Image used for representation only.
DOHA: A new study published on PubMed Central has shed light on how patients and healthcare staff perceive communication in health centres, operated by the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC).
The study, titled ‘Patient and Clinician Perspectives on Communication in Primary Care Centres in Qatar – A Focus Group Study,’ highlights communication gaps between patients and healthcare professionals in Qatar’s 31 PHCC-managed centres, which serve over 1.7 million people.
The focus group study emerged from a broader initiative by PHCC to enhance patient satisfaction after routine surveys consistently indicated shortcomings in how patients experience communication with health centre staff.
In response, PHCC undertook a comprehensive “realist review” of international research to identify evidence-based interventions that could improve patient satisfaction. However, most existing research was based in Western contexts, prompting PHCC to conduct 18 focus groups—nine with patients and nine with multidisciplinary staff—to explore local perspectives.
One of the most consistent concerns raised by patients was the importance of being warmly welcomed upon arrival—particularly being greeted with a smile and treated courteously. Many patients also expressed confusion about how the health centres operate and a lack of understanding of medical information.
Staff echoed similar concerns, acknowledging the importance of initial greetings and pointing out patients’ frequent misunderstandings about healthcare processes and terminology. However, a key divergence was noted: patients prioritised shorter waiting times, while staff cited challenges in managing growing demand and limited resources.
The study also uncovered issues unique to Qatar’s healthcare setting, influenced by its cultural diversity and specific patient expectations.
While, PHCC has created and fully implemented a Patient and Family Advisory Group (PFAG), a group of patients that works closely with PHCC leadership to ensure that the patient voice is heard and embedded into decision-making at all levels of the organization. PFAG was aware of both the findings from satisfaction surveys and PHCC’s intent to involve patients in improving communication with health centre staff.
PHCC has also established the Patient Friends programme, which invites patients from across all 31 health centres to participate in various community and healthcare improvement activities. Members of PFAG and Patient Friends were among those invited to take part in the focus groups. Patients were active participants in half of the sessions and were encouraged to bring up any concerns or ideas beyond the moderator’s questions.
Also Patient Friends from all centres attended a national conference where the focus group findings were presented. They then joined staff in identifying communication priorities and worked side by side on improvement projects, ensuring that changes were grounded in real patient experiences.
