Background: As part of Vision 2030, the Saudi Health Sector Transformation Program (SHSTP) introduced hospital clustering and digital health to strengthen patient-centered care. However, limited empirical evidence exists on its real-world impact. SHSTP represents one of the first large-scale digital integration reforms in the Gulf region, aligning with international frameworks such as the WHO Integrated People-Centred Health Services (IPCHS) and the Wagner Chronic Care Model. This study therefore contributes policy-relevant evidence on how national digital health reforms translate into measurable improvements in care coordination and patient experience. Methods: A convergent mixed-methods study was conducted across two regions (Mecca and Eastern Province) and four public hospitals (two clustered, two non-clustered) from 2016 to 2024. Quantitative indicators included patient satisfaction, Patient-Centered Care Index (PCCI), follow-up compliance, digital engagement (telemedicine, Sehat app/EMR), operational efficiency, and readmissions. Analyses used t-tests, ANOVA, and multivariable regression. Qualitative data from 53 semi-structured interviews (patients and physicians) were thematically analyzed and integrated with quantitative results through triangulation. Results: Clustered hospitals showed higher patient satisfaction (87.6% vs. 75.0%), stronger care coordination (PCCI: 89.4 vs. 69.7; p < 0.001), and better follow-up compliance (83.6% vs. 71.2%; p = 0.006). Digital engagement was greater (telemedicine 0.53 vs. 0.30; Sehat app 0.55 vs. 0.26; both p < 0.05). Regression identified hospital clustering (β = 12.49; p = 0.022), physician role (β = 19.92; p < 0.001), and digital literacy (β = 4.03; p = 0.047) as significant predictors of care coordination. Qualitative findings supported these results but highlighted challenges with digital literacy and workforce stability. Conclusions: SHSTP clustering improves patient experiences, digital engagement, and operational performance in chronic care. Sustained progress requires investment in digital literacy, workforce development, and change management. Broader longitudinal evaluation is warranted to confirm scalability and system-wide effects. These results extend the global evidence base on health system transformation by illustrating how digital and structural integration can operationalize patient-centered care in emerging-economy settings.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder of the aging brain, is associated with behavioral and cognitive issues and poses a huge burden on the global health care system. One of the key features of AD is the deposition of abnormal proteins called amyloid-beta (Aβ) in the brain, causing inflammatory changes, oxidative stress, and neuronal loss. Recent advancements in the anti-Aβ therapies have considerably improved the management of AD, resulting in better clinical outcomes for patients and caregivers. This review offers an inclusive update on current drug discovery efforts, innovative approaches, and ongoing clinical trials targeting Aβ, a key player in AD pathogenesis. We have evaluated the most recent developments in monoclonal antibodies, including aducanumab (discontinued November 2024), lecanemab, and donanemab, emerging therapeutic options, as well as emerging strategies such as tau-targeting therapies, gene therapy, and small molecule inhibitors. Moreover, we highlighted the challenges and opportunities in AD research, including the need for early diagnosis, personalized medicine, and combination therapies. Our review will offer a concise and informative overview of the current landscape and future directions in anti-Aβ therapeutics for AD, shedding light on potential treatments and prospects for improving patient outcomes.

This study aimed to explore women’s perceptions of a gender-tailored diabetes education program and examine self-reported behavioral, psychosocial, and self-management changes following participation among women in underserved Saudi communities and identify barriers influencing sustained diabetes management. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods study was conducted from January to June 2024 in community health centers in Al-Leith and Adham, Makkah region. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 20 women aged 18 to 65 years to explore experiences and perceptions. Findings informed a structured questionnaire administered to 136 program participants. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize behavioral changes and perceptions, and thematic analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s 6-phase framework. Participants reported positive changes in lifestyle and self-care behaviors. Approximately 70% reduced sugar intake, 65% increased physical activity, 72% improved hydration practices, and 68% performed regular glucose monitoring. Most respondents agreed that the advice was easily applicable (73.7%), addressed women-specific challenges (71%), and enhanced motivation (72.4%). Qualitative themes highlighted daily life changes, helpful program aspects, challenges, and recommendations. Barriers included time constraints (22%), family duties (20%), financial limitations (19%), and limited healthcare access (8%). Participants perceived the tailored diabetes education program as helpful in supporting healthier behaviors, self-management practices, and motivation in underserved Saudi settings. Addressing social expectations, time pressures, and access barriers through digital follow-up and community support could strengthen long-term outcomes and advance Vision 2030 preventive health goals. Because findings were based on self-reported cross-sectional data, causal relationships regarding program effectiveness cannot be established.

BACKGROUND The Health Sector Transformation Program is a key part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. One of its main goals is to improve patient centered care through hospital clustering. However, limited evidence exists on how clustered and non-clustered hospitals differ in managing chronic diseases. OBJECTIVE To assess patient centered care in chronic disease management in clustered and non-clustered hospitals in Saudi Arabia. METHODS A mixed methods study was conducted in four hospitals in Mecca and the Eastern Province between 2016 and 2024. Two hospitals were clustered and two were not. Quantitative data were taken from hospital records to assess patient centered care indicators, digital health use, and resource utilization. Qualitative data were collected through 53 in depth interviews with patients and physicians to explore care experiences and implementation challenges. RESULTS Clustered hospitals had higher patient centered care index scores than non-clustered hospitals (99.06 vs 89.82, p<.001). Patient satisfaction was higher (87.6 vs 79.7, p<.001) and readmission rates were lower (8.5% vs 14.5%). Digital health adoption was greater in clustered hospitals (72.5% vs 45.0, p=.02). Interview findings supported these results and showed better care coordination and accountability in clustered hospitals. Non clustered hospitals reported limited resources and uneven care processes. CONCLUSIONS Hospital clustering under the Health Sector Transformation Program is associated with better patient centered care and improved chronic disease outcomes. Ongoing gaps in non-clustered hospitals highlight the need for focused investment in digital systems and workforce training to support equitable progress under Vision 2030.

Health policy analysis frameworks play a central role in understanding how reforms are designed, implemented, and experienced in practice. Walt and Gilson’s Health Policy Analysis Triangle has been widely used to examine the interaction between policy content, context, actors, and processes, particularly in settings where implementation is shaped by political and organizational dynamics. However, many contemporary health reforms are increasingly digitally mediated and culturally embedded, raising questions about whether existing frameworks sufficiently capture the conditions that structure implementation. This paper proposes a conceptual extension of the Health Policy Analysis Triangle by theorizing Technology and Culture as cross-cutting dimensions that shape how policy content is enacted through actors and processes within specific contexts. The extension is grounded in secondary analysis and theoretical interpretation of empirical patterns previously identified in an evaluation of Saudi Arabia’s Health Sector Transformation Program, a large-scale reform initiative implemented under Vision 2030. Drawing on previously collected policy documents and qualitative interview data from the doctoral study [6] SHSTP evaluation, the paper illustrates how digital infrastructure and sociocultural norms operate as structuring influences on coordination, accountability, participation, and patient-centred care. The proposed framework does not replace the original triangle but enhances its analytical adequacy for reforms unfolding in digitally mediated and culturally complex systems. By making Technology and Culture explicit, the extended model provides a pragmatic analytical framework for analyzing implementation variation and reform learning in Saudi Arabia, with potential relevance for other health systems undergoing rapid transformation when adapted to local contexts.