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Ministry of Health

Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health (MOH) was established in 1950. It is the largest healthcare provider in Saudi Arabia (SA) and is responsible for operating and supervising all healthcare systems (Almalki, FitzGerald & Clark, 2011). It is responsible for providing healthcare services through systems of hospitals, healthcare clinics and healthcare provisions (Albejaidi. 2010). Ministry of Health (MOH) is the leading force of the Saudi healthcare system. Its goals include improving population health by developing rules, regulations, disease surveillance, training healthcare professionals, research and innovation (Al-Hashem, 2016). MOH vision is to have promising high-quality of healthcare delivery through comprehensive strategy (MOH, 2017). This strategy comes as result of major challenges facing the healthcare system in SA. These challenges are rising awareness of health education, using advanced technology, maintaining high quality standards, reducing costs of healthcare services and providing accessible healthcare which are managed by MOH and its governance (MOH, 2017; Almalki, FitzGerald & Clark, 2011). Therefore, this paper is exploring the Ministry of Health’s vision and strategy including electronic health records, equitable care standards, quality standards, accountability and governance.

Electronic Health Records

Electronic health records (EHR) is an electronic based healthcare information system that stores patients’ data and connect them through different departments within a healthcare system (Altuwaijri, 2008). It includes patient management, bed management, follow up and making appointments. It is necessary for effective functioning of healthcare settings in SA. EHR have showed improved healthcare quality. However, lack of national information standards, infrastructure system and clear policies of information technology showed a need for quality improvement. Therefore, MOH has established plan of comprehensive interoperable E-Health and national healthcare project that connect all electronic healthcare systems around the country together (MOH, 2017). Many researchers agreed that E-Health is slowly growing due to demographic, technology changes and governmental priorities which need excessive efforts and support by MOH and related healthcare sectors (Rauf, 2016; Hasanain & Cooper, 2014; Altuwaijri, 2008).

MOH and healthcare sectors need to improve the quality of healthcare services in SA by implementing national healthcare project. The timeframe to achieve national healthcare project goals including E-health were estimated to be 20 years from initiating time (Rauf, 2016). MOH need to consider applying national healthcare project effectively and efficiently in shorter period. Moreover, MOH need to study and measure the progress and burdens of E-health barriers and its consequences. A standard E-health risk management program would be beneficial in healthcare settings to measure overall E-health outcomes. SA need to have quality monitoring system, continuous researches and innovations to improve E-health and improve quality of healthcare. An outstanding step to support this, was the establishment plan of Electronic Health Center of Research Excellence (E-CoRE) in SA which promote E-health research, improve population health and reduce costs of healthcare (Househ, Al-Tuwaijri & Al-Dosari, 2010).

Hasanain, Vallmuur & Clark (2015), identified that there is a high need for comprehensive training program about EHR use due to lack of knowledge among a range of healthcare professionals and administrators in SA. Nevertheless, there is no study done to estimate financing of E-health training and development in SA. There is an urgent need to improve the degree of implementation and usefulness of EHR systems in healthcare settings (Aldosari, 2014). This can be significantly achieved by appropriate preparation, training and development about EHR usage and contingency plans of system shutdowns. MOH need to improve EHR and measure the improvements across all the regions of SA and not only the capital and main cities (Bah, 2011). Eventually, the use of interpretable EHR systems will increase the usefulness of healthcare services and improve quality of healthcare which will fulfill MOH vision of Saudi healthcare.

Equitable Care Standards

Equity is a guide for healthcare organizations and it is one of the aims of improvements identified by Institute of medicine (IOM) (Institute of health improvement, 2017). Equitable healthcare is a healthcare to be provided equally to everyone with no discrimination (Institute of health improvement, 2017). An equitable healthcare is the equity of healthcare access, treatments, care and outcomes. MOH aims to establish ideally equitable healthcare services to all in SA. Yet, MOH vision, healthcare policies, guidelines and many Saudi strategic improvement plans didn’t mention the word “equity” in terms of healthcare delivery but emphasized it needs in terms of access of care in rural areas (Karlsson et al., 2015). Certainly, there is a need to establish equitable healthcare standards that focus on reducing inequalities of healthcare in rural populations. (Alfaqeeh, Cook, Randhawa & Ali, 2017).

Approximately, 17 percent of total Saudi population is residing in rural areas (Trading Economics, 2017). Almalki, FitzGerald & Clark, (2011), emphasized that the government should set plans of equitable healthcare to maintain the health and protect the rights of rural societies. To provide equitable healthcare services to people in rural areas, there should be fair distribution of healthcare settings across the country. Also, there should be equity of access to healthcare providers, treatments and transport to healthcare settings. A complete strategy of healthcare services distribution including public, private, general, specialized hospitals and clinics should be considered by MOH (Almalki, FitzGerald & Clark, 2011). This include fair distribution of healthcare professionals, medications, equipment and technology. MOH need to work with other sectors to provide the necessary and basic needs of rural population such as clean water, sanitation, transport and electricity power (Alfaqeeh, Cook, Randhawa & Ali, 2017). MOH vision will be achieved if healthcare services provided are based on patient centered care that represent patients’ needs across the country to include urban and rural populations.

Quality and Performance Standards

Healthcare quality and performance standards are the values to evaluate the execution of various mechanisms of healthcare services. Quality and performance standards are useful in examining areas of improvement (Jradi & Zaidan, 2012). Especially, measurement of patient satisfaction which is essential aspect of healthcare quality improvement and the pathway to achieve high quality of healthcare services that MOH vision stands for (Aljuaid et al., 2016). IOM identified that quality standards in healthcare depend on maintaining certain goals which include safety, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness, equity and patient centered care. (Institute of Health Improvements, 2017).

Quality improvement programs were introduced to Saudi healthcare system before any Arab country does (Almasabi, 2013). SA developed a remarkable national developmental plan that integrate strategies of healthcare services improvements that was established by MOH in 1984 (Almasabi, 2013). Central committee was established in 1987 to keep ongoing tracking of the quality programs in MOH. In 1993, National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) was established by MOH and supervised World Health Organization (WHO) (Almasabi, 2013). Till then, the efforts of quality improvements are continuously increasing and taking highest consideration by MOH to fulfill its vision (Almasabi, 2013).

MOH regulates and supervises healthcare delivery of all healthcare settings in SA. Measuring current healthcare professional practice through healthcare profiling will give an actual performance standard that MOH can rely on for quality improvements and management of healthcare services. Considering that each healthcare setting has its own healthcare quality committee and departments. These quality departments work to improve the delivery of high quality of healthcare services in established healthcare settings through adhering and complying to quality and performance standards. Quality departments focus on measuring nursing documentation, healthcare delivery, medication safety, risk management, healthcare providers actions at risk and patient safety (Aljuaid et al., 2016). Each healthcare settings follow established policies, procedures, guidelines and Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA) standards as well as Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI) for better quality and performance.

Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI) was formed in 2005 to recognize quality standards in public and private healthcare sectors in SA (Almasabi, 2013). CBAHI standards are established by many healthcare professionals and experts from different healthcare settings in SA. It has 22 structural standards which focus on different clinical and medical services such as medication safety, patient safety, quality improvement and organizational performance (AlKhenizan & Shaw, 2010). It is a national accreditation which uses comprehensive survey to address the concerns of patients for quality improvement, patient safety and satisfaction (Almasabi & Thomas, 2016). Different healthcare settings in SA are working on the principles of total quality management to achieve high quality of healthcare delivery that MOH aims to (Almasabi & Thomas, 2016).

Accountability and Governance

Healthcare system in is significantly improving and development of healthcare centers are seen across the country. These advancements, changes and improvements are part of the continuous healthcare quality improvement (Parveen,2015). This requires MOH consistent governance of healthcare services. Accountability and governance play a significant role in healthcare organizations’ success (Jradi & Zaidan, 2012). MOH can improve the quality of healthcare services and patient safety if continuous governance of healthcare delivery is maintained (Albejaidi. 2010). MOH is the leading force of the Saudi healthcare system (Almalki, FitzGerald & Clark, 2011). The levels of healthcare delivery system in SA are primary, secondary and tertiary in general or private healthcare centers supervised by MOH (Almalki, FitzGerald & Clark, 2011). There are 13 geographical regions in SA that have 19 health regions (Al-Yousuf, Akerele & Al-Mazrou, 2002). Each health region is managed by healthcare director who report to MOH (Albejaidi, 2010).

MOH is accountable for healthcare services delivery to the public. It implements supervision of the healthcare settings through different ways. For public healthcare settings, it formulates policies to control their operations at regional and primary level (MOH, 2017). The private organizations are monitored through imposition of budget policies and logistics. MOH performs its accountability through reforms in the healthcare. It can improve professional training and development of healthcare professionals through established programs and healthcare education centers that focuses on supreme quality healthcare services (Altuwaijri. 2008). MOH in cooperation of CBAHI and JCIA emphasize on healthcare settings to have standardized and accurate physicians and healthcare providers credentialing. This will ensure that qualified skillful healthcare providers will be employed to provide high quality of healthcare services to the patients (Almalki, FitzGerald & Clark, 2011). MOH governance is considered the leading force of management and healthcare quality control. For better quality of healthcare services, MOH need to take actions and efforts toward success by performing accountability and governance of best standards. This will ensure performing MOH strategic plan accordingly and achieving MOH vision effectively.

Conclusion

MOH vision is to have promising healthcare system of high quality of integrated healthcare services (MOH, 2017). This vision will be fulfilled by a comprehensive strategy that focuses on major challenges facing Saudi healthcare system. The strategy plan illustrates usefulness of electronic health records, provision of equitable care standards, adherence to quality standards, MOH accountability and governance role in providing quality healthcare services. Establishing empowering healthcare system is a main target of Saudi vision 2030 and MOH vision of the Saudi healthcare system (Saudi vision 2030, 2016).

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