Assessing the Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention on Risk-Adjusted Mortality Rate Awareness Among Saudi Healthcare Workers

Abstract

Background: The Risk-Adjusted Mortality Rate (RAMR) serves as a critical metric for evaluating hospital quality by factoring in patient-specific risks, including age, comorbidities, and the severity of their illness. However, despite its immense value in promoting healthcare accountability and performance assessment, Saudi Arabian healthcare professionals currently demonstrate a limited awareness of this tool. Implementing targeted educational initiatives has the potential to bridge this knowledge gap and foster support for RAMR adoption among medical staff.

Aims: This research evaluates how an educational video impacts the awareness, knowledge, and general attitudes of healthcare workers toward RAMR in Saudi Arabia, alongside their perceptions of its benefits, required support, and potential implementation challenges.

Methods: We employed a quasi-experimental, single-group design utilizing pre- and post-tests. Data was gathered through an electronic survey administered to 387 professionals with diverse healthcare backgrounds across the Kingdom. Participants completed the questionnaire immediately before and after watching an informative video detailing RAMR's function in healthcare quality assessment. The analysis relied on descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.

Results: The educational video led to a substantial enhancement in the participants' comprehension of RAMR. Initially, 62.02% of the cohort was completely unfamiliar with the concept, a figure that dropped to 6.46% post-intervention. Furthermore, the percentage of respondents confirming their familiarity with healthcare performance metrics surged from 21.19% before the intervention to 93.03% afterward. Recognition of RAMR as an important or very important tool for hospital evaluation jumped from 37.98% to 89.15%. Confidence in its successful rollout also saw a massive increase, rising from 18.61% to 88.89%. Concurrently, concerns regarding potential barriers to implementation diminished significantly following the viewing of the educational video. Overall, statistical analysis confirmed significant progress across all core study domains (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Utilizing a structured educational video effectively elevated the understanding, confidence, and overall support for RAMR among Saudi healthcare workers. Employing such educational strategies is vital for encouraging the integration of RAMR into standard performance evaluations, thereby advancing national healthcare quality initiatives in direct alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.