RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Control and prevention of infectious diseases has been a primary health mandate. The reporting system is a vital step in preventing and controlling of these diseases. Most important, healthcare workers who have a responsibility to report must be aware of this responsibility. The present study aimed to improve the compliance of primary healthcare workers against reportable tropical and non-tropical dermatological diseases. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: The objective was to assess the knowledge, skills, and practice of primary healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia regarding the surveillance system of reportable tropical and non-tropical dermatological diseases using an assessment tool featuring closed-ended questions. As a secondary objective, this study assessed the satisfaction of primary healthcare workers with the surveillance system. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Through a cross-sectional design, the study used an electronic self-administered questionnaire targeting the primary healthcare workers who met the inclusion criteria through a non-probability sampling technique. RESULTS: By the end of the study period, data had been collected from 377 primary healthcare workers. Slightly more than half of them worked for the ministry of health facilities. In the last year, the vast majority (88%) of participants did not report any infectious diseases. Poor or low knowledge was reported by almost half of the participants concerning which dermatological diseases should be notified immediately on clinical suspicion or routinely on a weekly basis. Clinically and in response to the skills assessment, 57% of the participants had lower skills scores in detecting and identifying the skin ulcer of leishmania. Half of the participants were less satisfied with the feedback after their notification and considered the notification forms complicated and time-consuming, especially with the usual high workload in primary healthcare centers. Furthermore, the observed significant differences (p < 0.001) in knowledge and skill scores were demonstrated with female healthcare workers, older participants, employees from the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, and workers with more than ten years of experience. CONCLUSION: The present study has shown the limitations of public health surveillance due to underreporting and lack of timeliness. The dissatisfaction of study participants with feedback after the notification step is another finding that demonstrates the need for collaboration among public health authorities and healthcare workers. Fortunately, health departments can implement measures to improve practitioners' awareness through continuous medical education and providing frequent feedback to overcome these hurdles.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The objective is to study the demographics and clinical characteristics of Saudi multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, and assess their extent of disability using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). METHODS: This hospital-based study intended to address the population of all MS-diagnosed patients registered between 2018 and 2021 in the Neurology Department of King Fahad Hospital in the Madinah region. Data were gathered from medical records and by interviewing participants in the Neurology Clinic. The chi-square test and linear and logistic regression were applied to draw inferences. RESULTS: A total of 195 MS-diagnosed patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 72.3% were female. The mean age of the total sample was 34.9±9.2 years, and 7.7% reported a positive family history. Of all patients, 17.9% (n=35) had comorbidities. The mean age at diagnosis was 29.3±8.2 years. The majority (85.6%) were diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS); 77.9% had an EDSS score between 0.0 and 1.5, showing little or no disability. A statistical significance existed between EDSS and the current age of the patients (p=0.004), age at onset (p=0.007), type of MS (p=0.000), presence of muscle weakness (p=0.044), bladder or bowel difficulties at onset (p=0.043), and the duration of MS (p=0.000). Of the patients, 23.6% were not using disease-modifying therapy (DMT). The most commonly used drug was interferon beta 1-b. CONCLUSION: A lower EDSS was associated with younger age, diagnosis at a younger age, RRMS, duration less than five years, and lower body mass index (BMI). To increase the generalizability of findings, a national MS registry system and further prospective analytical epidemiological research studies are recommended.
