Health Care Centers In Riyadh Research Articles

Comparing the Prevalence of Sleep Disorders Among Underweight, Normal, Overweight, and Obese Adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background Sleep disorders are prevalent worldwide and can have a negative impact on physical and psychological well-being. Numerous studies have explored the reciprocal connection between obesity and sleep disorders. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of sleep disorders among underweight, normal, overweight, and obese adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 378 adults visiting primary healthcare centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from August to November 2022. Data werecollected using a self-administered questionnaire that included a section for demographic data and the SLEEP-50 questionnaire in both English and Arabic languages. Results Most of the participants were aged between 25 and 34 years (37.6%), 79.1% were females and 59.5% were either overweight or obese.Most participants (78.3%) had at least one sleep disorder, with narcolepsy being the most frequent disorder (65.1%), and 23% had two combined sleep disorders. Obese and overweight patients were significantly more likely to have sleep disorders (p=0.011), and obese patients were more likely to have all sleep disorders (p=0.049). Conclusion The prevalence of sleep disorders, namely narcolepsy and insomnia, is high among adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Moreover, sleep disorders are significantly associated with obesity. Evaluation and management of sleep disorders in clinical settings among patient with overweight or obese is important to improve their quality of life and to prevent physical and psychological complications.

Quality of Life of Patients with Undiagnosed Anxiety Disorder in PSMMC Primary Health Care Centers in Riyadh

Quality of Life of Patients with Undiagnosed Anxiety Disorder in PSMMC Primary Health Care Centers in Riyadh

The Impact of Virtual Clinic on the Services` Users during Corona Virus Pandemic (COVID-19) in Health Care Centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

This study aimed to assess the impact of virtual clinic on the services'` users during the Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic in health care centers in Riyadh. The researcher used the descriptive analytical method, and the study sample consisted of 100 individuals who used services in health care centers in Riyadh. The researcher used the SPSS statistical package program. The researcher reached to several results, the most important of which are; virtual clinics are very effective in improving the delivery of user services. Most of study subjects are fully treated despite not being seen in person. More than two thirds of the study sample 68% consider that the length of time spent with the therapist or one of his family members is a good period. The treatment was explained by the virtual clinic staff to a very good degree (67%). The degree of accuracy, care and skill of the virtual clinic staff is high (69%). Courtesy, respect, sensitivity and friendliness are provided by the virtual clinic staff at an excellent rate of 88%. The virtual clinic staff is distinguished by a very high respect for patient privacy (88%). The staff responds to the patient's questions about the treatment plan effectively and to a high degree (99%). The degree of the comprehensive treatment experience of the study sample using a virtual clinic is very good and excellent (81%). The researcher also concluded several recommendations, including; - Providing adequate time for health care users by health care providers.

The influence of telemedicine in primary healthcare on diabetes mellitus control and treatment adherence in Riyadh region

Several studies have found that telemedicine has the potential to enhance the outcomes of patients with diabetes. This study aimed to determine the impact of telemedicine on the clinical outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Saudi Arabia. We conducted a cross-sectional study among T2DM patients in selected primary healthcare centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from March 1, 2023, to August 20, 2023. We looked at how telemedicine affected HbA1c control, adherence, the number of diabetic complications, and polypharmacy using adjusted multivariable logistic regression models. Among the 583 patients, 140 (24.05 %) received care via telemedicine, while 442 (75.95 %) received in-person care. Patients who utilized telemedicine had significantly better glycemic control than those who received in-person care only (AOR = 5.123, 95 % CI = 3.107–8.447). Telemedicine also showed positive effects on treatment adherence (AOR = 2.552, 95 % CI = 1.6284–4.2414). Telemedicine can effectively reduce diabetic complications (AOR = 0.277, 95 % CI = 0.134–0.571). Regarding polypharmacy, patients with telemedicine use were less likely to report polypharmacy (AOR = 0.559, 95 % CI = 0.361–0.866). Telemedicine is considered one of the factors that improve HbA1c management and might increase therapeutic adherence and reduce diabetic complications and polypharmacy.

Patient Waiting Time at Primary Healthcare Centers in Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study

BackgroundPatient waiting time can adversely affect health services utilization and continuity of care, impacting patient satisfaction. In Saudi Arabia, there is limited information about the average waiting time at primary healthcare centers. Therefore, this study quantifies patient waiting time for services offered in Ministry of Health primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study utilizing secondary data from the Health Information System at primary healthcare centers in Riyadh was conducted in December 2020. Ten primary healthcare centers were selected. All patients visiting the selected centers during the study period were included, except those who needed emergency care or came for services without seeing the physician. Data regarding patient waiting time in minutes for different stages of primary healthcare services were collected.ResultsThe median total waiting time was 23 min. The median waiting time for pre-consultation and consultation were 6.00 and 6.78 min, respectively. The waiting time for pharmacies in rural primary healthcare centers was 22.1 min, while there was no recorded information regarding pharmacy waiting time in urban primary healthcare centers. The total waiting time at urban primary healthcare centers was longer than at rural primary healthcare centers, with a significant difference between both groups (t = − 15.5, P < 0.001). Patient age, marital status, educational level, occupation, and weekdays were significant factors influencing waiting time (P < 0.05).ConclusionThis study reveals positive outcomes regarding the average waiting time in primary healthcare centers in the Riyadh region. Further primary research is recommended.

Identifying the Challenges of Child Abuse Detection Among Emergency, Pediatrics, and Family Medicine Practitioners in Saudi Arabia.

Child abuse is a significant issue across many countries. Despite the situation's innate understanding, many children are not reported to authorities and continue to experience abuse, sometimes even death. Healthcare professionals must be alert for abuse in any child who appears with injuries that are out of the ordinary because it is easy for indicators of child abuse to go unnoticed in a busy emergency department. The current study aims to evaluate and detect the challenges in diagnosing and reporting cases of child abuse among healthcare practitioners in emergency, pediatrics, and family medicine. A self-administered online disseminated questionnaire was used for data collection during the period fromOctober 1 to December 30, 2022. A cross-sectional study was conducted on emergency, pediatrics, and family medicine healthcare practitioners working in hospitals in healthcare centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All data were collected, tabulated, and statistically analyzed using SPSS 23.0 for (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) Windows. The study sample constituted 200 physicians working in the front lines of healthcare like emergency, pediatrics, and family medicine primary care services,50.5% were males and 49.5% were females. 36.5% of participants were 31-39 years old. 42% were family medicine physicians, 36.5% were pediatricians, and 21.5% were emergency medicine. About 43% of participants attended an educational workshop on child abuse. Nineteen percent of participants are very familiar with the diagnosis of child abuse and 36% of participants reported one to three cases of child abuse in the emergency department in the last year, 5% reported four to six cases and 56.5% reported none. Forty-seven percent of participants reported diagnosing one to five cases of child abuse throughout their whole career, 13% reported 11-15 cases, 6.5% reported six to 10 cases and 28.5% reported none. Causes of underdiagnosis of child abuse by healthcare providers were reported as 63% inexperience, 59% inadequate time for physical examination, 59% lack of diagnosis protocol, 51% lack of confidence in communicating with parents, 36% physicians' cultural background, and 38% lack of confidence in the diagnosis. 93.5% of participants think that healthcare practices need further education for child abuse. In conclusion, physicians in Saudi Arabia who participated in the study had good knowledge to diagnose a case of child abuse. Inexperience, inadequate time for physical examination, lack of diagnosis protocol, lack of confidence in communicating with parents, and physicians' cultural background were the main identified challenges for diagnosing child abuse. Familiarity with cases of child abuse was significantly associated with physicians' age, specialty, and level of training.

Factors associated with patients bypassing primary healthcare centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the reasons for bypassing primary healthcare centers in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: This study used a descriptive, questionnaire-based, and cross-sectional design with a non-probability convenience sampling. The data collection tool was a self-administered questionnaire, which included questions on sociodemographic data, satisfaction with services, knowledge of services, and reasons for bypassing primary healthcare centers. Results: The study included 588 participants, of which 264 (44.9%) were males, and 64.1% were aged between 18 and 24 years. Majority of the participants visited a PHC center at least once (94.9%), but also experienced a failed treatment (42.8%) or a lack of medications or diagnostic services in PHC (61.1%). The most common reason for bypassing PHC was the unavailability of diagnostic measures (38%), followed by the need for more experienced staff (33%). The study also found significant associations between gender, employment status, age and the reasons for bypassing PHC. Conclusion: Although there is considerable reported utilization of PHC center services, there was a high rate of bypassing PHC facilities for various reasons. The main factors influencing bypassing behavior were the availability of diagnostic measures, drugs, and experienced staff. Therefore, improving the quality and accessibility of PHC services is essential to reduce the bypassing rate and enhance the utilization of PHC in the study area.

Venous Thromboembolism Awareness among Saudis Risk Group at Primary Health Care Centers in Riyadh

Developing specialized health programs for the at-risk public begins with an assessment of knowledge. There is a lack of local research regarding at-risk groups’ knowledge about venous thromboembolism. Our goal is to identify gaps in knowledge about VTE among communities at risk. Methods: Quantitative cross-sectional study design was used. A questionnaire was administered to patients who were followed up in primary health care centers under Riyadh Second Health Cluster , and who were conveniently selected. Descriptive statistics were presented by using the Package for Social Sciences version 24 for statistical analysis. Results: The results showed a total of 823 participants; 30% of them have lack of knowledge about DVT. Also, the majority of participants not aware about causes of a leg clot. More than half of the participants are not aware of PE and they did not report that chest pain, cough with blood, the heart rate becomes rapid as signs of PE. However, few of participants were worried about VTE and they agree that clots may result in death .Finally, the participants agreed that untreated blood clots in the leg cannot travel to the lungs . Conclusion: To achieve the current Saudi Health Council evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, primary health care centers need to activate the role of health care providers. Future research should include a healthy Saudi general population. Educational programs regarding VTE could also be evaluated through interventional studies. The health care providers’ perceptions of VTE and their role in raising awareness about VTE need to be assessed in practice. Key words: Venous thromboembolism, awareness, risk groups, Saudi Arabia

The Prevalence of Dry Eye Disease and Related Factors Among Adult Patients Attending Primary Healthcare Centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Objective In this study, we aimed todetermine the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) and its related factors among adult patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methodology We conducted a cross-sectional studybased on a pre-designed, validated questionnaire (the McMonnies questionnaire)at primary healthcare centers in Riyadh in January-May 2019. Participants were classified into two groups: those with and without a diagnosis of DED. Factors related to the diagnosis were derived using univariate analysis. A backward stepwise logistic regression model was used to further explore predictors of DED and included all variables that were significant in the univariate analysis. Results A total of 276 patients participated in this study. About half (53.3%) were males, and 47.8%were aged 25-45 years. While more than two-thirds of the participants (70.3%) had some symptoms indicative of DED, only 42% were diagnosed with DED. A higher prevalence of DED was found in females. About half (47.5%) had been prescribed eye drops or other treatments for dry eyes. Univariate analysis showed a significant correlation between the incidence of DED and living in southern Riyadh (p=0.017). Additionally, all age groups were significantly associated with DED, and a higher prevalence was reported in those older than 45 years. Backward stepwise logistic regression revealed that using dry eye drops was among the most significant predictors of DED [odds ratio (OR): 339, 95% confidence interval (CI): 73.2-1577.3, p<0.001]. Conclusion Based on our findings, DED was more common among women and with advancing age. DED was associated with the presence of dry eye symptoms, arthritis, usage of dry eye drops, and living in southern Riyadh. There is a need to design and implement health awareness programs to prevent such medical issues among the population.

Medication Adherence Among Multimorbid Patients With Polypharmacy and Its Relation to Social Support at National Guard Primary Health Care Centers, Riyadh.

The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of nonadherence to medication in multimorbid patients with polypharmacy and its relationship to social support in primary healthcare centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We conducted a cross-sectional, convenience-sample, non-randomized study in three primary healthcare centers managed by National Guard Health Affairs. The participants included 417 adult patients - (a) with two or more chronic illnesses and (b) who were taking two or more medications. The primary outcome variable was the prevalence of medication nonadherence in multimorbid patients with polypharmacy as measured by the modified Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). The second main variable was the impact of functional social support, as measured by the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire (FSSQ), on medication adherence. The level of medication adherence was low for 194 (46.5%) of the 417 patients, medium for 127 (30.5%), and high for 96 (23%). There were 256 (61.4%) male participants and 161 (38.6%) females, and their mean age was 59.15 (SD ± 11.186) years. Additionally, 171 (41%) participants used two or three medications, 127 (30.5%) used four or five medications, and 119 (28.5%) used more than five medications; 178 (42.7%) of the patients had two comorbidities, 136 (32.9%) had three comorbidities, 69 (16.5%) had four comorbidities, and 31 (7.5%) had five comorbidities. Some social support data from the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire (FSSQ) was missing for 58 (13.9%) of the participants. Among the rest of the sample, reported levels of social support levels were high for 246 (59%) patients, medium for 101 (24.2%), and low for 12 (2.9%) patients. None of the differences between social support and medication adherence were statistically significant. However, 61 (24.8%) patients reported both high social support and high medication adherence; 173 (48.2%) had low social support and low medication adherence (p = 0.470). We found that medication nonadherence in multimorbid patients with polypharmacy was high (46.5%). Although there were no statistically significant relationships between social support and medication adherence, certain patient characteristics were associated with low medication adherence - age over 60 years, male gender, and number of medications.

تقييم استخدام التطبيقات الصحية لمرتادي العيادات الخارجية ومراكز الرعاية الصحية الأولية في مدينة الرياض

ملخص لقد أصبحت التقنية المتنقلة تربط المريض مع المَرفِق الصحي والفريق القائم على رعايته صحيّاً. من ذلك أصبحت أجهزة الهواتف المتنقلة وغيرها تساعد الفرد على متابعة حالته الصحية وتدير يومه صحيّاً. خلال جائحة كورونا (كوفيد-١٩) وجد مجتمع السكان في المملكة العربية السعودية مساعدة ودعماً كبيرين من قبل الدولة في تبني استخدام تطبيقات الهواتف المتنقلة بشكل يومي في أداء أعماله اليومية. وإلى جانب التطبيقات اليومية الأخرى، استأثرت التطبيقات الصحية باهتمام كبير، وصارت شغل الفرد الشاغل، وأصبحت أعدادها في تنامٍ متوالٍ جعل كلّ جهة من جهات القطاع الصحي تُعنى بإطلاق تطبيق أو أكثر للاهتمام بحالة الفرد الصحية. نشأ الغرض من الدراسة لتحديد مدى اهتمام المجتمع بالتطبيقات الصحية، وأيّها أكثر استخداماً فيما يتعلق بالوضع الصحي للسكان. لقد تكونت عينة الدراسة من 517 ممارسا صحيا ومراجعا للعيادات الخارجية لمدينة الملك عبد الله الطبية، وخمسة مراكز للرعاية الصحية الأولية في الرياض. واستخدم المنهج الوصفي المسحي في هذه الدراسة. أظهرت النتائج انخفاض اهتمام أفراد المجتمع بالاعتماد على التطبيقات الصحية لمتابعة أوضاعهم الصحية. كما أثبتت وجود علاقات تغايرت بين طردية وعكسية بين الجنس والعمر والاستخدام. ولكن لم يكن للمَرفِق والمراجعين تأثير كبير. وحددت النتائج أيضاً أكثر التطبيقات الصحية استخداماً بجانب التطبيقات المُستخدَمة يوميّاً للتواصل الاجتماعي. لقد أوضحت النتائج أنّ ٩٧٪ من أفراد العَيِّنَة كانوا مواطنين، في حين أنّ ٣٪ فقط كانوا من المقيمين. كما أنّ ٧٠٪ منهم كُنّ إناثاً و٣٠٪ تقريباً كانوا من الذكور. كما أوضحت الدراسة أنّ ٦٤٪ من أفراد العَيِّنَة يستخدمون التطبيقات الصحية لمتابعة حالاتهم الصحية. ومن ناحية أخرى وُجِد أنّ ٤٠٪ فقط من أفراد العَيِّنَة تأثرت أوضاعهم الصحية إيجاباً باستخدام التطبيقات الصحية، الامر الذي يستدعي توجه افراد المجتمع للاهتمام باقتناء التطبيقات الصحية واستخدامها أكثر. قد لا تكترث شريحة كبيرة من افراد المجتمع لشراء التطبيقات الصحية، إذ أفاد جميع من أجابوا عن السؤال بأنهم يحملون التطبيقات مجاناً ولا يأبهون بشرائها. ومِمّن أجاب عن تساؤل البحث عن مصادر أخرى غير التطبيقات لمتابعة الحالة الصحية توعية أو علاجاً، تساوت الفئتان تقريباً بين مَن يبحث في المواقع أو غيرها وبين من لا يكترث، ولم يكن هناك فرق واضح إحصائيّاً بينهما. وقد انتهت الدراسة إلى عدة توصيات من شأنها رفع مستوى الوعي الصحي لدى افراد المجتمع لتحسين جودة الحياة. كما وضّحت الباحثة أنّ دراسةً مثل هذه تفتح آفاقاً لدراسات أخرى من شأنها اضافة قيمة كبيرة إلى استخدام التطبيقات الصحية، وإثراء المكتبة العربية بمعلومات من شأنها أن تعزز موقف الباحث العربي في استخدام تطبيقات الهواتف المتنقلة، وعلى الأخصّ التطبيقات الصحية. Mobile technology connects patients with health facilities and health care teams. Hence, smart devices help individuals to monitor their health conditions and manage wellness. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the community in Saudi Arabia found great support from the government in adopting the use of mobile apps including newly launched health apps to manage individuals’ health status. The purpose of this study is to assess the extent of the society&apos;s interest in health apps and which ones are most used. The study sample consisted of 517 health practitioners and outpatients from King Abdullah Medical City and five primary health care centers in Riyadh. The descriptive survey method was used in this study. The results showed a low usage level of health apps and found positive and inverse correlations between gender, age and apps use. However, the facility and its visitors did not have a significant impact. The results also identified the most used health apps besides the usage of social applications. It was revealed that: 97% of the respondents were citizens while only 3% were expats; 70% were females and approximately 30% were males; and 64% used health apps. On the other hand, 40% of them had their health conditions impacted positively by using health apps, which shows the positive impact of this type of apps in raising awareness of the public towards health promotion. The community would not pay for health apps as all who responded to the related question stated that they download the free apps and are not interested in the paid-for ones. Whoever answered the question of searching for health information via internet sources and not via health apps, the two categories were almost equal between those who do on websites and those who do not, but there was no statistically clear difference between them.The study provided several recommendations that would raise the level of awareness of the health status of individual to improve the quality of life. The researcher also explained that a study like this opens prospects for other studies that would add great value to the use of health apps and enrich the Arabic library with information that would promote the Arab researchers in using health applications.

Prevalence and Regulation of Dyslipidemia Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes From Three Primary Health Care Centers in Riyadh.

BackgroundDyslipidemia is an added risk factor in patients with type 2 diabetes who are more prone to develop cardiovascular diseases as it implies an alteration of the lipid level leading to serious health complications.ObjectiveThis study aimed at assessing the prevalence of dyslipidemia among patients with type 2 diabetes and comparing the lipid profile measurements between controlled and uncontrolled type 2 diabetic patients.MethodA cross-sectional retrospective study was performed in three primary health care centers in Saudi Arabia. A sample of 418 patients with type 2 diabetes was enrolled in this study. To collect data, the researcher used a structured questionnaire and retrieved patients' data from the electronic medical records in the study setting.ResultsThe findings of the study showed that 82.1% of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients recruited in this study were dyslipidemic. In addition, it was found that there was a significant difference in triglycerides, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) between controlled and uncontrolled diabetic patients (p≤0.05). Moreover, a significant interaction was found between gender, HbA1c control, educational level, and frequency of exercising on one hand and dyslipidemia on the other hand (p≤0.05).ConclusionThe study concluded that there is a high prevalence of dyslipidemia among type 2 diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia and a significant interaction between dyslipidemia and diabetic patients' gender, HbA1c control, educational level, and frequency of exercising. The study recommends increasing type 2 diabetic patients' awareness regarding the management of diabetes and dyslipidemia and the importance of providing educational intervention regarding diabetes self-care activities.

Prevalence of Dementia and Its Associated Risk Factors Among Geriatric Patients Visiting Primary Healthcare Centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Dementia is a major cause of morbidity and dependence. The number of elderly individuals living with dementia worldwide is expected to rise up to 131 million by 2050. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is estimated to be one of the highest prevalence regions. However, there are limited numbers of studies in the region, especially on the primary care level. This study aims to determine the prevalence of dementia and identify the most important modifiable risk factors in our sample. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used utilizing the non-probability convenience sampling technique. A questionnaire including demographic data, the Arabic version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9) to screen for depression, and the Arabic version of the eight-item Alzheimer's Dementia (AD8) to screen for dementia, were administered to participants recruited from six primary healthcare centers in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. Results: This study found the prevalence of dementia to be 16% and 11% assuming cutoff points of 3 and 4, respectively, using the Arabic version of AD8, with depression and dyslipidemia as important modifiable risk factors for dementia in our sample. Conclusion: Primary healthcare professionals should be aware of the important modifiable risk factors such as dyslipidemia and depression in the population to be able to develop strategies for early detection and slowing down the progression of dementia. Further research to identify other modifiable risk factors in the population is recommended.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of seasonal influenza and influenza vaccine immunization among people visiting primary healthcare centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Influenza infection continues to be a hazard to the Saudi population, resulting in high death rates and illness prevalence; it also places a substantial financial burden on the government. The government takes several strategies and approaches through the Ministry of Health has shown great success in curbing the disease. Vaccination is considered the most appropriate control measure; unfortunately, most Saudi residents, particularly in the city of Riyadh, do not consider vaccination a safe health practice. As a result, many have not participated in the influenza vaccine immunisation programme. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of seasonal influenza and influenza vaccine immunisation among clients visiting primary healthcare centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the study investigated the relationship between participants' demographics and their KAPs regarding influenza vaccination. A cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study was conducted among 611 individuals who visited four of Riyadh's primary healthcare centers: Alsylimania, Alwady, Alyasmin, and Alsahafah. A self-reported questionnaire was used to assess the KAPs of participants, with questions regarding seasonal influenza and influenza vaccine immunisation. The scores of participants' knowledge showed that the majority had good knowledge regarding seasonal flu (64.5%) and the flu vaccine (73.3%). Furthermore, only 52% of participants had a positive attitude score towards the seasonal influenza vaccination. Despite that, significant knowledge gaps and mistaken beliefs regarding certain aspects of influenza were noted in participants, resulting in negative attitudes and perceptions as well as a reduced likelihood of being vaccinated. In this study, 43.7% of participants (267 out of 611) had ever received a flu vaccine. Participants with a history of previous vaccination had a significantly higher level of knowledge and more positive attitudes, which resulted in increased vaccination coverage. Therefore, educational strategies to improve knowledge regarding influenza in Riyadh are recommended.

Association between Sleep Quality and Health Related Quality of Life among Adult Patients Attending Primary Health Care Centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Association between Sleep Quality and Health Related Quality of Life among Adult Patients Attending Primary Health Care Centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The leadership styles of primary healthcare center managers and center performance outcomes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A correlational study.

BACKGROUND:Leadership is a wide concept that is rapidly developing. Diverse theories suggest different styles of leadership, with strong relationships between the different styles and their outcomes. The transformational style emphasizes motivating employees and encouraging them to find new ways of dealing with issues. The transactional (TL) style promotes ideas of rewards and punishments. The Laissez–faire style is characterized by relaxation and the tendency to leave things to happen with minimal interference.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This is a descriptive cross-sectional study design conducted in Primary Healthcare Centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The leadership styles were assessed using a Multi-Factor Leadership Questionnaire, which identifies the different styles of leadership. SPSS v 26.0 was used for data analysis. t-test employed to compare leadership style between raters and managers. Logistics regression model used to determine the influence of leadership styles of managers. Pearson correlation coefficient determined the linear relationship between leadership styles and its domains.RESULTS:A total of 130 respondents (65 managers vs. 65 raters) took part. “Raters” refer to any persons other than the manager, such as a secretary, nurse, doctor. The “manager” is when the person rates himself. The global transformation mean score was 3.55, for TL it was 3.42 and for passive avoidant, the mean score was 0.93. The passive avoidant (t = 2.005; P = 0.047) and management by exception (passive) (MBEP) mean scores of raters were statistically significantly higher than managers. In the binary regression model, MBEP was the independent significant predictor of manager.CONCLUSION:The perceived leadership style of Primary Healthcare Center managers was transformational but with TL. Transformational leadership was positively correlated with TL leadership but negatively correlated with passive avoidant (The Laissez–faire style). The outcome of this study demonstrated that intellectual stimulation, idealized attributes, and inspirational motivation are perhaps better than contingent reward, active management.

Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Associated Risk Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Primary Health Care Centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Pregnancy is a diabetogenic condition, with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) developing in 3 to 25% of all pregnancies. GDM has unfavorable short- and long-term consequences for both mothers and their children.

Are Patients Aware of Their Rights? A Cross-Sectional Study of Visitors to Three Primary Healthcare Centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background and objectivePatients’ rights are an essential aspect of human rights. Thus, in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA) established a Patients’ Bill of Rights (PBR) and introduced it to the public about 30 years ago. This study aims to assess levels of awareness of PBR and to identify their information sources among visitors to primary healthcare centers (PHCCs).MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 358 visitors, aged 17 to 78, to three PHCCs at the National Guard Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted between April and December 2017 using a self-administered questionnaire. The initial sample (convenience sampling) was refined to match the proportion of participants with the relative size of populations served by the centers. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the relationships between participants’ demographic data and levels of awareness of patients' rights.ResultsMost participants (72.2%) were moderately aware of their rights, but the majority (65.3%) were unaware of the existence of the PBR. Healthcare providers were the main information source for patients’ rights, although participants with the highest awareness scores obtained information from social media. Level of awareness was significantly associated with education, income, and regular hospital follow-ups.ConclusionsThe study results should motivate healthcare providers, stakeholders, and health organizations in Saudi Arabia to raise and maintain public awareness of patients’ rights and to implement them.

Perception of Parents Towards COVID-19 Vaccine for Children in Saudi Population.

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease that is caused by severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). With the rapid spread of this pandemic, vaccination has been a breakthrough solution. At the time of conducting the study, COVID-19 vaccines were only approved for adults 18 years and older. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the parents’ likelihood of vaccinating their children once the recommendation for pediatric vaccination is established.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study in which a self-administered survey was distributed to all parents visiting National Guard primary healthcare centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaires were distributed to parents attending primary care clinics. Data collected in the questionnaire include demographics (gender, marital status, educational level, and age), questions assessing parental perception towards the COVID-19 vaccine, and willingness to offer the vaccine to their children.ResultsA total of 333 respondents completed the survey with a response rate of 83.3%. Half of the participants were males and the other half were females with the majority (45.6%) aged between 31 and 40 years old. In terms of parental acceptability of vaccinating their children against COVID-19, 53.7% of the parents were willing to vaccinate their children as opposed to 27% who were reluctant to do so. Of those who refused, 97.5% and 96.6% cited lack of information and evidence, respectively, as the most common reasons for not accepting COVID-19 vaccine. We have found that age of the parents, especially those 31-40 years old, age of their children, especially 4-12 years old, and previous acceptance of the seasonal influenza vaccine were significantly associated with higher parental acceptability of COVID-19 vaccine. In contrast, gender, marital status and educational level were not statistically significant factors.ConclusionAs COVID-19 spread globally and made people's lives in danger, vaccination became a highly important measure to halt the spread of the disease. Parents are now given the choice of protecting their beloved children from COVID-19 infection and its possible complications. Based on our findings, we noticed that majority of parents are going to vaccinate their children. In addition, some certain age groups of parents and children were significantly associated with decreased vaccine hesitancy to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

Physician's Perception Toward Using Telemedicine During COVID-19 Pandemic in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

IntroductionThe novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December of 2019. Since that time, medical services in Saudi Arabia have adapted to the situation by delivering medical care via virtual clinics. Therefore, the aim of the study is to assess physicians' perception and the level of satisfaction with telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study that included family medicine consultants and fellows who had used telemedicine in primary health care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was conducted using an online validated questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by 219 family medicine consultants and fellows, after obtaining their informed consent. The data that were extracted from the questionnaire included demographics, level of satisfaction, and questions related to their experience with telemedicine.ResultsTwo hundred and nineteen participants enrolled in this study with 50.6% males and 49.4% females. The overall level of physicians’ satisfaction with telemedicine was 64.3%. However, only one-third preferred telemedicine over office visits. Of these, 60% were males and 40% were females. The only factor that had a statistically significant effect on the preference of office visits or telemedicine was time efficiency (p-value < 0.001). Of those who preferred office visits over telemedicine, 52% of them cited ease of discussion and the ability to make a comprehensive physical examination as the most important reasons for choosing office visits. Technologic issues were the least important factor for choosing either clinic (4.1%). Of those who preferred telemedicine, avoiding contact with patients suspected of COVID-19 was the most commonly cited factor (27.4%). Family medicine physicians face multiple barriers while using telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most commonly cited barrier was the inability to make a full and comprehensive assessment of the patient.ConclusionsIn the setting of highly transmissible disease epidemics, telemedicine has a lot of potential for providing quick and safe care that is appropriate for screening and management. Based on our findings, using telemedicine should be encouraged by improving physicians’ skills in this field since telemedicine is a crucial step to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and provide community-wide treatment.