Psychosocial and clinical predictors of patient satisfaction with cancer care.

Purpose: Patient satisfaction with healthcare was recognized as an indispensable component of healthcare quality assurance programs for decades. Limited research has explored psychosocial variables impacting patient satisfaction with cancer care. The objective of our study was to identify the level of patient satisfaction with cancer care in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and determine the psychosocial and clinical predictors of patient satisfaction. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was carried out in 2018-2019 with patients with cancer at the Outpatient Oncology Clinic at King Saud University Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire contained a visual analog scale (VAS) of satisfaction with cancer care, a VAS of satisfaction with social support, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Depression scale, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale. Results: Out of the 400 patients approached, 280 agreed to participate in the study. Of the 280 patients participating in the study, 65% were satisfied with cancer care. Higher satisfaction was associated with being non-Saudi, being employed, having fewer household residents (≤4), being satisfied with social support, not receiving radiotherapy, and receiving hormonal or biological therapy. Having anxiety or depression was also associated with lower satisfaction. After adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, being satisfied with social support, having ≤ 4 household residents, receiving hormonal therapy, and receiving biological therapy rather than radiotherapy were all independent predictors of higher satisfaction with cancer care. Conclusion: This study found an inadequate level of patient satisfaction with cancer care. Higher levels of satisfaction were associated with being satisfied with social support, using biological and hormonal therapy, while lower satisfaction was associated with a larger number of household residents (>4), depression, anxiety and using radiotherapy.

Sources of Health Information and Their Impacts on Medical Knowledge Perception Among the Saudi Arabian Population: Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Having a reliable source for health information is vital to build a strong foundation of knowledge, especially with the current revolution of the internet and social media, which raises many concerns regarding harmful effects on the health of the public. However, there are no studies on how the Saudi Arabian population seeks health information. Details about the most used and trusted sources of health information among the public will help health authorities and public awareness accounts on social media to effectively disseminate health information. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the types of sources accessed by the Saudi Arabian population while seeking health information, as well as their level of trust in the sources and to assess the impact of these sources on their perception of medical knowledge and health decision-making. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to meet the objectives. The study population included both men and women who were aged 16 years or more and visited primary care clinics at King Khalid University Hospital. Four hundred and thirteen participants were sampled using the simple random method, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (IBM Corp, Armonk, New York, USA). RESULTS: A total of 413 participants were included in this study, and of these, 99 (24.0%) were males and 206 (49.9%) had a bachelor's degree. Doctors were chosen as the first source of information by 87.6% (283/323) of the participants, and they were completely trusted by most of the population (326/411, 79.3%). The second most commonly used source was pharmacists (112/194, 57.7%), and they were partially trusted by 41.4% (159/384) of the participants. Internet searches, social media, and traditional medicine were not prioritized by most of the participants as the first or second source of health information. The majority of the participants did not trust information obtained from social media, and WhatsApp was the most untrusted source. Almost half of the respondents (197/413, 47.7%) acknowledged that various sources of information can often help them understand their health problems. However, the majority disagreed on substituting a doctor's prescription with information obtained from the internet or a friend or relative. CONCLUSIONS: Although physicians were preferred and highly trusted, internet sources appeared to impact the medical knowledge of the population. The population still preferred to use internet search to obtain health information prior to a doctor's visit.

The antimicrobial activity of ceftobiprole against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa: A large tertiary care university hospital experience in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the antibacterial activity of ceftobiprole against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) from various body specimen types and different patterns of resistance. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study with a total of 49 MRSA and 99 P. aeruginosa isolated in the Microbiology Laboratory at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between 2018-2019, were used. Isolates were randomly selected from various specimen types. The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of ceftobiprole was determined by E-test. Breakpoints carried out by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) were used to assess antibiotic susceptibility. RESULTS: Approximately 100% of the MRSA isolates were susceptible with MIC50/90 value of 1/1.5 mg/L while 69.8% of multi-drug resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa isolates were resistant with MIC50/90 value of 16/32 mg/L. CONCLUSION: The excellent activity of ceftobiprole against MRSA would have major implications in management of the patients with serious infections, as an empirical treatment or alternative to vancomycin. Ceftobiprole has a very low activity against MDR P. aeruginosa, and its susceptibility should be tested prior to use for treatment.

Pedicled Abdominal Flaps for Hand Reconstruction in Adults: Physiotherapy of the Attached Hand.

Hand reconstruction using pedicled abdominal flaps has several disadvantages, including delayed hand therapy leading to stiffness. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 70 cases of pedicled abdominal flaps used for hand reconstruction in adults in whom physiotherapy of the attached hand was implemented. The review aims to investigate the rate of flap dehiscence, infection, hematoma, and flap edge necrosis in our cases, and to establish that physiotherapy of the attached hand is not associated with an increased risk of complications. The review also aims to establish the effectiveness of physiotherapy of the attached hand in reducing the risk of stiffness by documenting the range of motion of the uninjured digits immediately after flap division and at final follow-up. RESULTS: There were no cases of flap dehiscence, infection, or hematoma. Six cases had minor partial flap edge necrosis that was treated conservatively and allowed to heal by secondary intention. In 62 patients, the range of motion of the uninjured digits was 90%-100% of the normal range of motion at day 1 post-flap division, and all of these patients recovered a full range of motion (in the uninjured digits) within 2 weeks of follow-up. Eight patients were reluctant to do the exercises as instructed because of low pain threshold; 4 of these 8 patients had residual stiffness at the final follow-up. CONCLUSION: The implementation of active exercises of the attached hand is feasible in selected cases and it helps minimize the risk of stiffness of the hand.

Prevalence and determinants of distress among oncology patients at a tertiary care medical city in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of distress in patients with cancer in Saudi Arabia and to identify common psychosocial stressors in these patients. We also looked for associations between distress and psychological, sociodemographic, and medical factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed in the oncology outpatient clinic at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January 2018 to December 2019. It included 280 patients with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or lymphoma. Sociodemographic information was collected using questionnaire, along with information on medical history and any psychiatric history. Distress was assessed using the Distress Thermometer and Problem List. Satisfaction with social support was rated using the visual analog scale. All patients were screened for depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item depression scale and anxiety using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale. RESULTS: The prevalence of distress in our study population was found to be 46%. Distress was associated with several practical, family, emotional, and physical stressors in the problem list. Logistic regression identified predictors of distress to be anxiety (odds ratio [OR] 8.7, confidence interval [CI] 1.98-38.24, p=0.002) and receiving radiotherapy (OR 3.6, CI 1.33-9.99, p=0.009), while Saudi nationality (OR 0.22, CI 0.05-0.95, p=0.037) and stage I cancer (OR 0.18, CI 0.05-1.40, p=0.002) were associated with low distress. CONCLUSION: Approximately half of cancer patients were found to have distress. Anxiety, advanced cancer stage, and radiotherapy were independently associated with distress.

Ramadan fasting among advanced chronic kidney disease patients. Nephrologists' perspectives in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To explore nephrologists' concerns and recommendations in counseling their advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients on Ramadan fasting. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between January 2019 and January 2020. An electronic survey was completed by 48 nephrologists practicing in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire focused on demographics, clinical experience, and factors to consider when advising CKD patients about fasting. Statistical analysis was performed by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows, version 21 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). Statistics include frequency and percentages using multiple response dichotomy analysis and thematic analysis. RESULTS: Most respondents were consultant nephrologists (75%), practicing nephrology for over 10 years (68.8%). The majority of responding nephrologists (85.4%) were concerned about estimated glomerular ltration rate (eGFR), diabetes (68.8%), patient age (64.6%), use of diuretics (62.5%), body uid volume (60.4%), and blood pressure (60.4%). CONCLUSION: This research addresses nephrologists' perspectives about Ramadan fasting for patients with advanced CKD. It highlights factors they consider when advising CKD patients about fasting, which were used to suggest applications in practice. Further studies are needed to comprehend nephrologists' and CKD patients' perspectives on fasting.

Arthroscopic Excision of Heterotopic Ossification in the Supraspinatus Muscle.

Heterotopic ossification is formation of bone in atypical extra-skeletal tissues and usually occurs spontaneously or following neurologic injury with unknown cause. We report a 46-year-old female with right shoulder pain and restricted range of motion (ROM) for 3 months without history of trauma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a lesion within the rotator cuff supraglenoid. Excisional biopsy from a previous institution revealed a heterotopic ossificans (HO ). Following repeat MRI and bone scan, histopathology from arthroscopic resection confirmed an HO. The patient demonstrated improved pain and ROM at follow-up. Idiopathic HO rarely occurs in the shoulder joint, and resection of HO should be delayed until maturation of the lesion to avoid recurrence. The current case showed that arthroscopic HO resection provides an excellent surgical view to ensure complete lesion removal and minimize soft tissue damage at the supraglenoid area. Furthermore, the minimally invasive procedure of arthroscopy may reduce rehabilitation time and facilitate early return to work.