Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41658286›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2025

Tracing the evolution of health policymaking in Saudi Arabia: a qualitative analysis of experts' opinion.

Bayan A Hariri, Faisal M Albagmi, Afnan A Aljaffary

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Bayan A HaririHealth Information Management and Technology Department, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Faisal M AlbagmiPhysical Therapy Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Afnan A AljaffaryHealth Information Management and Technology Department, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: A combination of international policy adoption and local implementation strategies has historically shaped health policy development in Saudi Arabia. However, there is limited understanding of the factors driving these policy changes and the challenges encountered during implementation. Objectives: This study aims to explore the state of health policymaking in Saudi Arabia, how it is formulated, and how it has evolved over the years. Methods: This qualitative study used thematic analysis of expert interviews to identify key policy formulation and evolution themes. It analyzed expert insights from 10 semi-structured interviews with policymakers, thematically coded the data, and examined it using NVivo to uncover patterns in health policy evolution. Results: The findings indicate a shift from centralized policymaking to a more collaborative, evidence-based process. Interviewees highlighted various challenges in policy implementation, including a lack of policy governance and an insufficient policy evaluation process. Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of strengthening local policy capacity to reduce dependence on foreign experts and ensure that policies align with national needs. Additionally, establishing a centralized policy repository would improve transparency, while investing in a robust health data infrastructure would bolster evidence-based policymaking and adaptive health reforms.

Indexed as

Health PolicyPolicy MakingAdministrative PersonnelHumansInterviews as TopicQualitative ResearchSaudi Arabiahealth policy reformpolicy evolutionpolicy implementationqualitative researchSaudi Arabia

Identifiers

PMID41658286
PMCPMC12872759

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.