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Awareness and Sociodemographic Factors as Predictors of Knowledge About Health Economics and Pharmacoeconomics Among Registered Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background and Objectives: Global demand for health economics/pharmacoeconomics (HE/PE) has significantly increased, leading to a greater need for competent and skilled healthcare professionals in this field. However, the current literature indicates a lack of research regarding HE/PE among healthcare professionals, including those in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), particularly among registered nurses. Hence, this study assessed registered nurses’ levels of awareness and knowledge of HE/PE and their sociodemographic and HE/PE-related predictors. Methods: A descriptive–correlational, cross-sectional design was used. The study was conducted on a convenience sample of 324 registered nurses working at the three hospitals within King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, KSA. Data were collected from May 2025 to June 2025, and analyzed using SPSS v.30. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted for HE/PE awareness, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed for knowledge about HE/PE. The significance level was established at p < 0.05. Results: Registered nurses demonstrated an overall low level of knowledge (2.39/5), while showing a good level awareness about HE/PE across four awareness items (52.8% to 84.6%) but suboptimal for the remaining two items (38.6% and 38.9%). Several sociodemographic and HE/PE-related factors were identified as significant predictors of the registered nurses’ awareness and knowledge regarding HE/PE. Notably, four out of the six awareness items: “have heard about HE/PE” ( p =0.040), “read articles related to HE/PE regularly” ( p < 0.001), “participate in HE/PE decisions at work” ( p < 0.042), and “implement HE/PE techniques to make decisions” ( p < 0.001) were revealed as significant predictors of registered nurses’ knowledge about HE/PE. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the knowledge level regarding HE/PE among registered nurses was low; nevertheless, their awareness was acceptable. It is crucial to develop and implement targeted educational strategies and interventions aimed at enhancing both awareness and knowledge about HE/PE among registered nurses in the KSA, while meticulously considering pertinent sociodemographic and HE/PE-related factors. Keywords: awareness, health economics, knowledge, registered nurse, pharmacoeconomics, Saudi Arabia

Source: ClinicoEconomics and Outcomes Research

DOI: 10.2147/ceor.s568493