Telemedicine: The Situation in Morocco.

The Moroccan healthcare system is facing several challenges in ensuring equitable access to quality services and reducing or at least controlling their rising cost. Telemedicine can address these two needs by optimizing the use of existing human and material resources through telecommunications. Today, the gradual increase in the population's healthcare needs poses a major challenge to the Moroccan healthcare system, given the shortage of personnel in healthcare facilities and the persistent difficulties in accessing certain regions. In this regard, Morocco has established a regulatory framework defining the rules for the practice of telemedicine. Several initiatives have been launched, particularly in the public sector, aiming to cover 80% of medical deserts in Morocco by 2025.

Understanding and Use of Artificial Intelligence Among Doctors in a University Hospital in Morocco.

INTRODUCTION: Research and development in artificial intelligence (AI) has increased dramatically over the past decade, with all areas of life being affected and particularly the medical field. It is with this in mind that this study focused on the perceptions of AI by physicians at the University Hospital of Casablanca in Morocco. METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted among physicians at the University Hospital of Casablanca in April 2023. A questionnaire was distributed electronically by sending it to the participants' email addresses. RESULTS: We received 103 responses to our questionnaire from physicians. The median age of the participants was 27 years with a range of 23-44 years. Concerning the seniority in clinical practice; about 59% had an experience ranging from 1 to 5 years,58% agreed that the use of medical artificial intelligence technologies will complete clinical tasks quickly, and 51% of these respondents agreed that these applications increase clinical performance. Prevalence of physicians using AI in daily life was 48% with a CI [38-57]%. The concerns perceived by the responding physicians regarding the use of artificial intelligence in the medical field were in 63% of the cases reported about the reduction of human contact with patients. CONCLUSION: In our study doctors have good knowledge in terms of artificial intelligence and they are open to develop their medical competences in relation with this artificial intelligence.

Mobile Applications for Family Planning.

INTRODUCTION: Family planning reduces maternal and child morbidity and mortality by promoting pregnancy spacing. The postpartum period is an ideal time for patients to access family planning services. Mobile applications can aid in accessing information about family planning. METHODS: A review was conducted on PubMed from 2012 to 2022, using keywords "mobile app," "family planning, "contraception,". RESULTS: Numerous studies have found as randomized controlled trials evaluating the use of mobile applications such as Decide + Be Ready in contraception. Other studies focused on healthcare providers' use of mobile apps for postpartum care and monitoring contraceptive methods. CONCLUSION: Mobile applications in family planning can assist healthcare providers in clinical care delivery is feasible and acceptable, saving time and providing accessible information.

Anxiety, Stress, and Depression Among Healthcare Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Morocco.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an enormous psychological impact worldwide. This study aimed to assess anxiety, depression, stress, and compensatory behaviors among Moroccan healthcare workers (HCWs) during COVID-19. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a snowball sampling strategy. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a snowball sampling strategy. Online surveys were sent to groups of HCWs working in Casablanca and Fez cities. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was measured using the Impact of Event Scale revised (IES-R) scale, and the DASS-21 was used to measure anxiety, depression, and stress among participants. Compensatory behaviors used by HCWs to manage these symptoms were also investigated. The majority of participants (72.5%) experienced moderate to severe distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of participants (53.1%) reported symptoms of mild to extremely severe depression. Overall, nurses, female, and frontline HCWs experienced more stress, anxiety, and depression (P < .001). Leisure activities (29%), sport (19%), and drinking tea/coffee (19%) were the most common compensatory behaviors. Our findings suggest that psychological support and interventions targeting high-risk HCWs with heavy psychological distress are needed. It is of paramount importance to improve the psychological endurance and safeguard the mental and physical well-being of HCWs, who find themselves on the frontline of health and humanitarian crises, when they are needed the most.

How Physicians in a Moroccan Tertiary Care Center Perceive Teleconsultation During COVID-19 Pandemic?

Background: Recent technological advances have paved the way for a new modality of medical practice known as teleconsultation. Positive perceptions about the benefits of teleconsultation and its acceptance by clinicians are key predictors of its uptake. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, perceptions, and acceptability of teleconsultation among Moroccan physicians. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at the Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital (HCK) of Casablanca, Morocco. Study participants answered an anonymous self-administered questionnaire designed based on similar studies. The questionnaire contained four sections related to demographic characteristics, knowledge about telemedicine and teleconsultation, perceptions about teleconsultation, and its acceptability by the study participants. Results: Of 486 eligible participants, a total of 212 completed the questionnaire. Approximately 96.7% had prior knowledge of teleconsultation. Most participants identified internet access (95.3%), data security (93.4%), and confidentiality (92.9%) as the main facilitators to the use of teleconsultation. The main barriers to the use of teleconsultation were internet access issues (98.6%), poor audio quality (96.2%), poor video quality (94.3%), and difficulty encountered by patients in expressing themselves and communicating with their physician (79.7%). The majority of participants (91.5%) believed that teleconsultation will be an integral part of future medical practice and about 70.8% thought that they would be able to allot time to teleconsultation in their current schedules. Conclusions: The findings of this study should be used by policy makers to remove barriers and promote enablers of teleconsultation use by physicians to bring health care closer to the Moroccan population.

Current State and Prospects of Telemedicine in Morocco: Analysis of Challenges, Initiatives, and Regulatory Framework.

The Moroccan healthcare system is grappling with a pronounced lack of resources, particularly in terms of human personnel. Presently, Morocco has 28,892 doctors, which equates to a ratio of around 7.8 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants, whereas the WHO recommends a minimum of 23 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants. More than half of these doctors work along the Casablanca-Rabat axis, underscoring a significant disparity between urban and rural areas. In addition, about 270 rural municipalities find themselves in a state of critical medical isolation, denoting their location more than an hour away from a hospital facility. Among these municipalities, 160 are classified as priority, encompassing roughly two million inhabitants. Hence, the Moroccan healthcare system is confronted with several challenges in ensuring equitable access to quality services and curbing the escalating costs. Telemedicine holds the potential to address these twin needs by optimizing the utilization of existing human and material resources through telecommunications. In fact, telemedicine enables a reimagining of the healthcare landscape, promoting a territorial rebalancing in favor of regions with lower medical density. In this context, Morocco has established a regulatory framework outlining the rules for telemedicine practice. Numerous initiatives have emerged, particularly within the public sector, such as the National Telemedicine Initiative launched in October 2018, with the aim of covering 80% of medical deserts in Morocco by 2025. Nevertheless, despite the concerted efforts, there remain challenges to overcome in order to make strides and achieve the objectives set forth by the Moroccan healthcare system. This literature review aims to examine and analyze the current state of telemedicine in Morocco. It seeks to highlight the challenges, initiatives, regulatory progress, and existing gaps in the landscape of telemedicine in Morocco.

Factors determining membership in community-based health insurance in West Africa: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: In many low-income countries, households bear most of the health care costs. Community-based health insurance (CBHI) schemes have multiplied since the 1990s in West Africa. They have significantly improved their members' access to health care. However, a large proportion of users are reluctant to subscribe to a local CBHI. Identifying the major factors affecting membership will be useful for improving CBHI coverage. The objective of this research is to obtain a general overview of existing evidence on the determinants of CBHI membership in West Africa. METHODS: A review of studies reporting on the factors determining membership in CBHI schemes in West Africa was conducted using guidelines developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Several databases were searched (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Global Health database, Embase, EconLit, Cairn.info, BDPS, Cochrane database and Google Scholar) for relevant articles available by August 15, 2022, with no methodological or linguistic restrictions in electronic databases and grey literature. RESULTS: The initial literature search resulted in 1611 studies, and 10 studies were identified by other sources. After eliminating duplicates, we reviewed the titles of the remaining 1275 studies and excluded 1080 irrelevant studies based on title and 124 studies based on abstracts. Of the 71 full texts assessed for eligibility, 32 additional papers were excluded (not relevant, outside West Africa, poorly described results) and finally 39 studies were included in the synthesis. Factors that negatively affect CBHI membership include advanced age, low education, low household income, poor quality of care, lack of trust in providers and remoteness, rules considered too strict or inappropriate, low trust in administrators and inadequate information campaign. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows many lessons to be learned from a variety of countries and initiatives that could make CBHI an effective tool for increasing access to quality health care in order to achieve universal health coverage. Coverage through CBHI schemes could be improved through communication, improved education and targeted financial support.

COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance among Health Science Students in Morocco: A Cross-Sectional Study.

While students in the health sciences occupy pivotal roles in the Moroccan COVID-19 response and vaccination campaigns, factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptability among students have not been reported. This study aimed to determine the willingness and identify predictive attitudes and beliefs of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among health science students in Morocco. A cross-sectional, self-administered online questionnaire was conducted among students of the Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences in Casablanca, Morocco in January 2021. In total, 1272 students participated. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Overall, 26.9% of participants reported being willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Between genders, male students were more likely to accept the vaccine. Regarding individual attitudes and beliefs about COVID-19 infection, students with greater confidence in COVID-19 information, and higher perceived likelihood and perceived severity of infection were more likely to be willing to get the vaccine. Concerning a COVID-19 vaccine, students who reported lower levels of perceived harm and higher levels of perceived vaccine effectiveness were more willing to get vaccinated. Our findings help guide future efforts to tailor communication and identify strategies to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake among students.

COVID-19 and Moroccan nursing students: A multicentre cross-sectional survey on their related knowledge, attitudes and practices.

AIM: To assess knowledge, attitudes and practices of Moroccan nursing students towards COVID-19. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHOD: Data were collected using an online questionnaire consisted of demographic characteristics and 24 items about COVID-19-related knowledge, attitudes and practices. RESULTS: A total of 1,216 nursing students participated in this study. About 82% of the participants reported that the COVID-19 virus spreads via respiratory droplets of infected individuals. The most clinical symptoms of COVID-19 correctly identified by participants were fever (97.6%), dry cough (92.4%), dyspnoea (82%) and fatigue (74.9%). More than 56.6% of the participants were afraid of being affected by COVID-19. Almost all participants reported that they avoid crowded places frequently. About 93.4% of the participants declared frequently wearing face mask when leaving home, and 85.5% maintained social distancing frequently. However, only 47.4% reported that they frequently washed their hands. About 51% stated that coronavirus outbreak has considerably changed their daily routines.

Facteurs prédictifs de la non-complétude vaccinale chez des enfants migrants de moins de 5 ans, Maroc.

INTRODUCTION: Despite several initiatives by the Moroccan health ministry to protect migrants' rights to health services, the vaccination of migrant children remains a public health issue. AIM OF THE STUDY: The objective of this study was to measure the vaccination coverage and identify the factors associated with the non-completion of vaccination of sub-Saharan migrant children under 5 years of age in the city of Casablanca. METHODS: Based on an analytical cross-sectional study, snow-ball sampling was conducted and a questionnaire was given to sub-Saharan migrant mothers of children under 5. The results of the descriptive analyses and the Chi test led to the elaboration of a predictive model through a multivariate logistic regression. The information collected included socio-demographic characteristics, factors linked to accessibility to vaccination services, the mothers' knowledge and perception of vaccination. RESULTS: Approximately 57% of sub-Saharan migrant children under 5 were incompletely or non-vaccinated. The factors significantly associated with vaccination status after the multivariate analysis were the mothers' educational levels (4.895 [1.907-12.562]), professional status (0.411 |0.206-0.821]), knowledge about the advantage of vaccination (0.035 [0.004-0.309]), the vaccination calendar (6.854 [3.172-14.813]), the waiting period (0.115 [0.051-0.261]), administrative barriers (7.572 |2.004-28.617]) and psychological barriers (0.086 [0.043-0.170]). CONCLUSION: The vaccination status of migrant children under 5 years of age in the city of Casablanca remains a public health issue and requires better healthcare coverage in order to improve the vaccination situation in this vulnerable population.