KFSH Expands Virtual Care Pathways to Bring Specialized Follow-Up Closer to Patients

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH) is expanding virtual and alternative care pathways at its Jeddah hospital, giving patients greater flexibility in how they access specialized services while reducing the need for unnecessary hospital visits.

In 2025, virtual clinic visits at KFSH Jeddah reached 97,647, an increase of 12.1% from the previous year. At the same time, outpatient visits across core specialized services rose by 15.5% to 132,368, reflecting broader access to both virtual and in-person care based on patients’ clinical needs.

The expansion forms part of a wider approach to making the patient journey easier to navigate from referral and appointment management through treatment and follow-up. Referral decision time was reduced to 21 hours in 2025, helping patients receive earlier clarity on the next steps in their care. Digital channels and the Contact Center were also enhanced to improve access to information, appointments, and clinical and non-clinical services.

Care is also moving beyond the hospital itself. Home healthcare visits reached 14,924, up 11.8%, enabling selected services to be delivered at home when clinically appropriate. KFSH Jeddah also introduced therapeutic plasma exchange in outpatient clinics, allowing eligible patients to receive treatment without inpatient admission and supporting a faster return to everyday life.

Lymphoma and Myeloma Consultant at KFSH, Dr. Alfadel Alshaibani, said: “These pathways provide patients with different points of access to specialized care rather than relying on a single hospital-based model. Patient feedback and satisfaction data are used to identify areas for improvement and guide service development.”

The approach forms part of KFSH’s broader patient-centered strategy, using virtual care, home healthcare, outpatient treatment, and digital services to bring appropriate specialized care closer to patients while maintaining continuity across the care journey.

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre has been ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 12th globally among the world’s top 250 academic medical centers for 2026. It was also recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East for 2026, according to Brand Finance, and listed by Newsweek among the World’s Best Hospitals, World’s Best Smart Hospitals, and World’s Best Specialized Hospitals for 2026.

For more information, please contact Media Coverage at KFSH: mediacoverage@kfshrc.edu.sa