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Introduction/Objectives: The prevalence of thyroid disorders is high in Saudi Arabia. Among the disorders, goiter and thyroiditis are the most common and have unique ultrasound (US) features, underscoring the need for US screening for thyroid pathologies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of thyroiditis and thyroid nodules in patients attending the Family and Community Medicine Center of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. Methods: This registry-based cross-sectional study analyzed laboratory and US data from 240 patients who attended the Family and Community Medicine Center of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University from January 2020 to December 2021. Abnormalities of the thyroid gland were categorized according to laboratory and US data. Associations between different types of thyroid pathology and clinical and laboratory findings were assessed using appropriate statistical methods. Results: The majority of participants were Saudi women. The prevalence of thyroiditis in the study population was 43%. Approximately 25% of these patients had more than 1 nodule, and fine-needle aspiration biopsy showed that most nodules were benign. Most nodules were found in clinically euthyroid patients. Thyroiditis might be associated with abnormal thyroid function. Conclusions: Thyroiditis and thyroid nodules were common in our cohort. Vitamin D deficiency, other autoimmune diseases, and a family history of thyroid disorders were associated with thyroiditis and thyroid nodules. US is useful for identifying the type of thyroid disease.

Introduction: Primary care plays an integral role in modern healthcare systems. More so in a country that is currently undergoing a reform of its health system. Their remains barriers that hinder patients from seeking medical assistance from primary physicians. This study aims to examine the overall satisfaction of patients toward Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in Saudi Arabia, as well as its association with potential barriers from a sample of patients who presented at the emergency department (ED) for non-urgent cases. Methods: This cross-sectional study sampled 403 patients from King Fahd Hospital of the University. A piloted questionnaire was utilized that included questions on sociodemographics, satisfaction of PHCs, as well as organizational, socioeconomic, access, and patient-doctor relationship barriers using a Likert-scale item response. Chi-squared and Fisher’s Exact tests were used to compare categorical variables, and multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between overall satisfaction and all factors and barriers. Results: The sample consisted of 48.1% males and 51.9% females. Only 5.2% of the patients were hospitalized. Of the total sample, 28.3% reported being always satisfied with PHC services. The most reported barriers were organizational barriers and socioeconomic barriers. The regression analysis found that being a female, highly educated, have high organizational, and patient-doctor relationship were independent predictors for low overall satisfaction with PHCs. Conclusion: Findings from this study should allow healthcare planners and policy makers to reduce the impact of these barriers by finding solutions that would target them. This may include strictly implementing policies such as proper implementing of triaging in EDs as well as promoting services that are being provided free of charge at these centers.