Characteristics of Pediatric Primary Healthcare Visits in a University-Based Primary Healthcare Center in Saudi Arabia

This study aimed to identify the characteristics of pediatric primary health care (PHC) visits and evaluate the outcomes of patients presenting with complaints along with their referral and consultation capabilities. This was a retrospective medical record-based study. The study population included...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Children (Basel) 2022-11, Vol.9 (11), p.1743
Main Authors: Yousef, Haneen A, Abdel Wahab, Moataza M, Alsheikh, Shahad, Alghamdi, Rizam, Alghamdi, Raghad, Alkanaan, Najla, Al-Qahtani, Mohammad, Albuali, Waleed H, Almakhaita, Huda, Aldossari, Mae, Yousef, Abdullah A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age groups
Body mass index
characteristics
Chi-square test
Children
Chronic illnesses
Data collection
Departments
Disease
Emergency medical care
Families & family life
family medicine
Health aspects
Health care policy
Hematology
Hospitals
Infections
Medical records
Medical referrals
Medicine
Patients
Pediatrics
Physicians
primary healthcare
Sample size
Saudi Arabia
Sexes
Viral infections
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Summary:This study aimed to identify the characteristics of pediatric primary health care (PHC) visits and evaluate the outcomes of patients presenting with complaints along with their referral and consultation capabilities. This was a retrospective medical record-based study. The study population included any pediatric patient (≤14 years old), including females and males, Saudis, and non-Saudis. Research data were gathered for visits from 2016–2021. Sampling was performed using a stratified random sample based on age groups, followed by simple random sampling with proportional allocation to different age groups. The number of pediatric visits included was 1439 (males, 52.2%). The most common age group was toddlers, and 60% of the total sample was from Saudi Arabia. The most common cause of visits was vaccination (32%), followed by general checkups and/or a well-baby visit (25.4%), and fever (11.2%). Approximately 10% of visits needed referral to other subspecialties. Approximately 50% of visits with complaints concerning ophthalmology, cardiology, and surgical intervention were referred to a specialized department. More awareness needs to be raised about the important role of PHC services in the pediatric age group, as it was capable of handling approximately 90% of their cases.
ISSN:2227-9067
2227-9067
DOI:10.3390/children9111743