Health remains a top priority for the government in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and there are enormous opportunities for growth in this high-potential business sector.

The healthcare sector in KSA is undergoing evolution on the back of rapid advancements in technology, research and development in line with the global and regional trends. However, healthcare providers are grappling with several challenges concurrently, such as patients becoming customers demanding innovative, cost-effective ways to deliver person-centred, technology enabled “smart” healthcare, both inside and outside hospital walls.

Pressing ahead with the nation’s vision to elevate holistic experiences for achieving the quadruple aim; Patient Experience Excellence Congress (#PXECongress) is set to return this year with its second edition from 15th -18 March 2020 at the InterContinental Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Under the esteemed patronage of Ministry of Health Saudi Arabia, the congress will gather over 450 PX innovators, disruptors and futurists technologist; each committed to making compassionate healthcare a priority in their organisations and communities.

The speaker faculty featuring the CEO’s, PXO’s, CIO’s and Chief Quality Officers from leading organisations such as Children's National Health System; Cedars- Sinai, John Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, SVRZ (Netherlands), Saudi German Hospitals, Texas Children’s Hospital, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company – SEHA (UAE), King Saud University Medical City, Clemenceau Medical Centre, Planetree etc will showcase the winning strategies to deliver highest quality of care, best clinical outcomes and exceptional patient experience.

Elaborating on the implementation of Ada’a – the unique performance measurements model that has acclaimed international recognition; Dr. Mohammed Khaled Abdulaali, Assistant Deputy Minister for Hospital Services – Ministry of Health Saudi Arabia in the capacity of the congress speaker commented “Patient expectations are ever-increasing and their opportunity to understand their condition, due to exposure to the internet, means that they become more informed and more demanding of the healthcare system and its clinicians. As we make this transformation and address these challenges, it is important that we have a positive impact on health outcomes. People must see and feel the benefit of the changes, we are making.” Dr. Mohammed is looking forward to attending the congress to hear from his peers on how they have used the voice of patients to transform the patient experience and what are the pioneering initiatives adopted to improve the quality of care across the healthcare systems.

On the subject of dealing with caregiver burnout as a global healthcare epidemic; Dr. Ghassan Abbass, Assistant Vice President for Clinical Excellence at Riyadh Second Health Cluster quoted “Caregiver well- being should be recognized as key aspect of the organization's strategy. It does not happen by accident, nor is it achieved through short term isolated efforts but rather should be part of every strategic plan, with clear ownership, and dedicated resources. The Congress will offer a great opportunity to find out the new trends and learn from the best in the field.”

As patient experience professionals, we are often challenged with the need to come up with new solutions for old problems” said Dr. Monalisa Watfa, Chief Experience Officer in Saudi German Hospitals. She further added “Patient feedback and concerns are very similar across hospitals and across geographical zones. This means that opportunities to learn from other organizations and sectors abound. There are many untapped opportunities for us to share knowledge, learn from each other, and in turn, revolutionize the way we care for our patients.”

Talking about the launch of the 2020 edition , Zenab Husain, Production Director of the PXECongress stated “The industry is therefore fighting an uphill battle of reinventing themselves to pioneer the future of patient engagement, satisfaction, loyalty and benchmarking. Underpinning the over-arching goal to unpack the complexities of the patient journey, explore solutions to reduce friction and embrace collaboration opportunities between the touch points; the Patient Experience Excellence Congress returns this year with exciting new content and a fresh new line-up of top global and regional trendsetters. These diligently selected experts will share their knowledge on innovation in healthcare delivery and how to spark change in the experience era.”

“Experience leaders are in a unique vantage point to share their insights – and the time has come to take lead and help usher in the emerging realm of healthcare revolution” she further added.