No abstract

ObjectivesThe College of Medicine at Imam University has incorporated reciprocal peer-teaching into the curriculum in the form of peer-led seminars. The aim was to evaluate this program and ascertain student perceptions.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of medical students attached to the Internal Medicine I and II courses was conducted in 2018. The questionnaire evaluated perceptions about the peer-teaching program, tutors’ knowledge, skills and attitudes, both from a student and a tutor perspective.ResultsBased on a 63% response rate from a total of 410 students, 34.5% of learners agreed that peer-tutoring was the most effective method of clinical teaching and 30.3% disagreed. More students reported that peer-led seminars did not prepare them for their exams (38.4%) compared to those who reported it did (27.9%). More than 40% of participants reported the tutors were approachable, created a welcoming learning environment and provided targeted information. From a tutor perspective, more than 70% of participants reported that they developed personally and professionally, improved their collaborative, communication, tutoring and presentation skills and confidence. Female students reported they benefited more as tutors compared to male students.ConclusionStudents regard obligatory reciprocal peer-teaching in the form of peer-led seminars as similar to faculty teaching and an overwhelming majority report that they benefit both personally and professionally from leading seminars. As doctors are expected to teach and train younger generations, medical schools should prepare all students for such roles. A system that provides an opportunity for every student to become a peer-teacher can fulfil this need.

Objective/background Insufficient sleep can have fatal consequences, and up to 30% of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are related to driving when drowsy. The objective of this study was to investigate how sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) affect falling asleep while driving and sleep-related MVAs/near-misses. Participants/methods A population-wide sample of Saudi adults was surveyed. The questionnaire gathered data on sleep quality, EDS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), and episodes of falling asleep while driving and sleep-related MVAs/near-misses in the previous year. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to assess associations. Results A total of 19% (902/3802) and 10% (474/4229) of respondents had fallen asleep while driving or had a sleep-related MVA/near-miss in the preceding year, respectively. Being male, married, having a shorter sleep duration, being an office worker, having poor subjective sleep quality, and having moderate or severe EDS were associated with an increased risk of having fallen asleep while driving in the previous year. Younger age, male gender, having worse subjective sleep quality [OR 2.11 (95% CI 1.36-3.29); p < 0.0001 for "very bad" sleep quality], and having moderate or severe EDS [ESS ≥ 13; OR 1.90 (95% CI 1.38-2.60); p < 0.0001 and OR 2.39 (95% CI 1.56-3.67); p < 0.0001, respectively] were associated with having had/nearly had an accident due to being tired or falling asleep while driving in the previous year. Conclusions Sleepy driving and sleep-related accidents/near-misses are common in Saudi Arabia, and sleep quality and EDS contribute to the burden of MVAs. Further efforts are required to quantify the contribution of sleepiness to MVAs to develop and prioritize interventions to prevent MVA-related injuries and death.

Introduction There are few population-level studies of the interactions between sleep quality/excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and occupational behavior. Here, we investigated the impact of sleep quality and EDS on occupational outcomes in a population-wide survey of adults in Saudi Arabia. Methods A population-wide survey was administered to Saudi Arabian adults to assess sleep quality, EDS was measured using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and sleep-related absenteeism, sleep-related errors at work, and falling asleep at work in the preceding three months. Associations were evaluated using univariate analyses and binary logistic regression. Results A total of 10,106 individuals completed all or part of the survey, of whom 8617 (85.3%) were employed. Of these, 28.7% and 8.8% of respondents reported “fairly bad” or “very bad” sleep quality in the preceding month. In binary logistic regression models, taking sleep medications was associated with absenteeism (odds ratio (OR) 1.92, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.67–2.22; p<0.001) and making errors at work (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.62–2.20; p<0.001) but not falling asleep at work, and poor subjective sleep quality was associated with falling asleep at work (ORs 1.55, 95% CI 1.38–1.74; p<0.001). Severe EDS (ESS ≥16) was strongly associated with falling asleep at work (OR 3.39, 95% CI 2.51–4.48; p<0.001). Parameters associated with absenteeism, errors, and falling asleep at work were similar in blue- and white-collar workers. Discussion This first population-wide study of sleep quality and EDS in Saudi Arabia provides a comprehensive portrait of the prevalence of sleep problems and their effects on occupational outcomes. Sleep-related absenteeism, work errors, and sleeping at work are common, mandating tailored fatigue-reduction strategies in every workplace and reinvigoration of public health messages on sleep.

Objectives: To determine the association between emergency department (ED) visits, glycemic control and the quality of preventive diabetes care among diabetic patients in a Saudi community. Methods: This study was an observational, cross-sectional study that collected data through interview-based surveys between February and April 2017. Data were collected from 530 diabetic patients in the diabetes clinics at King Saud Medical City, the tertiary center of Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Results: This study found statistically significant relationships ( p <0.05) between ED visits and patient age, the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and education level. Emergency department visits increased by 43% for each unit of increase in HbA1c (odds ratio [OR]=1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.26-1.62). Graduating from high school decreased the odds of visiting the ED by 43% (OR=0.57, 95% CI=0.34-0.94). Most of the participants were not followed for possible microvascular complications; the majority did not visit nephrology (96.2%), ophthalmology (78.3%) and neurology (97.9%) clinics within the 12 months prior to the interviews. Conclusion: Emergency department visits can indicate poor glycemic control in diabetic patients. Additionally, the current practices of preventive diabetes care in Saudi Arabia are not sufficient, according to the diabetic standards of care recommended by the American Diabetes Association.