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This is a Cross-Sectional Study study.

October 3, 2025Open Access

Development and Validation of the Arabic Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction (Ar-SAPS) in General Practice Clinics of a Tertiary Academic Hospital

Key Points

The Ar-SAPS showed good reliability with Cronbach’s α = 0.789 and moderate test–retest stability (ICC = 0.634).
Factor analysis revealed a unidimensional structure, with the first factor explaining 60.2% of the variance.
Significant correlations with established measures demonstrated convergent validity, supporting the tool's effectiveness.
The Ar-SAPS exhibited excellent discriminative ability, with areas under the curve of 0.965 for overall satisfaction.

Abstract

Background and aim: Patient satisfaction is a critical indicator of healthcare quality, shaping treatment adherence, continuity of care, and the allocation of resources. The Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction (SAPS) is a brief, reliable tool that is widely used internationally, but no validated Arabic version currently exists. Therefore, this study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the SAPS into Arabic for use in primary care clinics. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional validation study at general practice clinics of a tertiary academic hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (June–August 2025). Consecutive Arabic-speaking patients aged 18–80 were recruited post-visit and completed a self-administered electronic survey including the Arabic Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction (Ar-SAPS), PSQ-18, and PDRQ-9, as well as demographic and visit variables. Psychometric testing included internal consistency, test–retest reliability, construct validity, and factor analysis. Results: A total of 273 participants enrolled in our study. The Ar-SAPS demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.789; McDonald’s ω = 0.882) and moderate test–retest stability (ICC = 0.634, p < 0.0001). Factor analysis supported a primarily unidimensional structure, with the first factor explaining 60.2% of variance. Most inter-item correlations were moderate to strong, except for item 6. Convergent validity was supported by significant correlations with the Arabic PDRQ-9 (r = 0.623, p < 0.001, CI 0.532, 0.713) and PSQ-18 (r = 0.662, p < 0.001, CI 0.531, 0.793), confirming consistency with established measures of patient satisfaction. Furthermore, it demonstrated excellent discriminative ability, with areas under the curve of 0.965 for overall satisfaction and 0.955 for willingness to recommend. Conclusion: The Ar-SAPS is valid and reliable for use to assess patient satisfaction.

Development and Validation of the Arabic Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction (Ar-SAPS) in General Practice Clinics of a Tertiary Academic Hospital

Key Points

Abstract

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