Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess patients’ satisfaction with urgent care services provided at King Saud Medical City (KSMC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational study was conducted among patients attending the urgent care clinic (UCC) at KSMC during the data collection was done during 1st to the 31 of march 2025. Participants were selected using non-probability convenience sampling. All patients referred to the UCC from the KSMC emergency room were eligible, while patients from other hospitals were excluded. Data were collected using a validated, self-administered questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics and satisfaction measures.
Results: A total of 350 patients participated, with the majority being male (60%), aged 20-34 years (42.9%), and residing in Riyadh (91.4%). Overall satisfaction with urgent care services was high, particularly regarding the fulfillment of healthcare needs (44.3% rated it “Great”), overall clinic experience (42%), and clarity of discharge instructions (41.7%). Statistically significant associations with satisfaction were observed for age group (p-value = 0.023), residency (p-value = 0.001), and income (p-value = 0.032). Binary logistic regression revealed residency inside Riyadh as a significant predictor of satisfaction (OR = 4.213, 95% CI: 1.363-13.021, p-value = 0.012), indicating that these individuals were over four times more likely to report satisfaction.
Conclusion: The study found high levels of patient satisfaction with urgent care services at KSMC, particularly among young adults, Riyadh residents, and lower-income groups. Residency was the strongest predictor of satisfaction. These findings highlighted the importance of geographic accessibility and service responsiveness in enhancing patient experience in urgent care settings.

Key words: Urgent care, patient satisfaction, healthcare quality, cross-sectional study, Saudi Arabia