RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) delivered 293,381 virtual clinic visits in 2024, a 58.2% increase from the previous year. The growth highlights how telehealth has become central to the hospital's care model, helping ease pressure on outpatient clinics while giving patients across the Kingdom faster and more convenient access to specialized care.
Launched in 2021, the virtual consultation service was introduced to reduce travel burdens for patients in remote areas. For many, particularly the elderly and those living with chronic conditions, it has eliminated the need for repeated hospital visits, improved quality of life, and removed financial and logistical barriers by connecting them directly with specialists from home.
With an average of more than 800 virtual visits each day, the service has eased pressure on outpatient facilities, boosted operational efficiency, and allowed KFSHRC to optimize resources while maintaining the highest standards of care for both in-person and remote patients.
Building on this momentum, KFSHRC expanded its digital health portfolio in 2024 with the launch of a virtual pharmacy consultation service through its mobile application. Patients can now book appointments under the Virtual Care option to connect with pharmacists for guidance on medication alternatives, dosage adjustments, and treatment management-all without visiting the hospital.
These programs demonstrate how KFSHRC is making healthcare more accessible and efficient, while keeping patients at the center of care. By combining digital solutions with clinical expertise, the hospital is reducing unnecessary travel, shortening waiting times, and ensuring patients have timely access to specialists wherever they live.
These initiatives also support Saudi Arabia's broader healthcare transformation goals under Vision 2030, ensuring that high-quality care reaches more people while resources are used more effectively across the health system.
KFSHRC has been ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and 15th globally in the list of the world's top 250 Academic Medical Centers for the second consecutive year and has been recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East, according to the 2024 Brand Finance rankings. It was included in the world's best 250 hospitals and in the World's Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025 by Newsweek magazine.
For more information, visit www.kfshrc.edu.sa or contact our media team at mediacoverage@kfshrc.edu.sa
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