Unlocking compassion: expanding access to palliative care in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Palliative care is an essential element of the healthcare system. It has profound benefits for patients with life-limiting illnesses. The Saudi Arabian healthcare system lags in integrating this vital component effectively. Hence, estimating the palliative care needs of the Saudi Arabian population is crucial to understanding the country's demand for palliative care.

Aim: To assess the past trends in adult palliative care needs in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: The current research used population-based secondary data analysis by employing two palliative care needs estimation methods: the direct or fixed estimation method by Gómez-Batiste and the maximum or maximal method by Murtagh and Rosenwax. The estimated palliative care needs were stratified by gender.

Results: An upward trend in the palliative care needs of the Saudi Arabian population is evident through the estimation techniques. The proportion of palliative care needs relative to deaths climaxed at 95% in the observed years. By 2022, the number of people requiring palliative care skyrocketed to 79,725 (fixed method) and 101,623 (maximal method).

Conclusion: The need for palliative care in Saudi Arabia substantially rose in the observed years. It is inevitable to bridge the gap between palliative care needs and supply with advanced integration of palliative care services in the national healthcare system.

Keywords: Gómez-Batiste; Murtagh; Rosenwax; Saudi Arabia; palliative care; palliative care needs.

Figure 1.

Estimation of absolute number of palliative care needs in a certain year.

Figure 2.

Estimation of proportion of palliative care needs relative to total deaths.

Figure 3.

Gender-wise estimates of palliative care needs.