Prevalence of tobacco smoking among dental practitioners: A hospital-based study.

Background: Consumption of tobacco is a prevalent public health problem in Saudi Arabia and worldwide. It remains one of the world's leading causes of preventable premature death and a public health concern. We aim to Estimation the prevalence of tobacco smoking among dental practitioners working at the Security Forces Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in one of the largest government hospitals in Riyadh using a self-administered questionnaire. The study targeted dental practitioners including; oral and maxillofacial surgeons, orthodontists, periodontists, prosthodontists, endodontists, pediatric dentists, restorative dentists, general dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and dental lab technicians. The study data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software package. Results: Overall, 74 dental practitioners completed the study questionnaire; 54.1% were females. The age of study participants ranged between 24 to 56 years, while their mean age was 33.84 years. The prevalence of current smokers among the respondents in was 25.67%. Of the participants, 9.45% were ex-smokers. Stress relief was the main reason for smoking (52.6%), followed by relaxation (31.6%). Most respondents agreed that dental practitioners should serve as role models (73%), and that health care practitioners should give advice or information about smoking cessation to patients (79.7%). Most participants had insufficient training about tobacco hazards (56.8%). Conclusion: The prevalence of tobacco smoking among dental practitioners included in this study was closer to that in previous studies. Furthermore, study participants lacked sufficient training about tobacco hazards and control.

A Master of Public Health with a Concentration in Mass Gatherings Health.

Introduction The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is in a unique position and different from other nations that periodically host an event, such as the World Cup or the Olympics. The KSA is faced annually with millions of pilgrims coming from around the world to participate in the Hajj, Umrah, and Ziarah rituals. Continuously hosting such huge mass gatherings poses overwhelming challenges to the Saudi healthcare system. Consequently, an additional specialized cadre of qualified public health personnel is needed. The purpose of this article is to describe the establishment of an academic public health program that addresses this need. Materials & Methods In response to the dire need for public health specialists, a landmark project was launched in 2013 at Alfaisal University (AU). The project aimed to establish a Master of Public Health (MPH) program with a concentration in the health aspects of mass gatherings. The MPH program was created in collaboration with the United States-based Partners HealthCare International (PHI), the Saudi Global Center for Mass Gatherings Medicine (GCMGM) at the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Ministry of Education (MOE), and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MOHU). A needs assessment was conducted to help in the program development. The needs assessment drew on the unpublished findings of an institutional review board (IRB)-approved anonymous market survey that was administered to prospective students of the MPH program. Results The needs assessment study revealed the need for an MPH program with concentrations in mass gatherings health, health policy and management, and biostatistics and epidemiology. Consequently, we designed an MPH program to include these three concentrations. In particular, the mass gatherings health concentration aimed at preparing qualified public health specialists to help manage risks to the Saudi public health system, to analyze health data, and to recommend policies associated with the continuous mass gatherings events. Challenges to program development included working with multiple governmental agencies, absence of a frame of reference to develop a program curriculum, a lack of qualified faculty, lengthy and tedious government approval procedures, and inadequate funding. After obtaining the required approvals, the MPH program with a concentration in mass gatherings health was inaugurated in the fall of 2016. This program is accredited by the Saudi government to prepare public health specialists trained and locally certified in mass gatherings health issues. Conclusions The public health experts of the AU have established what may be the first MPH program with a concentration in mass gatherings health. The main challenges to program development were identified, and appropriate actions to meet these challenges were taken. This innovative MPH produces certified specialists equipped with the analytical and policy-making tools necessary to continuously monitor and improve the public health aspects of mass gatherings. Besides, the program provides a frame of reference for the development of unique public health programs, not only in the KSA but worldwide.

Evaluation of a University's Institutional Review Board Based on Campus Feedback: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Maintaining research ethics within a university and monitoring the campus Institutional Review Board (IRB) are essential responsibilities not to be taken lightly. IRBs occasionally need to be reviewed to see that they, as well as researchers, are adhering to rules and regulations on ethics through their submission and review procedures. Since there are no established measures for assessing IRB quality, it is unclear how to determine whether IRBs are achieving their intended aims. This study used the feedback and input of campus members at a newly-established, private, non-profit university within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to evaluate their campus IRB. Methods Following the university's IRB approval, and in close collaboration with the Saudi National Committee of Bioethics (NCBE), this cross-sectional study was conducted from February through May of 2019. Self-administered surveys were sent out via university emails to faculty and students at Alfaisal University in Riyadh of Saudi Arabia. The questions in the surveys included inquiries on participants' demographics, their familiarity with campus IRB research ethics, their satisfaction with IRB procedures, the challenges encountered during the IRB submission and review process, the effectiveness of a recent IRB-coordinated research ethics campaign, and any suggestions for IRB improvement. Surveys were sent to faculty members and students at five colleges on campus. Results Of the campus members who were sent surveys, 8% responded (175). Of those who responded, 29.7% had submitted at least one research proposal for IRB review during the past three years (2016-2019), and more than half of this group were satisfied with the IRB submission and review procedures. For those who had submitted at least one research proposal, respondents reported the more usual challenges that researchers tend to encounter, such as time-consuming and tedious IRB review processes and ambiguous IRB guidelines and regulations. The less typical IRB challenges that were reported, and that are unique to academia, include the IRB tendency to deny undergraduate student requests to serve as principal investigators of their research projects. Concerning IRB efforts to educate and train campus members on research ethics, only 26.3% of the participants were aware of the recently performed research ethics campaign, and 7.6% of the participants attended the end-of-campaign workshop. Of those who attended the workshop, 76.9% reported that the campaign and workshop effectively met their expectations. Conclusions  This study revealed several issues encountered by university faculty and students seeking campus IRB approval for their research projects. The main academia-specific challenge was over whether undergraduate students could serve as PIs for research projects, and a universal one was that they find the IRB process to be very time-consuming and tedious, which is a situation that has already been relayed in several other articles on IRB issues. About two-thirds of respondents reported a lack of familiarity with the topic of research ethics. This challenge makes it clear that information on research ethics is not effectively reaching enough campus members in the busy environment of academia.

A Hospital-based Study of the Prevalence and Usage of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Saudi Psychiatric Patients.

Introduction Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, used singularly or in combination with more conventional therapies, are routinely used by citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for medical care or seeking wellness. However, the prevalence of CAM therapies among Saudi psychiatric patients is not yet documented. To better understand the importance of CAM in today's medical field, particularly within the KSA and for psychiatric patients, this descriptive study aims to characterize the use of CAM therapies by a sample of psychiatric patients in the KSA. Methods This cross-sectional hospital-based study describes the use of CAM therapies by Saudi psychiatric patients being treated at one of the largest government hospitals in the KSA. Using a pretested questionnaire, adult psychiatric patients waiting for their appointment or during their stay at a government hospital in Riyadh were interviewed regarding the use of CAM therapies after agreeing to participate. Results Forty-five adult psychiatric patients agreed to participate in this study. The average age of the participants in the study was 35. Of the participants, 62% were females, 91.1% were outpatients, and 44.4% were diagnosed with depression. Moreover, 82.2% of the participants reported using one or more types of CAM therapies within the past year to address mental illness. Of those who used CAM therapies, 62.2% did so to improve their quality of life; 59.5% did so for treatment, supportive treatment, or both, and 54.1% used CAM therapies to help control symptoms. The most frequent CAM therapies used by psychiatric patients were spiritual therapies such as Quran recitation; body therapies, mainly exercise; and mind therapies, mainly relaxation techniques. These CAM therapies were used mainly as treatments or supportive treatments for depression. Most of the participants who used CAM therapies were satisfied with the use of these therapies (75.7%). Finally, 45.9% of the participants had not discussed the use of CAM therapies with their doctors, primarily because of their reluctance to share private information, especially spiritual matters, with the treating physicians. Conclusions The study results suggest a high prevalence of CAM therapy use among Saudi adult psychiatric patients, as well as a high level of satisfaction with such therapies. However, since about half of the patients had not discussed the use of CAM therapies with their physicians, and since some of the CAM therapies may cause unfavorable interactions when used alongside certain medications or medical interventions, healthcare providers should be diligent about inquiring of their psychiatric patients any use of CAM therapies, not only during the initial visit but also during the follow-up visits as well.

Improving Medication Reconciliation compliance at admission: A single department's experience.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The objective of this research is to improve compliance of the medication reconciliation process at the time of patient admission in the Department of Pediatrics at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using an innovative evidence-based approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Most of the recent efforts at our institution to revamp the medication reconciliation process have failed. Thus, we implemented an innovative evidence-based approach to improve the compliance of the reconciliation process at admission. This approach focused on the Department of Pediatrics at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC). We established specific educational and monitoring programs that were run over a two-month period, from June to July 2015. The educational program consisted of focused hands-on daily interactive training sessions presented to a small group of residents, i.e., 5-6 residents per session, for a period of one week. One resident was identified as a "Super-User" to provide ongoing support for the other residents involved in the process. A close monitoring process was also implemented, which included daily follow up and encouragement from three assigned consultants. In addition, periodic independent audit report results prepared by Healthcare Information Technology Affairs (HITA) were communicated to the Department of Pediatrics regarding physician compliance in the medication reconciliation process. RESULTS: Physician compliance for admission medication reconciliation documentation in ICIS ranged from (0-15%) between the first quarter of 2012 and the first quarter 2015, we designated the official hospital audit for the first quarter of 2015 as a baseline audit report. Between the first quarter of 2012 and 2015, the physician compliance for admission medication reconciliation was ranged between 0 to 15% according to the official hospital audit. We implemented our initiative during the months of June and July 2015. During that time, there was a gradual improvement in the number of admission medication reconciliations reported by the independent audits of our general Pediatrics Ward (B1), which represents the majority of pediatric admissions. The 57% of 26 patients had medication reconciliation completed by the first report dated 16 June 2015. This percentage improved to 92% out of a total of 13 patients at the last report on 12 July 2015. This consistent improvement also occurred in other areas where pediatric patients were admitted including the B3-1 (from 88% to 90%), the NICU 1 (from 83% to 100%) and the NICU 2 (from 90% to 100%). CONCLUSIONS: By structuring and implementing intensive educational and monitoring programs, a marked improvement in the compliance of medication reconciliation at the time of admission for the pediatric patient population was achieved. We believe that our department-based results would be generalizable if a similar hospital-wide programme was to be rigorously implemented.