Design and evaluation of a new mobile application to improve the management of minor ailments: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Seeking pharmacist advice about minor ailments is a common practice among Iraqi patients because such advice is free and quick. Unfortunately, the assessment and management of minor ailments by Iraqi pharmacists were inappropriate. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a model for a mobile application that can assist community pharmacists in the diagnosis and management of minor ailments. METHODS: The scientific content of the application was based on the information in the symptoms in the pharmacy and British National Formulary books. The design and content of the application were approved by two experts. Thereafter, the application was built for Android mobiles using flutter technology and dart language. A pre-post pilot study was conducted to assess outcomes associated with use of the application, including user acceptance and appropriateness of clinical recommendations. Fifteen students from the College of Pharmacy/University of Baghdad who had an Android mobile participated in this study. Two different scenarios about diarrhea were used during the pilot study, in which the researcher acted as a patient (SP) and the participant student as a pharmacist. RESULTS: After using the application, the number of questions asked by the participated student to the SP was significantly increased to about double. Additionally, providing the SP with appropriate non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapy along with optimum counseling and education were also significantly improved. All study participants agreed on the application's ease of use and ability to reduce diagnosis and medication errors. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of the newly developed mobile application, diarrhea management step by step, was associated with improvements in assessment and recommended treatments for diarrhea cases with good acceptance by a pilot sample of pharmacy students at Baghdad University.

A comprehensive review of drivers influencing flu vaccine acceptance in the Middle East over the last six years: using Health Belief Model.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to review the literature covering the perceptions about influenza vaccines in the Middle East and to determine factors influencing the acceptance of vaccination using Health Belief Model (HBM). METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed utilizing PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Three keywords were used: Influenza vaccine, perceptions and Middle East. Empirical studies that dealt with people/healthcare worker (HCW) perceptions of influenza vaccine in the Middle East and written in English were included. The search covered articles published between January 2015 and November 2020. KEY FINDINGS: A total of 34 cross-sectional studies covering a total of 35 518 participants from 22 countries were included in this review. The overall influenza vaccination rates were generally low (<50%) among general population, particularly among pregnant women and children. HCWs had relatively higher vaccination rates compared with general population. Old age, health comorbidities or working in high-risk environments were noted as major motivators to receive the vaccine. Concerns about adverse reactions and the lack of vaccine efficacy were the most predominant reported barriers to receiving the vaccines. Lastly, cues to actions included receiving advice from HCWs, influence of institutional requirement, awareness/educational pamphlets and influence from the media. SUMMARY: The HBM can be helpful in identifying and analysing motivators and barriers to vaccination. Additionally, by looking at the root causation, this model can help plan campaigns to increase vaccination rates in the region. Finally, we recommend empowering HCWs to proactively advocate for vaccination as part of preventive care.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare providers: save the frontline fighters.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare providers (HCPs) at personal and professional levels. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. It was conducted using an electronic format survey through Qualtrics Survey Software in English. The target participants were HCPs working in any healthcare setting across Iraq. The survey was distributed via two professional Facebook groups between 7 April and 7 May 2020. The survey items were adopted with modifications from three previous studies of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Avian Influenza Outbreak. Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted to determine the difference in the pandemic impact according to the dealing with COVID-19 cases. KEY FINDINGS: The authors received 430 surveys from HCPs representing 14 provinces. Approximately 60% of the participants were dealing with diagnosis or treatment of COVID-19 cases. More than 80% perceived high risk of infection and stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, 85.9% of the HCPs had concerns of putting family and close friends at risk due to their job during the COVID-19 crisis. HCPs working in a setting dealing with diagnosis/treatment of COVID-19 cases experienced significantly higher concerns about personal and family safety compared with other HCPs. CONCLUSIONS: Working during COVID-19 pandemic has several negative impacts on HCPs including mental and physical health and an overwhelming work environment. Thus, social and emotional support is needed to help HCPs to cope with such stressful conditions. Finally, providing adequate PPE can help to minimise concerns of getting infected in the workplace.