Introduction
The capacity to live a socially and economically
active life was recently added to the World
Health Organization (WHO) definition of health
(WHO, 1948, 1986). It also considers non-
clinical aspects of care (Last et al., 2000).
Healthcare services also aim to improve
population health (Lee, 1985).
When the patient's initial feelings regarding the
treatment experience are met with unfulfilled
expectations, satisfaction wanes (Bowling et al.,
2012). Satisfaction is defined as the degree of
agreement between a patient's ideal and real care
expectations (Al-Emadi et al., 2009). Patient
satisfaction is a key indication of healthcare
service quality globally. Understanding the
factors that affect patient satisfaction may lead to
the development and implementation of
customised strategies and programs that meet
both service providers and patients' requirements
(Aragon & Gesell, 2003). Studies show that
patients are the best judges of their own
experiences. Using patient feedback/information
can help improve and overcome flaws in the
delivery of quality service within the healthcare
system (Mohamed et al., 2015).
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, like all other
states, has established its healthcare system to
meet the country’s medical necessities of its
population in its distinctive cultural milieu,
taking into account the social and cultural
environment (Walston, Al-Harbi, & Al-Omar,
2008). The main goal of this healthcare system is
to maximize patient satisfaction by promptly
offering equitable, competent, inclusive, and
inexpensive healthcare services with rapid
delivery (WHO, 2000). Patient satisfaction, on
the other hand, is a complex and wide concept
that encompasses individual perceptions,
expectations, and experiences among other
things (Bleich et al., 2009).
Satisfaction is a perceptual and relative emotion
that arises from one's personal experiences and
expectations of the dominant healthcare system.
This concept has been described by experts in the
domain of psychology and medical sciences as “a
healthcare recipient's response to the important
aspects of his experience of a healthcare service”
(Hills & Kitchen, 2007). Substantial research
funds have increased for this topic particularly in
the last twenty years. The purpose of this study is
to measure patient satisfaction from the
standpoint of