Teleworking during COVID-19: experiences from Saudi Arabia.

Teleworking has been adopted as a response to COVID-19 to reduce the spread of the infection, while continuing business operations. Saudi Arabia was among the countries that adopted stringent teleworking policies accompanying the first documented COVID-19 case. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted to explore experiences of employees towards teleworking as a mandated work setting during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. We collected data using a questionnaire that was disseminated via different social media platforms during the partial curfew in the Country. The study sample included 471 participants. Most participants (78%) were satisfied with teleworking and reported higher job efficiency (44%) and work concentration (48%), and better work-life balance (56%) and stress management (55%). The positive experience was dependent on factors, such as gender, age, marital status, educational level, working sector and teleworking mode. Men, bachelor's degree holders, nonmarried, and employees working in health and education sectors as well as working flexible hours had less positive experience than their respective counterparts. The research contributes to literature about teleworking as a legitimate alternative work arrangement, while approaching teleworking as a means to reduce risks. As the first study conducted within Saudi Arabia, the study's findings have implications for policy, practice and research.

Using mobile health applications to enhance physical activity in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study on users' perceptions.

BACKGROUND: This research aims to assess the users' perceptions of usability and quality of mobile health applications used for promoting physical activity in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This was a quantitative cross-sectional study. A survey was developed based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and distributed among the Saudi population through social media to assess the users' perceptions of using mobile applications to enhance physical activity. The survey questionnaire consisted of 27 questions in six sections, including demographics (nine items), perceived usefulness (three items), perceived ease of use (three items), attitudes (three items), user experience (six items) and subjective quality (three items). All the participants were in Saudi Arabia and >15 y of age. RESULTS: A total of 195 m-Health users participated in the survey. Of the total participants, 25.1% were overweight and 21.0% were obese. The workout frequency of most users was rarely (32.3%) and three to four times a week (29.2%). In addition, 55.9% of the users agreed that the application they use served all fitness levels and >80% either agreed or strongly agreed that it was easy for them to learn how to use the application. More than 70% of users agreed or strongly agreed that the application enhanced their knowledge of workouts and physical activity and >90% would recommend the application to others. There were no differences identified between the male and female participants and younger (<40 y) and older (>40 y) participants with respect to perceived usefulness and ease of use, attitudes, experiences and subjective quality. However, significant differences were observed between participants <40 y and >40 y of age in terms of perceived ease of use of mHealth applications. CONCLUSION: mHealth users across Saudi Arabia believe that the mHealth applications have good usability and quality factors. As a result, they can motivate people and help them achieve their goals in relation to physical activities.

Early Prediction of Neoplasms Using Machine Learning: A Study of Electronic Health Records from the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs in Saudi Arabia.

The early detection and treatment of neoplasms, and in particular the malignant, can save lives. However, identifying those most at risk of developing neoplasms remains challenging. Electronic Health Records (EHR) provide a rich source of "big" data on large numbers of patients. We hypothesised that in the period preceding a definitive diagnosis, there exists a series of ordered healthcare events captured within EHR data that characterise the onset and progression of neoplasms that can be exploited to predict future neoplasms occurrence. Using data from the EHR of the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA), a large healthcare provider in Saudi Arabia, we aimed to discover health event patterns present in EHR data that predict the development of neoplasms in the year prior to diagnosis. After data cleaning, pre-processing, and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 5,466 patients were available for model construction: 1,715 cases and 3,751 controls. Two predictive models were developed (using Decision tree (DT), and Random Forests (RF)). Age, gender, ethnicity, and ICD-10-chapter (broad disease classification) codes as predictor variables and the presence or absence of neoplasms as the output variable. The common factors associated with a diagnosis of neoplasms within one or more years after their occurrence across all the models were: (1) age at neoplasms/event diagnosis; (2) gender; and patient medical history of (3) diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs and certain disorders involving immune mechanisms, and (4) diseases of the genitourinary system. Model performance assessment showed that RF has higher Area Under the Curve (AUC)=0.76 whereas the DT was less complex. This study is a demonstration that EHR data can be used to predict future neoplasm occurrence.

Teleworking Survey in Saudi Arabia: Reliability and Validity of Arabic Version of the Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to adapt the survey questionnaire designed by Moens et al. (2021) and determine the validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the survey in a sample of the Saudi population experiencing teleworking. METHODS: The questionnaire includes 2 sections. The first consists of 13 items measuring the impact of extended telework during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. The second section includes 6 items measuring the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on self-view of telework and digital meetings. The survey instrument was translated based on the guidelines for the cultural adaptation of self-administrated measures. RESULTS: The reliability of the questionnaire responses was measured by Cronbach's alpha. The construct validity was checked through exploratory factor analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to further assess the factor structure. CFA revealed that the model had excellent fit (root mean square error of approximation, 0.00; comparative fit index, 1.0; Tucker-Lewis index, 1; standardized root mean squared residual, 0.0). CONCLUSIONS: The Arabic version of the teleworking questionnaire had high reliability and good validity in assessing experiences and perceptions toward teleworking. While the validated survey examined perceptions and experiences during COVID-19, its use can be extended to capture experiences and perceptions during different crises.

Evaluation of the Mawid mobile healthcare application in delivering services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate MAWID mobile application developed by the Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia, which is used for primary care hospitals appointments management and for tracking and tracing COVID-19. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: An online questionnaire-based survey was used for collecting data related to three major factors including Ease of Use, Satisfaction, and Benefits of MAWID application among its users. Out of total 2542 participants, 345 participants completed only a part of the survey, and 204 participants did not use the application. After removing, 549 invalid responses, a final sample of 1993 was included for the data analysis. RESULTS: 82.1% of the participants referred MAWID as easy to use application, 79.8% were highly satisfied with the application, and majority of the participants reflected potential benefits of using the application. T-test results have revealed that significant differences existed between males and females, and young and older participants in relation to the Ease of Use and Satisfaction levels associated with MAWID application. CONCLUSION: Mobile applications can be very effective in delivering the healthcare services during pandemics. However, there is a need for regular evaluation and assessment to trach the change in users' needs and update the app according to the changing requirements.

Knowledge and attitude of Saudi Arabian citizens towards telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of Saudi Arabian citizens towards telemedicine during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was designed to carry out this study. The electronic survey, prepared using Google Forms, was distributed to 1500 randomly selected citizens of Saudi Arabia. A total of 330 participants completed and returned the questionnaire. Basic statistics were used to describe the data. RESULTS: The majority of the respondents (73.9%) were female. More than half of them (54.8%) were >35 y of age and had graduate or postgraduate degrees (65.5%). A total of 96.7% of the respondents were Saudis. Most of the participants (70.0%) were familiar with the term 'telemedicine' and thought that telemedicine (92.1%) could reduce transportation costs. Of the respondents, 58.8% had not seen a telemedicine system before and 67.0% indicated that they had not previously used telemedicine services. A total of 87.3% of the participants agreed or strongly agreed that telemedicine was a useful tool during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, more than half of the participants agreed or strongly agreed that telemedicine facilitates the diagnosis of people (58.8%), increases communication (58.2%), reduces clinic visits (85.9%) and performs tasks quickly (70.3%). Also, 51.5% of the respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that telemedicine affects patient privacy. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes indicated that most of the participants had a positive attitude towards the use of telemedicine as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. They believed that telemedicine saves time, labour and costs and is an effective tool to treat coronavirus patients at a safe distance. However, the government should develop programs to raise awareness in the population about the use of telemedicine for the treatment of various diseases that afflict the Saudi Arabian people. Likewise, a legal framework must be implemented to protect the privacy of patients and healthcare providers.

Predicting the risk of cancer in adults using supervised machine learning: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this scoping review is to: (1) identify existing supervised machine learning (ML) approaches on the prediction of cancer in asymptomatic adults; (2) to compare the performance of ML models with each other and (3) to identify potential gaps in research. DESIGN: Scoping review using the population, concept and context approach. SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed search engine was used from inception to 10 November 2020 to identify literature meeting following inclusion criteria: (1) a general adult (≥18 years) population, either sex, asymptomatic (population); (2) any study using ML techniques to derive predictive models for future cancer risk using clinical and/or demographic and/or basic laboratory data (concept) and (3) original research articles conducted in all settings in any region of the world (context). RESULTS: The search returned 627 unique articles, of which 580 articles were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria, were duplicates or were related to benign neoplasm. Full-text reviews were conducted for 47 articles and a final set of 10 articles were included in this scoping review. These 10 very heterogeneous studies used ML to predict future cancer risk in asymptomatic individuals. All studies reported area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) values as metrics of model performance, but no study reported measures of model calibration. CONCLUSIONS: Research gaps that must be addressed in order to deliver validated ML-based models to assist clinical decision-making include: (1) establishing model generalisability through validation in independent cohorts, including those from low-income and middle-income countries; (2) establishing models for all cancer types; (3) thorough comparisons of ML models with best available clinical tools to ensure transparency of their potential clinical utility; (4) reporting of model calibration performance and (5) comparisons of different methods on the same cohort to reveal important information about model generalisability and performance.

Autonomy, accountability, and competition: The privatisation of the Saudi health care system.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the perceptions of different stakeholders about the privatisation of the Saudi health care system. METHODS: Using a qualitative case study design, we interviewed 21 administrators and clinical staff of a public hospital in the Eastern Province of the KSA and analysed all official documents relevant to this study. The analysis followed a thematic approach to provide an in-depth interpretation of the data. RESULTS: Our analysis generated three main themes. The first was pertinent to the changes in the governance structure, with gradually increased autonomy from the government. The second reflected the necessity to introduce accountability within hospitals. The third described the cooperative relationship among the E1-Cluster hospitals as well as its competitive relationship with the private sector. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates the interplay between newly introduced concepts of autonomy and accountability within the Saudi health care system. The findings of this study and their implications for research, practice, and policy are elaborated. Such an understanding is essential to improve the implementation process of privatisation and to recognise new dynamics that are shaping the health care system. The study contributes to the current scarce literature on health care reforms in KSA by reporting perceptions and experiences of key stakeholders.

A comparative study of strategies for containing the COVID-19 pandemic in Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the European Union.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every aspect of human lives including health, businesses, and lifestyles. In spite of governments implementing various strategies across the globe, the pandemic is still expanding with increasing numbers of positive cases. In addition, countries are reopening and easing lockdown restrictions in order to get their economies back on track, and this has led to an increase in the transmission of novel coronavirus. Therefore, it is essential to regularly review the containment strategies employed in different regions in order to understand the characteristics of COVID-19 transmission and to formulate a future course of actions. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to review the COVID-19 transmission statistics in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and European Union (EU) countries, and to compare these data with the various containment strategies implemented for containing the spread of the virus. METHODS: A review method was adopted along with different statistical methods for comparing and analyzing COVID-19 data and containment strategies. Transmission types and the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) in the countries in both regions are used to present the current state of the pandemic. In addition, changes in the number of COVID-19 cases are compared with the mitigation and suppression strategies implemented in both regions and their impact is analyzed. RESULTS: Countries in the EU were slow in reacting to the pandemic, as delays are observed in the implementation of mitigation strategies. However, suppression strategies were implemented soon after mitigation strategies. GCC countries, on the other hand, were quick to react, and they implemented both mitigation and suppression strategies simultaneously, as soon as the pandemic emerged. The CFR was found to be low among GCC countries compared to EU countries. In addition, a second wave of transmission was observed in the EU, whereas in GCC countries there has been no second wave, although a gradual increase in the number of cases is observed. Community transmission was observed among the majority of countries in both GCC and EU countries. CONCLUSIONS: With the reopening of markets, the focus of governments should be on developing integrated user-centric preventive strategies, with a blend of awareness creation, motivation, and support.

The Impact of WhatsApp on the Blood Donation Process in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: WhatsApp was the most popular messenger app used in Saudi Arabia with 71% of the total population using it in 2020. WhatsApp is increasingly being used as a tool for mobile health (m-health) interventions; however, concerning blood donation, there is a lack of research studies on the topic. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to measure the general awareness levels of the blood donation process and assess blood donation history, the motivators and inhibitors to donating blood, and to assess the impact of WhatsApp on the blood donation process in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: In this research study, a descriptive quantitative cross-sectional analysis was adopted. A questionnaire survey was designed using Google Forms and distributed online through social media applications to collect data. All citizens aged above 18 years of age were eligible to participate in the survey. There were a total of 150 participants in the study. RESULTS: More than 90% of participants were aware of their blood group, blood donation requirements, and causes to be deferred from the donation. Furthermore, 27% of participants donated blood because their relatives or friends needed blood, 26% donated due to human solidarity, 18% did not donate blood because of their health condition and 14% did not because of the fear of needles. About 33% of participants relied on WhatsApp to search for blood donors, and all the requests were fulfilled with blood donors. In addition, 94% of participants strongly believed that the WhatsApp application had a significant role in bridging the gap for blood banks' need for blood donors. CONCLUSION: Social media applications such as WhatsApp can bridge the gap between blood banks, blood donors and the patients in need of blood in Saudi Arabia, where there is a shortage of blood donors.