The prevalence of diabetes in various regions has attracted significant attention of the medical experts. The prevalence of diabetes is expected to increase in the future due to changes in lifestyle ...and unhealthy diets of individuals. The objective of the study is to identify the extent of knowledge related to diabetes and glycemic controls in various diabetic patients living in Saudi Arabia. A total of 435 patients were recruited using a random sampling technique, while following a cross-sectional design. Patients’ knowledge was tested using the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test. Findings of the study illustrated that the problem was common among middle-aged male patients. A significant amount of knowledge related to the consumption of medicines, insulin, healthy diet, etc. was found among diabetic patients. Despite the fact that people have adequate knowledge, valuable attention is yet required to provide necessary counselling to people living in Saudi Arabia that may help them to control health risks and mortality.
There is growing evidence of the need to consider cultural factors in the design and implementation of digital health interventions. However, there is still inadequate knowledge pertaining to the ...aspects of the Saudi Arabian culture that need to be considered in the design and implementation of digital health programs, especially in the context of home health care services for patients who are chronically and terminally ill.
This study aims to explore the specific cultural factors related to patients and their caregivers from the perspective of physicians, nurses, and trainers that have influenced the pilot implementation of Remotely Accessible Healthcare At Home, a connected health program in the Home Health Care department at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A qualitative study design was adopted to conduct a focus group discussion in July 2019 using a semistructured interview guide with 3 female and 4 male participants working as nurses, family physicians, and information technologists. Qualitative data obtained were analyzed using a thematic framework analysis.
A total of 2 categories emerged from the focus group discussion that influenced the experiences of digital health program intervention: first, culture-related factors including language and communication, cultural views on using cameras during consultation, nonadherence to web-based consultations, and family role and commitment and second, caregiver characteristics in telemedicine that includes their skills and education and electronic literacy. Participants of this study revealed that indirect contact with patients and their family members may work as a barrier to proper communication through the Remotely Accessible Healthcare At Home program.
We recommend exploring the use of interpreters in digital health, creating awareness among the local population regarding privacy in digital health, and actively involving direct family members with the health care providers.
Abstract Background Misuse and overuse of antibiotics comprise leading causes of antimicrobial resistance. The study aims to assess the pattern of antibiotic prescription among primary healthcare ...general practitioners in the South Batinah Governorate of Oman. Method A cross-sectional study of 600 antibiotic prescriptions issued in the South Batinah Governorate in 2019 was conducted to verify the triggering diagnoses and determine the appropriateness of the prescribed antibiotic. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between predictors and inappropriate use. Results Respiratory infections accounted for 62% of antibiotic prescriptions, of which 92.2% were inappropriately prescribed. Extended-spectrum antibiotics were inappropriately prescribed in 33.3% of cystitis cases, while 14.3% of gastroenteritis received incorrect spectrum of antibiotics. Amoxicillin represented 46.2% of antibiotic prescriptions, of which 84.4% were unnecessarily prescribed. Lower inappropriate antibiotic prescribing rate was linked to patients ≥ 18 years (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.82), those who underwent laboratory tests (OR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.39), and consultations at health centers (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.79). Arabic-speaking physicians were more likely to prescribe antibiotics inappropriately. Conclusion Inappropriate antibiotic prescription was frequently observed in mild respiratory infections and associated with specific patient and physician characteristics. Appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions issued can be improved through enhanced testing capacities as well as implementation of physician and community awareness campaigns.
Objective. To measure the knowledge of Saudi patients with diabetes in coping with their condition and to assess their practice of disease control during travels. Study Design. Cross-sectional study ...using a self-administered questionnaire. Method. This study was conducted between September 2018 and May 2019 at a University hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The questions were adopted from guidelines and advices provided by the CDC, American Diabetic Association, and other references. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors associated with diabetic control during travels. Results. From the included 242 patients, 33.6% showed the good practice of diabetic control during travels. 23.7% of patients were communicated by their doctors about the importance of consultations before traveling and 20.7% encountered complications during travels. Factors associated with doctors’ consultation before travel are patients’ concerns about travel duration and possible risks during trip. (OR = 2.588, 95% CI = 5.308–1.261), (OR = 3.525, 95% CI = 8.152–1.525); respectively. Conclusion. Patient awareness and education about the importance of proper diabetic self-monitoring and control during travels is crucial as the study showed suboptimal diabetes management practice. Practice Implications. Physicians should proactively educate patients about the importance of seeking advice before their travels.
This study presents a novel approach to enhance expert panel discussions in a medical conference through the use of ChatGPT-4 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer version 4), a recently launched ...powerful artificial intelligence (AI) language model. We report on ChatGPT-4's ability to optimize and summarize the medical conference panel recommendations of the first Pan-Arab Pediatric Palliative Critical Care Hybrid Conference, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ChatGPT-4 was incorporated into the discussions in two sequential phases: first, scenarios were optimized by the AI model to stimulate in-depth conversations; second, the model identified, summarized, and contrasted key themes from the panel and audience discussions. The results suggest that ChatGPT-4 effectively facilitated complex do-not-resuscitate (DNR) conflict resolution by summarizing key themes such as effective communication, collaboration, patient and family-centered care, trust, and ethical considerations. The inclusion of ChatGPT-4 in pediatric palliative care panel discussions demonstrated potential benefits for enhancing critical thinking among medical professionals. Further research is warranted to validate and broaden these insights across various settings and cultures.
To explore the changing patterns of long-stay patients (LSP) to improve the utilization of pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) resources.
This is a 2-points cross-sectional study (5 years apart; ...2014-2019) conducted among PICUs and SCICUs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Children who have stayed in PICU for more than 21 days were included.
Out of the 11 units approached, 10 (90%) agreed to participate. The prevalence of LSP in all these hospitals decreased from 32% (48/150) in 2014 to 23.4% (35/149) in 2019. The length of stay ranged from 22 days to 13.5 years. The majority of LSP had a neuromuscular or cardiac disease and were admitted with respiratory compromise. Ventilator-associated pneumonia was the most prevalent complication (37.5%). The most commonly used resources were mechanical ventilation (93.8%), antibiotics (60.4%), and blood-products transfusions (35.4%). The most common reason for the extended stay was medical reasons (51.1%), followed by a lack of family resources (26.5%) or lack of referral to long-term care facilities (22.4%).
A long-stay is associated with significant critical care bed occupancy, complications, and utilization of resources that could be otherwise utilized as surge capacity for critical care services. Decreasing occupancy in this multicenter study deserves further engagement of the healthcare leaders and families to maximize the utilization of resources.
Background: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are an epidemic problem in Saudi Arabia, resulting in high morbidity and mortality rates. This paper investigates the increasing number of RTAs and their ...related injuries and mortalities in Saudi Arabia.Methods: This study was performed on the population of Saudi Arabia using secondary data from the general authority for statistics from 1990 to 2018. Correlation among the variables (RTAs, injuries, mortalities, and population) was conducted using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS), and forecasts of their trends over the next ten years using linear regression was discussed.Results: Eastern, Makkah and Riyadh regions were the top three regions in the number of RTAs accounting for 69% of the total RTAs in Saudi Arabia. All regions have had a pattern of RTA rise from 1990 till 2014 that dropped in the last 4 years. Riyadh had the highest injury rate per 10,000 RTA, although it had the lowest RTA rate per 100,000 population in the period from 2010-2014. Mortality rate in Riyadh doubled between the years 2014 and 2018 while Makkah accounted for the highest RTA-related mortality rates. The correlation between RTAs and mortalities were the highest in the country (r=0.92). In 2030, the average annual increase in the rate of RTAs, related injuries, and related mortalities will be 3%, 2% and 2.1%, respectively.Conclusions: Decision makers in Saudi traffic and transportation department should continue monitoring accidents prevention strategies and their effect. Reasons behind high injury and mortality rates, despite the decrease in the rate of RTAs, should be investigated.
Objectives: To explore the changing patterns of long-stay patients (LSP) to improve the utilization of pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) resources. Methods: This is a 2-points cross-sectional ...study (5 years apart; 2014-2019) conducted among PICUs and SCICUs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Children who have stayed in PICU for more than 21 days were included. Results: Out of the 11 units approached, 10 (90%) agreed to participate. The prevalence of LSP in all these hospitals decreased from 32% (48/150) in 2014 to 23.4% (35/149) in 2019. The length of stay ranged from 22 days to 13.5 years. The majority of LSP had a neuromuscular or cardiac disease and were admitted with respiratory compromise. Ventilator-associated pneumonia was the most prevalent complication (37.5%). The most commonly used resources were mechanical ventilation (93.8%), antibiotics (60.4%), and blood-products transfusions (35.4%). The most common reason for the extended stay was medical reasons (51.1%), followed by a lack of family resources (26.5%) or lack of referral to long-term care facilities (22.4%). Conclusion: A long-stay is associated with significant critical care bed occupancy, complications, and utilization of resources that could be otherwise utilized as surge capacity for critical care services. Decreasing occupancy in this multicenter study deserves further engagement of the healthcare leaders and families to maximize the utilization of resources.
Adequate access to health care systems is considered a basic human right. Therefore, it is important that health care services be delivered to those who need them most in the most efficient manner ...possible.
We evaluated the distribution of hospital beds across Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2019 to assess inequalities in hospital resource allocation.
This cross-sectional study utilized data from the Health Statistical Yearbook published by the Ministry of Health during the period 2015-2019. The number of hospital beds per 100 000 population was calculated for the 20 health regions. Generation of other parameters, such as the Gini index and the Lorenz curve, was performed to assess the distribution of beds. The Pearson coefficient was calculated to assess the correlation between beds and population in each health region.
The ratio of hospital beds to population improved from 2015 to 2019 in areas such as Ha'il, Tabouk and Ta'if, which increased by 89.6, 72.5 and 32.5 respectively. The calculated mean Gini index for bed distribution in the public sector was 0.21; in the private sector it was 0.53. There was a strong positive correlation between population and hospital beds in Riyadh, Qaseem, Eastern and Ha'il regions.
In Saudi Arabia the observed inequalities in hospital bed distributions lie mainly in the private sector. It is recommended that policymakers be aware of such inequalities and work on possible reforms to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
Stress is very common among medical students and trainees. Chronic stress has multiple negative mental and physical health consequences. This study explores medical students and interns' stressors ...and their coping strategies.
This is a qualitative study involving four focus group discussions with final year medical students (8 males, 10 females) and medical interns (8 males, 7 females). The study was conducted between October 2017 and January 2018 in the premises of a large medical school in Riyadh. After verbatim transcription, framework thematic analysis of the data was performed using NVivo software.
Promoting the reward feeling of the medical profession was seen as an active stress-coping strategy among medical students. Planning and time management was seen by some participants as stressful while others felt it was a stress-coping strategy. The perception of stress among medical students was seen as a normal feeling. Avoiding discussions on medical matters, building relationships with the other sex and smoking were reported as avoidant stress-coping strategies.
Medical students and interns are still struggling to achieve healthy stress-coping strategies. There is a great need for stress management programs to help fostering the students' coping skills.
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