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Aim Telemedicine or using e-health applications was maximized during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore awareness and satisfaction with several e-health services provided by the Ministry of Health (MOH), including Seha, Moed, 937 Services, and Wasfati. Methods A population-based social media survey assessed awareness and satisfaction with these applications. The survey gathered information on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Binary logistic regression was used to highlight factors that affect awareness of and satisfaction with these services and thus could be a target for future development. Results Overall, 1333 surveys were completed; most (70%) of the participants were female, 44% were between the ages of 18 and 24 years, 83% were of Saudi nationality, and 70% had university degrees or above. Awareness was greatest with the 937 Services, Seha, Moed, and Wasfati applications. Satisfaction was the highest with the Moed application. Factors affecting awareness and satisfaction included age, sex, nationality, and education. Conclusion Awareness of and satisfaction with the four major e-health applications were high. This indicates the readiness of the Saudi population to embrace advances in telemedicine in alliance with the Saudi 2030 vision.
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Background Febrile neutropenia (FN), owing to its negative association with immune function and infectious complications, acts as a treatment-limiting factor in myelotoxic cancer chemotherapy. This study aimed to analyze the incidence of FN, utilization of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in patients who experienced FN, and its association with age and comorbidities. Methodology This retrospective study was conducted in a major tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Inclusion criteria entailed all neutropenic adults aged >18 years with a proven cancer diagnosis, including solid and hematological malignancies. Patients who were treated with chemotherapy and G-CSF were included in the study. Data regarding FN, administration of G-CSF, and patient and physician-related factors were collected. Results We collected data on 53 cancer patients with a mean age of 41.9 ± 17.1 years (range = 16-75). FN was present in 16 (30.2%) patients and absent in 37 (69.8%) patients. The mean neutrophil count post-filgrastim did not significantly differ from pre-chemotherapy neutrophil count (Student's t-test, p = 0.067), while there was a significant difference from post-chemotherapy neutrophil count (Student's t-test, p = 0.044). In our cohort, 24 (45.3%) patients achieved remission, 12 (22.6%) died, and 17 (32.1%) were not cured. We did not find any significant association between gender, specialty, comorbidities, and age with FN. Conclusions G-CSF administration significantly decreases the incidence of FN post-chemotherapy in cancer patients.
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BACKGROUND: Restricting antibiotic (AB) use with prescriptions and ensuring proper knowledge and attitudes toward AB use is important to reduce antibiotic resistance (ABR). To prevent resistanse problem, several countries have applied prescribing restrictions. Thus, the aim of this work was to re-evaluate the public knowledge and attitudes related to AB use in light of the recent Ministry of Health (MOH) restrictions on AB prescriptions. METHODS: A cross-sectional, population-based survey was distributed through various social media platforms. The survey was distributed via email and personal social media. Data were collected and analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. RESULT: A total of 1333 participants completed the survey. Most participants were female (i.e., 70%), aged 18-24 years old (i.e., 40%), and were aware of the AB restrictions implemented by the MOH. In addition, 77% of participants were aware of the MOH Emergency Call Center (i.e., the 937 Service), but most did not know that it could be used to obtain an AB prescription. CONCLUSION: Although the knowledge and attitude of the general Saudi population appear better than before, it remains clear that some elements of the population's knowledge, attitude, and practice need to be strengthened. This could be achieved by utilizing effective channels such as the MOH 937 Service and increased advertising.
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INTRODUCTION: Polypharmacy is prevalent among cancer patients; however, its relationship with comorbidities as well as its other potential factors has not been well studied among this segment of the patient population. Although several studies have described the prevalence of polypharmacy in cancer patients, its prevalence among Middle Eastern cancer patients is largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of polypharmacy among ambulatory cancer patients as well as its association with comorbidities. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using patients' electronic health records was conducted among ambulatory cancer patients aged ≥ 18 years in a tertiary care hospital. Polypharmacy was defined as the cumulative use of five or more medications. The main outcome was to assess the factors related to polypharmacy among ambulatory cancer patients which was evaluated using a multivariable binary logistic regression model. RESULTS: A total of 383 ambulatory cancer patients were included. Of these, approximately 79% had polypharmacy. Polypharmacy was more likely among patients with hypertension (AOR = 3.24; 95% CI: 1.41-7.42), diabetes (AOR = 3.33; 95% CI: 1.39-7.98), asthma (AOR = 8.64; 95% CI: 1.64-45.54), and anxiety (AOR = 3.61; 95% CI: 1.72-7.57). CONCLUSIONS: Polypharmacy is highly prevalent in the Saudi Arabian oncology patients, especially in those with comorbidities like hypertension, diabetes, anxiety and asthma. Because polypharmacy mostly goes hand in hand with comorbidities, therefore, a multidisciplinary team approach of oncology pharmacist working with other healthcare providers to manage polypharmacy and simplify drug regimens for cancer patients is warranted to optimize the healthcare quality and improve drug safety.
