Almazrou Saja H, Alaujan Shiekha S, AlSaad Nouf F
Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11362, Saudi Arabia.
Royal Commission Hospital, Jubail 31961, Saudi Arabia.
Healthcare (Basel). 2025 May 1;13(9):1038. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13091038.
This study aim to determine the characteristics, roles, responsibilities, and challenges of informal caregivers for adult patients in Saudi Arabia. : Adult patients who have informal caregivers were invited to participate in a cross-sectional study. The inclusion criteria were patients who were 18 years old or older and permanent Saudi residents. A self-administered online questionnaire was used to identify patients' demographics, roles, responsibilities, and care challenges. Data collection lasted four months. Percentages, means, and standard deviations were reported in the analysis. The study included 276 participants, mostly female (68.8%), with a mean age of 55.21 years (SD = 20.3). Over half were married (56.2%) and not employed (81.9%). Common chronic diseases were diabetes and hypertension, with 55.8% using up to five medications. Caregivers were mainly sons or daughters (62%) living with the patient (84.1%). The top caregiver tasks were escorting patients to appointments (63.4%), scheduling doctor appointments (60.1%), and tracking medication refills (59.4%). Common challenges included caregivers lacking time (45.3%), inconsistent care (35.9%), financial constraints (27.5%), and caregivers missing doses (27.9%). The top not encountered challenges were inappropriate medication storage (78.3%), communication barriers (74.3%), improper disposal of injections (72.5%), medication management errors (71.4%), and lack of empathy (70.3%). This study highlights the vital role of informal caregivers in managing chronic illnesses in Saudi Arabia. Informal caregivers face challenges such as time constraints and financial limitations. The findings emphasize the need for better support systems, including training programs and improved access to healthcare resources, to enhance care quality for patients.
本研究旨在确定沙特阿拉伯成年患者非正式照料者的特征、角色、责任及挑战。邀请有非正式照料者的成年患者参与一项横断面研究。纳入标准为年龄18岁及以上的沙特永久居民。使用一份自行填写的在线问卷来确定患者的人口统计学信息、角色、责任及护理挑战。数据收集持续了四个月。分析中报告了百分比、均值和标准差。该研究纳入了276名参与者，大多数为女性（68.8%），平均年龄为55.21岁（标准差 = 20.3）。超过半数已婚（56.2%）且未就业（81.9%）。常见慢性病为糖尿病和高血压，55.8%的患者使用多达五种药物。照料者主要是与患者同住的儿子或女儿（62%）（84.1%）。最主要的照料任务是陪同患者就诊（63.4%）、安排医生预约（60.1%）以及跟踪药物续方（59.4%）。常见挑战包括照料者缺乏时间（45.3%）、护理不一致（35.9%）、经济限制（27.5%）以及照料者漏服药物（27.9%）。最未遇到的挑战是药物储存不当（78.3%）、沟通障碍（74.3%）、注射剂处置不当（72.5%）、药物管理错误（71.4%）以及缺乏同理心（70.3%）。本研究凸显了非正式照料者在沙特阿拉伯慢性病管理中的重要作用。非正式照料者面临时间限制和经济限制等挑战。研究结果强调需要更好的支持系统，包括培训项目和改善医疗资源获取途径，以提高患者的护理质量。
