BackgroundA serious worldwide effort to strengthen research based knowledge translation (KT) has begun in recent years and some countries, particularly developed ones, are trying to incorporate KT in their health and health research systems. Keeping in mind the recent economic depression and the need to perform more efficient research, we aimed to assess and compare the KT status of selected health research institutes in the Eastern Mediterranean Regions' countries, and to identify their strengths and weaknesses in the field.MethodsAfter finding the focal points that would steer the focus group discussions (FGDs) and help complete the ‘Self Assessment Tool for Research Institutes’ (SATORI) tool, each focal point held two FGDs in which researchers, research authorities and other individuals specified in detail further in the study were held. The scores obtained by each institute were evaluated quantitatively, and the transcriptions were analyzed qualitatively with OpenCode software.ResultsFor ease of analysis the 50 items of the SATORI were classified into 7 main domains: ‘priority setting’, ‘research quality and timeliness’, ‘researchers’ KT capacities', ‘facilities and pre-requisites of KT’, ‘processes and regulations supporting KT’, ‘interaction with research users’, and ‘promoting and evaluating the use of knowledge’. Based on the scoring system, the strongest domain was ‘research quality and timeliness’. ‘Priority setting’ was the weakest domain of all. The remaining domains were more or less equal in strength and were not in a favorable state. The qualitative findings confirmed the quantitative findings.ConclusionsThe main problem, it seems, is that a KT climate does not exist in the region. And despite the difference in the contexts, there are many similarities in the region's institutes included in this study. Collaborative efforts can play a role in creating this climate by steering countries towards KT and suggesting regional strategic directions according to their needs.
<b><i>Objectives:</i></b> Social media (SM) are evolving and dynamic applications which can be used in health-care settings to enhance professional networking and education; patient communication, care, and education; public health programs; organizational promotion; and research. This review aims to analyze, summarize, and describe the current Saudi experience of SM use for health. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A MEDLINE/PubMed electronic database search was performed in July 2020 utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. The initial search has yielded a total of 263 articles, of which 25 met our inclusion criteria. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In Saudi Arabia, the literature reports a high interest in using SM for health-related purposes among the public, with a prevalence of >51%. The Saudi population has been found to highly favor the use of WhatsApp and Twitter for gaining and exchanging knowledge. Multiple facilitators and barriers have been identified and further categorized based on the users’ population, such as general public, health-care practitioners, and patients with specific conditions. Overall, the common facilitator and barrier between all users’ population categories were found to be younger age and lack of time, respectively. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> SM use for health-care activities is increasing in Saudi Arabia. Thus, it is important for SM-based health education programs to target specific population and patients’ demographics with programs tailored to their particular interests and needs. This is particularly evident in the current achievements and future plans of the Saudi Ministry of Health.
ObjectivesFollowing the rise in the incidence of cancer, the need for chemotherapy has escalated, as have its side effects. Psychological distress is one of the known side effects of chemotherapy; however, it has not received adequate attention. The purpose of this study was to measure psychological distress in patients receiving chemotherapy, making comparisons on the basis of age, gender, marital status, and chemotherapy dose, and to assess the patients' willingness to continue with treatment.MethodologyA descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on outpatients receiving chemotherapy beyond the first dose at the Radiation & Isotopes Centre Khartoum (Rick). Data were collected via a face-to-face interview with the patients using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.ResultsAmong patients undergoing chemotherapy, 55 (25.5%) experienced anxiety and depression. Of the 216 patients recruited, the majority were middle-aged (30–50 years old) married women. Development of psychological distress followed a U-shaped curve in relation to the number of chemotherapy doses received. Patients who received 1–5 and >10 doses experienced more psychological distress than those who received 6–10 chemotherapy doses. As many as 212 (98%) patients were willing to continue with chemotherapy.ConclusionIn our study, psychological distress burdened a quarter of the patients receiving chemotherapy. Psychological distress plays a role in cancer recurrence and recovery; thus, there is a need for a holistic approach to the management of patients with cancer, including psychological evaluation to identify those at risk.
<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The widespread use of social media (SM) and medical applications (Apps) have improved the healthcare delivery and continued medical education in many forms, especially during COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore the perspective and practice of medical interns on the role of SM and medical Apps in delivering healthcare. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A mixed-methods approach was used to collect data via both semi-structured interviews and an online self-administered questionnaire. A total of 24 medical interns were interviewed (6 focus group discussions and 5 key informants’ interviews), while 889 interns completed the online questionnaire. Interviews and their transcripts were analyzed and presented as themes and subthemes and frequencies were obtained from the self-administered questionnaire using SPSS v. 28. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Our studied interns believed that SM and medical Apps in healthcare delivery should be activated and deployed more since they will be using it increasingly in the future. They considered medical Apps such as UpToDate and Medscape as reliable and valid sources of medical information. Participants agreed that official Saudi Ministry of Health medical Apps, Mawid and Seha (Sehhaty), made radical change in healthcare delivery during COVID-19 pandemic. Interns’ attitude toward using SM platforms in healthcare context changed during the pandemic as SM facilitated health promotion, sharing knowledge, and public health education. Nevertheless, interns discussed difficulties when health educating the public, and uncertainty regarding ethical and privacy aspects of communication with patients and colleagues via SM and medical Apps. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> Medical interns’ use of SM and medical Apps for medical education and patient care is increasing. Overall, interns have a positive attitude toward the role SM and medical Apps can play in healthcare delivery; nevertheless, they were uncertain about related ethical and privacy issues.
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