Role Clarity Among Patient Care Technicians in Saudi Arabia: Outcomes of a Structured Educational Program

TL;DR

A training program improved Patient Care Technicians' knowledge in Saudi Arabia but had limited impact on role clarity.

Contribution

Demonstrates the effectiveness of structured education in improving PCTs' knowledge but highlights the need for organizational support for role clarity.

Findings

Training significantly improved objective knowledge scores by 19.8%.

Total composite scores increased by 10.88% after the intervention.

Role clarity showed only a modest, non-significant improvement.

Abstract

Background: Role clarity is a persistent challenge among Patient Care Technicians (PCTs), contributing to inconsistent task performance and safety risks. In Saudi Arabia, little is known about PCTs’ understanding of their responsibilities. This study evaluated the impact of a targeted educational program designed to improve PCTs’ role clarity, safety practices, and communication. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-post study was conducted in September 2025 with 35 PCTs from the Hail Health Cluster. The one-day intervention included lectures, discussions, role-play, and case scenarios. Outcomes were measured using a validated instrument across four domains: role clarity; core clinical tasks and safety; communication and ethics; and objective knowledge. Pre-post changes were analyzed using paired t-tests (Cohen’s d), and subgroup differences in change scores were examined using one-way ANOVA (η2) in SPSS v29. Results: Baseline scores were lowest in objective knowledge (41.4%) and role clarity (62.8%). Post-training, total composite scores improved significantly (+10.88%, p < 0.001, d = 1.63), with the most significant gain in objective knowledge (+19.8%, p < 0.001, d = 0.99). Role clarity showed only a modest, non-significant increase (+3.98%, p = 0.088, d = 0.30). No demographic differences were found. Conclusions: Targeted training was effective in reducing knowledge gaps; however, improving role clarity may require organizational reinforcement beyond brief training.