimmerson et al., 2021). Besides, the evaluation of economic aspects will be effective for the NTP initiatives regarding its organization, plans for nurses, and expectations among patients (Alasmari et al., 2021). Still, the initiative that addresses vulnerable populations offered by Bhatt and Bathija (2018) will hardly be necessary because the KSA does not focus on population differences and implement universal care. In general, the coordination of both initiatives does not disturb but supports the NTP initiative for creating the best care plans.
Conclusion
Healthcare initiatives have to be properly developed in all countries to make it possible for healthcare providers to exchange their knowledge and experiences. Despite a number of differences between the USA and the KSA systems, the integration and coordination with the NTP initiative of the KSA can be successfully achieved. Bed shift reports and interactions between different healthcare services have their benefits for nurses and patients. Quality improvement regarding care services for vulnerable populations is not as critical as the one to stabilize administrative and institutional powers. However, instead of considering the existing challenges and modifications, it is high time to take a step and combine international practice within one country.
References
Alasmari, S., Williams, S., Rich, N., & Rea, D. (2021). Sustainability of quality improvement initiatives within the Saudi Ministry of Health hospitals: An institutional overview. Saudi Journal of Health Systems Research, 1(1), 3-10. Web.
Backhouse, A., & Ogunlayi, F. (2020). Quality improvement into practice. BMJ, 368. Web.
Bhatt, J., & Bathija, P. (2018). Ensuring access to quality health care in vulnerable communities. Academic Medicine, 93(9), 1271-1275. Web.
Chen, Q., Beal, E. W., Okunrintemi, V., Cerier, E., Paredes, A., Sun, S., Olsen, G., & Pawlik, T. M. (2019). The association between patient satisfaction and patient-reported health outcomes. Journal of Patient Experience, 6(3), 201-209. Web.
Gosadi, I. M. (2020). Case report of patient experience influenced by inadequate interactions between primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare services in the south of Saudi Arabia. Clinical Case Reports, 8(2), 299-304. Web.
Jimmerson, J., Wright, P., Cowan, P. A., King‐Jones, T., Beverly, C. J., & Curran, G. (2021). Bedside shift report: Nurses opinions based on their experiences. Nursing Open, 8(3), 1393-1405. Web.