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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.
