Three-year trends and seasonal variation in patient satisfaction with primary health care services in Saudi Arabia: results from the national patient experience measurement program (2022–2024)

Background: Patient satisfaction is a key metric for assessing quality and equity in health systems. In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has prioritized monitoring patient experiences to guide primary health care (PHC) improvements. Understanding seasonal variation in satisfaction is particularly important, as it can reveal fluctuations in service performance and inform workload planning, staffing, and quality improvement policies. This study examined three-year trends and seasonal variation in patient satisfaction with PHC services from 2022 to 2024. Methods: A retrospective repeated cross-sectional analysis was conducted using secondary data from the MOH Patient Experience Measurement Program. Data included responses from patients or their caregivers who visited PHC centres and completed the Press Ganey®-based patient satisfaction survey. Quarterly datasets from January 2022 to December 2024 across all PHC centres managed by 20 health clusters in Saudi Arabia were merged. The main outcome was the mean satisfaction score (scaled 0-100). Linear regression models were used to examine changes in patient satisfaction, adjusting for sociodemographic factors such as age, sex, and nationality. Interaction terms were introduced separately to assess temporal trends across different subgroups. Predicted margins were calculated and visualized to interpret subgroup patterns. Results: = 4.18; 95% CI: 4.01, 4.34). All subgroups showed upward trends, although disparities by age, sex, and nationality persisted throughout the three-year period. Conclusion: Patient satisfaction with PHC services in Saudi Arabia improved significantly between 2022 and 2024, with evidence of seasonal patterns. These findings emphasize the importance of using national patient experience data to strengthen patient-centered reforms, promote equity, and guide evidence-based PHC quality improvement and policy design.