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2026, Vol: 10, Issue: 6
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Original Article
Online Published: 12 May 2026
 


Exploring patient preferences: factors influencing selection of hospital emergency room or primary health care center for urgent and non-urgent surgical cases in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

Mohammad Jareebi, Raghad Bajawi, Abdullah Yahya Madkhali, Khalid Humedi, Fawaz Sabi, Ali Hakami, Mohammed Dareni, Muidh Almansour, Anas Alshehri, Hussam Alquraish.


Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to assess patient preferences between emergency rooms (ERs) and primary health care centers (PHCs) for surgical and non-urgent clinical conditions, participants’ knowledge of common clinical conditions relevant to triage, identified factors influencing healthcare facility choice, and explored awareness of the surgical care services available at both ERs and PHCs.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia from January to April 2026. Data were collected from PHC visitors and the general public using a validated, expert-developed questionnaire that assessed clinical knowledge and healthcare-seeking preferences across 10 surgical and non-urgent scenarios.
Results: Among 378 participants (response rate 96%; 56.3% female; 81.2% university-educated), the mean aggregate knowledge score was 4.65 out of 10 (estimated SD ±1.51), indicating moderate clinical knowledge. Appropriate triage behavior, defined as a clear majority (≥50%) selecting the clinically recommended facility, was demonstrated in 5 of 10 clinical scenarios. The highest correct triage rates were for rectal bleeding (70.4% chose ER) and scalp wounds (56.1% chose PHC). Triage was most uncertain for anal pain, breast pain, minor wounds, superficial burns, and blood spots after anal wiping. Only gender was significantly associated with knowledge of anal pain causes (p-value = 0.0001).
Conclusion: Participants demonstrated moderate clinical knowledge and generally appropriate health care-seeking behavior; however, important gaps were identified for anal pain etiology, breast pain urgency, and burn triage. Targeted community health education through PHC centers, schools, and digital media is recommended to improve triage literacy and reduce unnecessary ER utilization.

Key words: Emergency department, patient preferences, primary health care, triage, surgical, non-urgent, Saudi Arabia, Jazan  


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Jareebi M, Bajawi R, Madkhali AY, Humedi K, Sabi F, Hakami A, Dareni M, Almansour M, Alshehri A, Alquraish H. Exploring patient preferences: factors influencing selection of hospital emergency room or primary health care center for urgent and non-urgent surgical cases in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. 2026; 10(6): 1623-1629. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1775547466

Web Style

Jareebi M, Bajawi R, Madkhali AY, Humedi K, Sabi F, Hakami A, Dareni M, Almansour M, Alshehri A, Alquraish H. Exploring patient preferences: factors influencing selection of hospital emergency room or primary health care center for urgent and non-urgent surgical cases in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. https://www.ijmdc.com/?mno=316650 [Access: June 30, 2026]. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1775547466

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Jareebi M, Bajawi R, Madkhali AY, Humedi K, Sabi F, Hakami A, Dareni M, Almansour M, Alshehri A, Alquraish H. Exploring patient preferences: factors influencing selection of hospital emergency room or primary health care center for urgent and non-urgent surgical cases in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. 2026; 10(6): 1623-1629. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1775547466


Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Jareebi M, Bajawi R, Madkhali AY, Humedi K, Sabi F, Hakami A, Dareni M, Almansour M, Alshehri A, Alquraish H. Exploring patient preferences: factors influencing selection of hospital emergency room or primary health care center for urgent and non-urgent surgical cases in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. (2026), [cited June 30, 2026]; 10(6): 1623-1629. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1775547466


Harvard Style

Jareebi, M., Bajawi, . R., Madkhali, . A. Y., Humedi, . K., Sabi, . F., Hakami, . A., Dareni, . M., Almansour, . M., Alshehri, . A. & Alquraish, . H. (2026) Exploring patient preferences: factors influencing selection of hospital emergency room or primary health care center for urgent and non-urgent surgical cases in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. IJMDC, 10 (6), 1623-1629. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1775547466


Turabian Style

Jareebi, Mohammad, Raghad Bajawi, Abdullah Yahya Madkhali, Khalid Humedi, Fawaz Sabi, Ali Hakami, Mohammed Dareni, Muidh Almansour, Anas Alshehri, and Hussam Alquraish. 2026. Exploring patient preferences: factors influencing selection of hospital emergency room or primary health care center for urgent and non-urgent surgical cases in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 10 (6), 1623-1629. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1775547466


Chicago Style

Jareebi, Mohammad, Raghad Bajawi, Abdullah Yahya Madkhali, Khalid Humedi, Fawaz Sabi, Ali Hakami, Mohammed Dareni, Muidh Almansour, Anas Alshehri, and Hussam Alquraish. "Exploring patient preferences: factors influencing selection of hospital emergency room or primary health care center for urgent and non-urgent surgical cases in Jazan, Saudi Arabia." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 10 (2026), 1623-1629. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1775547466


MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Jareebi, Mohammad, Raghad Bajawi, Abdullah Yahya Madkhali, Khalid Humedi, Fawaz Sabi, Ali Hakami, Mohammed Dareni, Muidh Almansour, Anas Alshehri, and Hussam Alquraish. "Exploring patient preferences: factors influencing selection of hospital emergency room or primary health care center for urgent and non-urgent surgical cases in Jazan, Saudi Arabia." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 10.6 (2026), 1623-1629. Print. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1775547466


APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Jareebi, M., Bajawi, . R., Madkhali, . A. Y., Humedi, . K., Sabi, . F., Hakami, . A., Dareni, . M., Almansour, . M., Alshehri, . A. & Alquraish, . H. (2026) Exploring patient preferences: factors influencing selection of hospital emergency room or primary health care center for urgent and non-urgent surgical cases in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 10 (6), 1623-1629. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1775547466




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