Entrepreneurial Intention, Awareness, Facilitators, and Barriers Among Healthcare Providers in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
| Author | Mohammed Alnuhait | en |
| Author | Tariq Alqahtani | en |
| Author | Refal Fagieha | en |
| Author | Rahaf Yousef Ali | en |
| Author | Naif Aljehani | en |
| Author | Nada Alsuhebany | en |
| Author | Mohammed Abdulelah Alotaibi | en |
| Author | Abdulmalik Alotaibi | en |
| Author | Abdulfattah Alhazmi | en |
| Orcid | Mohammed Alnuhait [0000-0002-5279-5437] | en |
| Issued Date | 2026-08-31 | en |
| Abstract | Background: Healthcare entrepreneurship is increasingly relevant to the transformation of the Saudi healthcare system, private-sector participation, digital health, and innovation. However, evidence regarding healthcare providers’ entrepreneurial intentions, awareness, and perceived facilitators and barriers in Saudi Arabia remains limited. Objectives: This study assessed entrepreneurial intention, awareness, perceived facilitators, motivators, and barriers among healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia and examined factors associated with entrepreneurial readiness and willingness. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in November 2023 among 435 healthcare providers working in Saudi Arabia. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling, and the bilingual questionnaire was distributed electronically via professional networks and social media platforms, including LinkedIn and X/Twitter. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings, and Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to examine factors associated with entrepreneurial readiness and willingness scores. Results: Among 435 participants, 82.8% reported interest in entrepreneurship, 76.3% believed that healthcare providers could become entrepreneurs, and 72.2% had considered starting a healthcare-related business. However, only 32.9% were familiar with entrepreneurship concepts, 35.6% had completed entrepreneurship courses, and 6.2% had started a healthcare-related business. The mean entrepreneurial readiness and willingness score was 3.94 ± 0.72 out of 5. Entrepreneurial readiness and willingness scores were significantly higher among female participants than among male participants (4.05 ± 0.64 vs. 3.85 ± 0.77; P = 0.004) and differed significantly across professional groups (P < 0.001). Higher scores were also associated with interest in entrepreneurship, prior entrepreneurship education, institutional support, and previous healthcare-related business experience (all P < 0.001). Conclusions: Among surveyed healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia, entrepreneurial interest was high; however, the establishment of healthcare-related businesses remained uncommon. This intention–implementation gap underscores the need for structured entrepreneurship education, institutional support for innovation, mentorship, regulatory guidance, and access to funding or incubation pathways within the Saudi healthcare system. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5812/healthscope-172444 | en |
| URI | https://brieflands.com/journals/healthscope/articles/172444 | en |
| Keyword | Entrepreneurship | en |
| Keyword | Health Personnel | en |
| Keyword | Intentions | en |
| Keyword | Saudi Arabia | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | Entrepreneurial Intention, Awareness, Facilitators, and Barriers Among Healthcare Providers in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study | en |
| Type | Research Article | en |
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