Public Views on the Healthcare System in Kuwait

Abstract

Aim:Examine public views on the healthcare system in Kuwait.Objectives: -To find out the extent to which the public trust the health care system;-To identify their views on factors relating to trust in healthcare,-To find out the effect of socio-demographic factors on views, and-To identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current healthcare system in Kuwait from the perspective of the public.Methods:This study is a national cross sectional survey on a representative sample of the population of Kuwait. The total number of participants was 1024. Both Kuwaiti and expatriate users of the Kuwaiti healthcare system were included.Results:The majority did not trust that Kuwait had a good healthcare system, but had high levels of confidence in most levels of healthcare, as well as most healthcare workers. The findings have shown average level of trust in most dimensions of trust in healthcare except in the one related to macro-level policies, which showed low levels. There were significant variations in views between respondents from different socio-demographic groups.Conclusion:Trust is important, but public trust alone is not a reliable and valid tool in measuring the performance of a healthcare system. Public views on healthcare can be used in setting future policies.