Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess patient preferences between emergency rooms (ERs) and primary health care centers (PHCs) for surgical and non-urgent clinical conditions, participants’ knowledge of common clinical conditions relevant to triage, identified factors influencing healthcare facility choice, and explored awareness of the surgical care services available at both ERs and PHCs.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia from January to April 2026. Data were collected from PHC visitors and the general public using a validated, expert-developed questionnaire that assessed clinical knowledge and healthcare-seeking preferences across 10 surgical and non-urgent scenarios.
Results: Among 378 participants (response rate 96%; 56.3% female; 81.2% university-educated), the mean aggregate knowledge score was 4.65 out of 10 (estimated SD ±1.51), indicating moderate clinical knowledge. Appropriate triage behavior, defined as a clear majority (≥50%) selecting the clinically recommended facility, was demonstrated in 5 of 10 clinical scenarios. The highest correct triage rates were for rectal bleeding (70.4% chose ER) and scalp wounds (56.1% chose PHC). Triage was most uncertain for anal pain, breast pain, minor wounds, superficial burns, and blood spots after anal wiping. Only gender was significantly associated with knowledge of anal pain causes (p-value = 0.0001).
Conclusion: Participants demonstrated moderate clinical knowledge and generally appropriate health care-seeking behavior; however, important gaps were identified for anal pain etiology, breast pain urgency, and burn triage. Targeted community health education through PHC centers, schools, and digital media is recommended to improve triage literacy and reduce unnecessary ER utilization.

Key words: Emergency department, patient preferences, primary health care, triage, surgical, non-urgent, Saudi Arabia, Jazan