HRH the Crown Prince, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Aviation, Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, recently conveyed his thanks to HE Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Rabeeah, and Ministry employees on the occasion of the release of the Patient Relations Program Organizational Guide Book.
In his letter to HE the Minister of Health, the Prime Minister said, “Praise be to Allah, then to the Ministry’s officials and employees for this great effort, and for their commitment to providing the best health services for our citizens. We ask Almighty Allah to grant you success and blessings.”
HE Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Rabeeah, communicated his thanks and gratitude to HRH, and praised our leaders’ dedication and commitment to supporting healthcare services to all the citizens of our beloved country.
The Patient Relations Program’s Organizational Guide Book includes detailed information about the program which was launched on 3\4\1430H in accordance with the Minister’s directive. The guidebook lists the Ministry’s achievements in providing high-quality healthcare services, development and training programs which incorporate the Kingdom’s social values and customs. The goal of the Patient Relations Program is to deliver a high standard of health services through effective administration by trustedpersonnel in compliance with patients’ rights.The program also aims to develop continuous and effective communications between health facility employees and patients by understanding patient needs and soliciting their feedback.
The Organizational Guide Bookhighlights such Patient Relations Department tasks as the periodic review of the quality of healthcare services and the study of how patient complaints and other issues are resolved. The department also provides procedures for delivering information and suggestions to appropriate authorities to improve the performance of various Ministry of Health facilities. The department is responsible for providing instruction to health service personnel in patient and family rights, and for making patients aware of these rights, as well. Additionally, the department sets MOH Patient Rights policies and procedures, andsuggests training programs for Patient Relations and Social Servicesemployees.
Some of the other departmental tasks presented in the guidebook include: handling proposals and inquiries from Patient Relations commissions system-wide, preparingstandardized questionnaires andstatistical forms for use in various departments, reporting significant complaints and suggestions to action committees, discussingcommon causes of complaints and suggesting suitable solutions, and any related activities which will effectively strengthen the relationshipbetween patients and health service providers.