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Bayram F, Sonmez A, Kiyici S, Akbas F, Yetgin MK, Yazici D, Cingi A, Sargin M, Unal S, Iseri C, Mahmutoglu FS, Yumuk VD. Expert Opinion on the Utility of Telemedicine in Obesity Care: Recommendations on a Hybrid Multidisciplinary Integrated Care Follow-Up Algorithm. Curr Obes Rep 2024; 13:167-182. [PMID: 38172478 DOI: 10.1007/s13679-023-00541-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The proposed expert opinion was prepared by a panel of obesity and law specialists from Turkey to review the utility of telemedicine in obesity care and to provide a guidance document with recommendations on a hybrid multidisciplinary integrated care follow-up algorithm and the legislation governing telemedicine practice to assist obesity specialists in practicing the telemedicine. RECENT FINDINGS The efficacy and feasibility of telemedicine interventions in supporting obesity management programs even during pandemics confirm that obesity is a particularly well-suited field for telemedicine, emphasizing the strong likelihood of continued utilization of telemedicine in obesity management, beyond the pandemic period. Telemedicine has great potential to address several barriers to ongoing weight-management care, such as challenges of access to specialized care, cost, and time limitations as well as patient adherence to treatment. However, telemedicine practice should complement rather than replace the in-person visits which are unique in building rapport and offering social support. Accordingly, the participating experts recommend the use of a hybrid integrated care model in the management of obesity, with the use of telemedicine, as an adjunct to in-person visits, to enable the provision of suggested intensive obesity management via frequent visits by a multidisciplinary team of obesity specialists. Further research addressing the utility of telemedicine in terms of optimal modality and duration for successful long-term obesity management outcomes is necessary to develop specific guidelines on telemedicine practice. In addition, the legislation governing the norms and protocols on confidentiality, privacy, access, and liability needs to be improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahri Bayram
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Alper Sonmez
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ankara Guven Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sinem Kiyici
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Health Sciences Bursa Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital, Bursa, Turkey.
| | - Feray Akbas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Meral Kucuk Yetgin
- Department of Coaching Education, Sport Health Sciences, Marmara University Faculty of Sports Science, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Dilek Yazici
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Koc University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Asim Cingi
- Department of General Surgery, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Sargin
- Department of Family Medicine, Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Seniz Unal
- Private Clinical Psychology Office, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ceren Iseri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nutrition Science, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Fatih Selami Mahmutoglu
- Department of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law, Turkish-German University Faculty of Law, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Volkan Demirhan Yumuk
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey
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Habbash F, Rabeeah A, Huwaidi Z, Abuobaidah H, Alqabbat J, Hayyan F, Almarabheh A, Al Sindi H, Ben Salah A. Telemedicine in non-communicable chronic diseases care during the COVID-19 pandemic: exploring patients' perspectives. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1270069. [PMID: 37818295 PMCID: PMC10560720 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1270069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aimed to explore challenges facing patients using Telemedicine consultations in non-communicable chronic disease clinics in primary care settings and to evaluate their satisfaction and willingness to use this service in the future. Methods This is an analytical cross-sectional study enrolling participants who were randomly selected from representative primary care centers in Bahrain and providing Telemedicine consultations. A semi-structured questionnaire permitted data collection using telephone interviews. Results A total of 251 individuals participated in the study of whom the majority were Bahraini (90.04%), and the mean age was 54.48 ± 10.78 years. Most of the participants 231 (92.03%) were satisfied with the Telemedicine consultation while only 142 (56.80%) were willing to use this service in the future. The main perceived challenges related to Teleconsultations were the lack of physical examination, inadequate time of TM consultation, fear of medical errors, and lack of privacy. The willingness to use TM consultation in the future was mainly determined by the degree of comfort to tell private information (p < 0.01) and to less extent the ease of the communication tool (p = 0.005) on multivariate analysis. Conclusion TM consultations could be a good complement to conventional consultation formats in the future. The sustainability of this innovative healthcare delivery tool requires addressing acceptability by users, ease of use, patient-centeredness, and technological advances to ensure privacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatema Habbash
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
- Department of Family Medicine, University Medical Center King Abdullah Medical City Bahrain, Manama, Bahrain
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Amer Almarabheh
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
| | | | - Afif Ben Salah
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
- Institute Pasteur de Tunis, Department of Medical Epidemiology, Tunis, Tunisia
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Abdelwahab SI, Taha MME, Kaabi YA. Diabetes mellitus research in Saudi Arabia: A bibliometric study (2010-2021). J Family Med Prim Care 2023; 12:1038-1049. [PMID: 37636176 PMCID: PMC10451595 DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1889_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Diabetes Mellitus (DM) causes global exhaustion, consumes economic resources, and has several risk factors. The bibliometric studies re-evaluate the research efforts on this illness using mathematical and statistical tools to indicate current research and future trends. This study examines KSA's DM research during 2010-2021. Data were acquired from Scopus and analyzed using VOSviewer and MS Excel. Several characteristics were examined to measure the quantity and quality of KSA-related DM articles. In total, 1,919 journal and conference papers were published. DM research included researchers from multidisciplinary sectors. Thirty-seven percent of them have ten or more scientific publications. Al-Daghri, N.M. (King Saud University) leads the pack. In total, 757 (39.44%) research projects got funding from 159 sources within and outside KSA. Memish, Z.A. is the most cited author. The Saudi Medical Journal has the most citations (1214). Al-Daghri, N.M. (KSU) collaborates the most. One hundred forty-one nations aided KSA's diabetes research. Egypt's High Institute of Public Health has the most scientific collaboration with KSA. Authors' and all Keywords analyses indicated a rich knowledge structure. Diabetes Care Journal has the most cocitations with 2,220 and a total link strength of 19,283, followed by The New England Journal of Medicine. The study results will be helpful to stakeholders to understand better the trends and performance of diabetes-related regional research, which will be beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yahia Ali Kaabi
- Medical Research Centre, Jazan University, Jazan, P.O. Box 46852, Saudi Arabia
- College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
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Pitayarangsarit S, Bhagaman N, Yodmai K, Thangsirikul N, Tipayamongkholgul M. The resiliency of noncommunicable diseases services during the public health crisis: a lesson from Bangkok, Thailand. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:409. [PMID: 37101168 PMCID: PMC10132400 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09400-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The healthcare services for non-communicable diseases (NCD) are commonly affected by public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, all healthcare facilities in Bangkok had been overwhelmed by the extreme caseload of COVID-19. Health service resiliency is crucial for the continued service of healthcare facilities post pandemic. This study aims to explore the impacts of COVID-19 on NCD service disruption and addressed the resilience of healthcare services at the operational level. METHODS Healthcare facility-based surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted among representatives of the facilities in Bangkok from April 2021 to July 2021. The web-based, self-administered questionnaire, was sent to directors or authorities of all healthcare facilities in Bangkok Thailand (n = 169). Two healthcare facilities from three levels of health services were purposively selected. The directors or medical doctors and nurses who are in charge of the NCD service, and working at the six selected health facilities, were invited to participate in the in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey data, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data from the in-depth interviews. RESULTS The impact of COVID-19 on NCD service disruption in the second wave (2021) was more severe than in the first wave (2020). The main reasons for NCD service disruptions are insufficient staff, and the closure of some services offered by the healthcare facilities. Surprisingly, both the budget and medical supply for healthcare facilities in Bangkok are less affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study revealed resilience capability i.e. absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capabilityamong the healthcare facilities that provide a continuum of care by increasing availability and accessibility to healthcare services for chronic illness as DM. The service disruption in Bangkok may alter from other provinces because of variations in COVID-19 incidence and health services contexts. CONCLUSION During the public health crisis, using affordable and common digital technologies to ensure DM patients can access a continuum of care and providing alternative services such as mobile medical laboratories, medication delivery, and medical refill at drug stores can increase consistent monitoring of glycemic levels and use of prescribed medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siriwan Pitayarangsarit
- Division of Non-communicable Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
- International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
| | - Nanapas Bhagaman
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, 420/1 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Korravarn Yodmai
- Department of Family Health, Faculty of Public Health, Korravarn Yodmai, Mahidol University, 420/1 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Nattaya Thangsirikul
- Division of Non-communicable Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
| | - Mathuros Tipayamongkholgul
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, 420/1 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
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Ordooei M, Karimi M, Akbarian E, Rasoulizadeh Z. Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Children Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Endocrinol Metab 2023; 21:e132809. [PMID: 37662644 PMCID: PMC10474797 DOI: 10.5812/ijem-132809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread quickly. Comorbidities, such as diabetes, have been determined as critical risk factors for COVID-19. Objectives This study aimed to determine the frequency and severity of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This retrospective study examined children aged less than 18 years diagnosed with DKA hospitalized in Yazd Shahid Sadoughi Hospital from February 20, 2020, to November 21, 2021. The collected information was compared to those obtained during the same period in 2019 (pre-pandemic). According to the inclusion criteria, only children with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 or an infected family member underwent PCR. Results The study included 70 children with confirmed DKA during the COVID-19 pandemic and 33 children hospitalized during the pre-pandemic period. The findings showed that the rate of DKA was higher during the pandemic than in the pre-pandemic period. In the DKA subgroups (during the COVID-19 pandemic vs. pre-pandemic), 35.7% vs. 21.2% were severe, 37.1% vs. 36.4% were moderate, and 27.1% vs. 42.4% were mild. Of 70 children, 30 underwent PCR tests for COVID-19, showing six positive cases. Among positive cases, five had mild symptoms, while one was hospitalized with signs of respiratory distress, polyuria, and polydipsia. All physical examinations of this patient were normal, except for the chest exam. Conclusions A remarkable increase was observed in the frequency and severity of DKA in children during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahtab Ordooei
- Children Growth Disorder Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Mehran Karimi
- Children Growth Disorder Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Elahe Akbarian
- Children Growth Disorder Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Zahra Rasoulizadeh
- Children Growth Disorder Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
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Gonçalves RL, Pagano AS, Reis ZSN, Brackstone K, Lopes TCP, Cordeiro SA, Nunes JM, Afagbedzi SK, Head M, Meira W, Batchelor J, Ribeiro ALP. Usability of Telehealth Systems for Noncommunicable Diseases in Primary Care From the COVID-19 Pandemic Onward: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e44209. [PMID: 36787223 PMCID: PMC10022651 DOI: 10.2196/44209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth was expanded without the opportunity to extensively evaluate the adopted technology's usability. OBJECTIVE We aimed to synthesize evidence on health professionals' perceptions regarding the usability of telehealth systems in the primary care of individuals with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs; hypertension and diabetes) from the COVID-19 pandemic onward. METHODS A systematic review was performed of clinical trials, prospective cohort studies, retrospective observational studies, and studies that used qualitative data collection and analysis methods published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese from March 2020 onward. The databases queried were MEDLINE, Embase, BIREME, IEEE Xplore, BVS, Google Scholar, and grey literature. Studies involving health professionals who used telehealth systems in primary care and managed patients with NCDs from the COVID-19 pandemic onward were considered eligible. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were reviewed. Data were extracted to provide a narrative qualitative evidence synthesis of the included articles. The risk of bias and methodological quality of the included studies were analyzed. The primary outcome was the usability of telehealth systems, while the secondary outcomes were satisfaction and the contexts in which the telehealth system was used. RESULTS We included 11 of 417 retrieved studies, which had data from 248 health care professionals. These health care professionals were mostly doctors and nurses with prior experience in telehealth in high- and middle-income countries. Overall, 9 studies (82%) were qualitative studies and 2 (18%) were quasiexperimental or multisite trial studies. Moreover, 7 studies (64%) addressed diabetes, 1 (9%) addressed diabetes and hypertension, and 3 (27%) addressed chronic diseases. Most studies used a survey to assess usability. With a moderate confidence level, we concluded that health professionals considered the usability of telehealth systems to be good and felt comfortable and satisfied. Patients felt satisfied using telehealth. The most important predictor for using digital health technologies was ease of use. The main barriers were technological challenges, connectivity issues, low computer literacy, inability to perform complete physical examination, and lack of training. Although the usability of telehealth systems was considered good, there is a need for research that investigates factors that may influence the perceptions of telehealth usability, such as differences between private and public services; differences in the level of experience of professionals, including professional experience and experience with digital tools; and differences in gender, age groups, occupations, and settings. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic has generated incredible demand for virtual care. Professionals' favorable perceptions of the usability of telehealth indicate that it can facilitate access to quality care. Although there are still challenges to telehealth, more than infrastructure challenges, the most reported challenges were related to empowering people for digital health. TRIAL REGISTRATION PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42021296887; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=296887. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) RR2-10.21801/ppcrj.2022.82.6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Lins Gonçalves
- Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Faculdade de Educação Física e Fisioterapia, Manaus, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Sarah Almeida Cordeiro
- Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Faculdade de Educação Física e Fisioterapia, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Julia Macedo Nunes
- Department of Linguistics, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Michael Head
- University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Wagner Meira
- Department of Linguistics, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Parise AC, Coria HE, López V, Santini Araujo MG. Pie diabético y pandemia de la COVID-19: adaptación al uso de la Telemedicina por los especialistas de pie y tobillo de los Servicios de Traumatología de la Argentina. REVISTA DE LA ASOCIACIÓN ARGENTINA DE ORTOPEDIA Y TRAUMATOLOGÍA 2023. [DOI: 10.15417/issn.1852-7434.2023.88.1.1623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Introducción: La telemedicina fue la recomendación internacional durante la pandemia de COVID-19 para las consultas médicas de los pacientes con pie diabético. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar el empleo de la telemedicina como herramienta en pacientes con pie diabético, por parte de especialistas en pie y tobillo de la Argentina. Como objetivos secundarios se planteó valorar la satisfacción percibida por los profesionales con el uso de esta herramienta, evaluar qué estrategias se usaron para realizar la consulta médica remota y determinar la permanencia al retornar a la actividad asistencial habitual.
Materiales y Métodos: Se enviaron tres encuestas a los socios de la Sociedad Argentina de Medicina y Cirugía de la Pierna y Pie, entre mayo 2020 y abril de 2022.
Resultados: La función más valiosa de la consulta remota fue la prevención (75% de los encuestados), el seguimiento clínico (54,1%), el seguimiento posoperatorio (41,6%) y el diagnóstico (29,1%). El recurso más utilizado fue la conversación telefónica, seguida del envío de imágenes por mensajería instantánea. Solo el 37,5% utilizó las plataformas de historia clínica virtual.
Conclusiones: Los recursos más utilizados para la consulta remota fueron la conversación telefónica, seguida del envío de imágenes por mensajería instantánea. El 33,4% estaba conforme con la consulta por telemedicina en mayo de 2020, mientras que, en julio, la conformidad ascendió al 46,7%. En abril de 2022, solo el 13% continuaba con las consultas remotas.
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Alromaihi D, Asheer S, Hasan M, Faqihi F, Almannaei N, Alkowari S, Janahi D, Hasan M, Abraham A, Verma S. Evaluation of Patients' Satisfaction with the Transition of Internal Medicine Outpatient Clinics to Teleconsultation During COVID-19 Pandemic. Telemed J E Health 2023; 29:270-277. [PMID: 35704029 DOI: 10.1089/tmj.2021.0517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The utilization of telemedicine has been steadily rising and became more available during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to ensure the continuity of care and minimize the risk of exposure to the infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate patients' and caregivers' satisfaction to newly developed teleconsultation services at the internal medical outpatient clinics at a tertiary university hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional satisfaction evaluation was conducted between April 2020 and June 2020. Participants included patients or caregivers who were randomly selected to answer a multi-item questionnaire to measure satisfaction with the quality, effectiveness, and convenience of the service. Results: A total of 901 participants completed the satisfaction survey. Most of the patients were in the age group 45-64 years (43.7%). The main teleconsultation method was telephone call (99.2%) and 798 participants (88.6%) were satisfied with the quality of teleconsultation. There was no difference in satisfaction levels across the various specialty clinics or age groups. The service was viewed as convenient by 636 participants (70.5%) and 481 (56.6%) preferred to continue using telemedicine after the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: The study revealed high level of satisfaction among patients and caregivers with the recently introduced teleconsultation services at internal medicine outpatient clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a relatively new concept in many countries. This opens the door to further utilize telemedicine as an integrated part to improve patient care beyond the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalal Alromaihi
- Department of Internal Medicine, King Hamad University Hospital, Busaiteen, Kingdom of Bahrain.,Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Medical University of Bahrain, Adliya, Kingdom of Bahrain
| | - Shaikha Asheer
- Department of Internal Medicine, King Hamad University Hospital, Busaiteen, Kingdom of Bahrain
| | - Mariam Hasan
- Department of Internal Medicine, King Hamad University Hospital, Busaiteen, Kingdom of Bahrain
| | - Fatima Faqihi
- Department of Internal Medicine, King Hamad University Hospital, Busaiteen, Kingdom of Bahrain
| | - Noora Almannaei
- Department of Internal Medicine, King Hamad University Hospital, Busaiteen, Kingdom of Bahrain
| | - Shaikha Alkowari
- Department of Internal Medicine, King Hamad University Hospital, Busaiteen, Kingdom of Bahrain
| | - Duha Janahi
- Department of Internal Medicine, King Hamad University Hospital, Busaiteen, Kingdom of Bahrain
| | - Mona Hasan
- Quality and Patient Safety Directorate, King Hamad University Hospital, Busaiteen, Kingdom of Bahrain
| | - Aneena Abraham
- Quality and Patient Safety Directorate, King Hamad University Hospital, Busaiteen, Kingdom of Bahrain
| | - Seema Verma
- Quality and Patient Safety Directorate, King Hamad University Hospital, Busaiteen, Kingdom of Bahrain
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Folayan MO, Abeldaño Zuñiga RA, Virtanen JI, Ezechi OC, Yousaf MA, Al-Tammemi AB, Jafer M, Ellakany P, Ara E, Ayanore MA, Ishabiyi AO, Gaffar B, Aly NM, Lusher J, El Tantawi M, Nguyen AL. A multi-country survey on access to healthcare and treatment services among individuals with critical medical care needs during the first wave of the pandemic. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:90. [PMID: 36635677 PMCID: PMC9834675 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15007-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthcare services were significantly interrupted during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the present study was to determine the associations between sociodemographic factors and healthcare access during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals with critical care needs. METHODS This was a secondary analysis of the data of 5,156 participants recruited from 152 countries during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The dependent variables were self-reported difficulty of access to health care, challenges with obtaining medication, and the use of alternative medical services. The independent variables were age at last birthday; sex at birth, level of education, employment status and the macro-social vulnerability status. The confounding variable was the country income level. Three multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the associations between the dependent variables and the independent variables after adjusting for the confounder. RESULTS Difficulty accessing health care services and obtaining medications was experienced by 1922 (37.3%) and 3746 (72.7%) participants respectively. Also, 1433 (27.8%) used alternative medical care. Retirees (AOR:1.59), unemployed (AOR:1.198), people living with HIV (AOR:2.36) and at increased risk of COVID-19 (AOR:2.10), people who used drugs (AOR:1.83) and transacted sex (AOR:1.971) had significantly higher odds for reporting difficulty with access to health care. Males (AOR:1.23), respondents with secondary level of education (AOR:1.39), retirees (AOR:2.19), unemployed (AOR:1.47), people living with HIV (AOR:2.46), people who used drugs (AOR:1.79), transacted sex (AOR:2.71) and those who might be (AOR: 1.66) and were at (AOR: 2.3) increased risk of severe COVID-19 had significantly higher odds for reporting difficulty with access to medications. People who used drugs (AOR:2.093) transacted sex (AOR:1.639), who might be (AOR: 1.211) and were at (AOR: 1.511) increased risk of severe COVID-19, and who had difficulty accessing usual healthcare (AOR: 9.047) and obtaining medications (AOR:2.16) had significantly higher odds of reporting alternative medical care use. People living with HIV (AOR:0.562) had significantly lower odds of using alternative medical care. CONCLUSION We identified populations who had challenges with access to healthcare and obtaining medications used alternative medical care except for people living with HIV. Priority attention should be given to alternative medical care use during future health pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.10824.3f0000 0001 2183 9444Department of Child Dental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
| | - Roberto Ariel Abeldaño Zuñiga
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,Postgraduate Department, University of Sierra Sur, Oaxaca, Mexico
| | - Jorma I. Virtanen
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.1374.10000 0001 2097 1371Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Oliver C. Ezechi
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.416197.c0000 0001 0247 1197The Centre for Reproductive and Population Health Studies, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Muhammad Abrar Yousaf
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.444943.a0000 0004 0609 0887Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Virtual University of Pakistan, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ala’a B. Al-Tammemi
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.411423.10000 0004 0622 534XApplied Science Research Center, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan ,Migration Health Division, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amman, Jordan
| | - Mohammed Jafer
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.411831.e0000 0004 0398 1027Faculty of Dentistry, Dental Public Health Division, Jazan University, Jizan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Passent Ellakany
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.411975.f0000 0004 0607 035XDepartment of Substitutive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eshrat Ara
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,Department of Psychology, Government College for Women, J&K, MA Road Srinagar, Srinagar, India
| | - Martin Amogre Ayanore
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.449729.50000 0004 7707 5975Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Anthonia Omotola Ishabiyi
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.255951.fDepartment of Sociology, Florida Atlantic University, Florida, USA
| | - Balgis Gaffar
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.411975.f0000 0004 0607 035XDepartment of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nourhan M. Aly
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.7155.60000 0001 2260 6941Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Joanne Lusher
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.449469.20000 0004 0516 1006Provost’s Group, Regent’s University London, London, UK
| | - Maha El Tantawi
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.7155.60000 0001 2260 6941Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Annie L. Nguyen
- Mental Health and Wellness Study Group, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Family Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
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Jamal Z, ElKhatib Z, AlBaik S, Horino M, Waleed M, Fawaz F, Loffreda G, Seita A, Witter S, Diaconu K. Social determinants and mental health needs of Palestine refugees and UNRWA responses in Gaza during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative assessment. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:2296. [PMID: 36482403 PMCID: PMC9733234 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14771-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to pre-existing difficulties, refugees are especially susceptible to the negative effects of the pandemic; nonetheless, the pandemic's effect on this group is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Palestine refugees in Gaza by identifying the role of social determinants. During the pandemic, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) enacted a number of policies and measures. The purpose of this research was to assess their efficacy and acceptability. METHODS This qualitative study took place between August and November 2020. Twenty-nine key-informant interviews were conducted remotely with UNRWA Headquarters, field and clinical staff in Gaza and with community members, aged ≥18 years and residing in Rafah and Jabalia camps. We sought informed consent verbally or via email. Data was coded based on the framework for social determinants of mental health. RESULTS Interview results indicated that the relationship might be unidirectional, with COVID-19 causing the degradation of living conditions and vice versa, with living conditions exacerbating the COVID-19 situation by facilitating virus transmission. In other instances, the association between mental health determinants and COVID-19 might be bidirectional. In terms of experiencing violence and anxieties, women, children, and daily-paid employees were significantly more disadvantaged than other groups in the community. UNRWA modified its service delivery techniques in order to continue providing essential services. In general, UNRWA's strategies throughout the pandemic were deemed beneficial, but insufficient to meet the needs of Gazans. CONCLUSION The pandemic highlights the need to go beyond disease treatment and prevention to address social determinants to improve refugees' health and reduce their susceptibility to future shocks. UNRWA has rapidly implemented telemedicine and mental telehealth services, making it imperative to assess the efficacy of these novel approaches to provide care at a distance. A long-term option may be to employ a hybrid strategy, which combines online and in-person therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeina Jamal
- grid.104846.fInstitute for Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh EH21 6UU Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Zoheir ElKhatib
- The United Nations for the Relief and Works Agency in the Near East (UNRWA) Field Office, Gaza, Palestine
| | - Shatha AlBaik
- grid.501184.90000 0001 2173 1062The United Nations for the Relief and Works Agency in the Near East (UNRWA) Headquarters, Amman, Jordan
| | - Masako Horino
- grid.501184.90000 0001 2173 1062The United Nations for the Relief and Works Agency in the Near East (UNRWA) Headquarters, Amman, Jordan ,grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Center for Human Nutrition and Sight & Life Global Nutrition Research Institute, Dept of Int’l Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Mohammed Waleed
- The United Nations for the Relief and Works Agency in the Near East (UNRWA) Field Office, Gaza, Palestine
| | - Farah Fawaz
- grid.501184.90000 0001 2173 1062The United Nations for the Relief and Works Agency in the Near East (UNRWA) Headquarters, Amman, Jordan
| | - Giulia Loffreda
- grid.104846.fInstitute for Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh EH21 6UU Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Akihiro Seita
- grid.501184.90000 0001 2173 1062The United Nations for the Relief and Works Agency in the Near East (UNRWA) Headquarters, Amman, Jordan
| | - Sophie Witter
- grid.104846.fInstitute for Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh EH21 6UU Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Karin Diaconu
- grid.104846.fInstitute for Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh EH21 6UU Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
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Barazzoni R, Bischoff SC, Busetto L, Cederholm T, Chourdakis M, Cuerda C, Delzenne N, Genton L, Schneider S, Singer P, Boirie Y. Nutritional management of individuals with obesity and COVID-19: ESPEN expert statements and practical guidance. Clin Nutr 2022; 41:2869-2886. [PMID: 34140163 PMCID: PMC8110326 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemics has created unprecedented challenges and threats to patients and healthcare systems worldwide. Acute respiratory complications that require intensive care unit (ICU) management are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Among other important risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes, obesity has emerged along with undernutrition-malnutrition as a strong predictor of disease risk and severity. Obesity-related excessive body fat may lead to respiratory, metabolic and immune derangements potentially favoring the onset of COVID-19 complications. In addition, patients with obesity may be at risk for loss of skeletal muscle mass, reflecting a state of hidden malnutrition with a strong negative health impact in all clinical settings. Also importantly, obesity is commonly associated with micronutrient deficiencies that directly influence immune function and infection risk. Finally, the pandemic-related lockdown, deleterious lifestyle changes and other numerous psychosocial consequences may worsen eating behaviors, sedentarity, body weight regulation, ultimately leading to further increments of obesity-associated metabolic complications with loss of skeletal muscle mass and higher non-communicable disease risk. Therefore, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies should be routinely included in the management of COVID-19 patients in the presence of obesity; lockdown-induced health risks should also be specifically monitored and prevented in this population. In the current document, the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) aims at providing clinical practice guidance for nutritional management of COVID-19 patients with obesity in various clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocco Barazzoni
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy,Azienda sanitaria universitaria Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI), Cattinara Hospital, Trieste, Italy,Corresponding author. Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences and Azienda sanitaria universitaria Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI), Cattinara University Hospital, Strada di Fiume 447, Trieste, Italy
| | - Stephan C. Bischoff
- Department of Nutritional Medicine and Prevention, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Luca Busetto
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Tommy Cederholm
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Michael Chourdakis
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Cristina Cuerda
- Nutrition Unit, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Laurence Genton
- Clinical Nutrition, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stephane Schneider
- Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Nice University Hospital, Université Côte d’Azur, Nice, France
| | - Pierre Singer
- Department of General Intensive Care and Institute for Nutrition Research, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Yves Boirie
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, University of Clermont Auvergne, Human Nutrition Unit, CRNH Auvergne, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Napalai P, Seangpraw K, Boonyathee S, Ong-Artborirak P. COVID-19-related knowledge influences mental health, self-care behaviors, and quality of life among elderly with non-communicable diseases in Northern Thailand. Front Public Health 2022; 10:993531. [PMID: 36388338 PMCID: PMC9650286 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.993531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background A growing body of research shows that individuals with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and heart disease, are more likely to suffer from severe COVID-19 and, subsequently, death. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of COVID-19-related knowledge on mental health, healthcare behaviors, and quality of life among the elderly with NCDs in Northern Thailand. Methods In this cross-sectional study, the participants were 450 elderly people with NCDs, living in the Chiang Rai province, Northern Thailand. Random sampling was applied to select the subjects. Data collection included demographic information, COVID-19-related knowledge, healthcare behaviors, the Suanprung Stress Test-20, the Thai General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) for the assessment of mental health, and the Thai version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF. Results Almost half of the participants (45.6%) had poor knowledge about COVID-19. More than half of the sample had high stress (52.0%) and a low score in healthcare behaviors (64.9%), while approximately one-third of the participants had mental health problems (34.0%). The overall quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic was moderate (70.7%). The score of COVID-19-related knowledge was significantly correlated with scores of stress (r = -0.85), mental health (r = -0.74), healthcare behaviors (r = 0.50), and quality of life (r = 0.33). Multiple linear regression found that history of COVID-19 detection and COVID-19-related knowledge were associated with scores of stress and quality of life (p < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression showed that history of COVID-19 detection (OR = 4.48, 95% CI = 1.45-13.84) and COVID-19-related knowledge (OR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.17-0.31) were associated with mental health problem (p < 0.05). Discussion The findings emphasize the importance of COVID-19-related knowledge concerning the improvement of self-care behaviors and quality of life in the elderly population with NCDs during the pandemic, especially due to the high rate of stress and mental health problems documented in our sample. Health education interventions for this vulnerable population should be organized.
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Al-Sofiani ME, AlMesned RK, Bafadel MS, Alguwaihes AM, Alfadda AA. The impact of a prolonged lockdown and utilization of diabetes telemedicine on cardiometabolic health in people with diabetes during the COVID-19 outbreak in Saudi Arabia. Prim Care Diabetes 2022; 16:644-649. [PMID: 35773134 DOI: 10.1016/j.pcd.2022.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Saudi Arabia implemented a nationwide lockdown that lasted for approximately five months. Due to the limited availability of telemedicine in Saudi Arabia, many people with diabetes (PWD) lost access to diabetes care services during the lockdown period. Here, we examined the impact of lockdown on cardiometabolic health in PWD and how this may have differed between those who utilized diabetes telemedicine during lockdown versus those who did not. METHODS Hemoglobin A1C (A1C), body weight, lipid, and other cardiometabolic parameters were retrospectively reviewed in 384 PWD who attended routine clinic visits in the pre-lockdown (September 2019 to March 2020) and post-lockdown (Aug to Dec 2020) periods. Changes in cardiometabolic parameters from pre- to post-lockdown were compared across 3 groups according to the type of visit that they had during lockdown (April to July 2020): "no visit" (n = 215), "in-person" visit (n = 44), or "virtual" visit (n = 125). The virtual visits in our institution followed a simplified protocol that utilized technological tools readily available to most PWD and clinicians. RESULTS PWD who attended "virtual" visits during lockdown were the youngest and most likely to have type 1 diabetes; followed by those who attended "in-person" visits and those who had "no visit". A significant reduction in A1C from pre- to post-lockdown periods was noted in PWD who attended a "virtual visit" (9.02 to 8.27%, respectively, p < 0.01) and those who attended an "in-person" visit (9.18 to 8.43%, respectively, p < 0.05) but not in those who had "no visit" (8.75 to 8.57%, p > 0.05). No significant changes were noted in serum glucose, blood pressure, or lipid parameters during the lockdown in any of the groups. CONCLUSION Simplified telemedicine visits, including real-time audio calls, were as effective as in-person visits in improving glycemic control in PWD during the lockdown period in a country where telemedicine infrastructure was not well-established. Older adults and those with type 2 diabetes were less likely to utilize telemedicine; suggesting a potential risk of digital divide that warrants greater attention in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed E Al-Sofiani
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Strategic Center for Diabetes Research, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Rawan K AlMesned
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Marwah S Bafadel
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah M Alguwaihes
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Assim A Alfadda
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Strategic Center for Diabetes Research, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Obesity Research Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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14
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Muñoz-Jurado A, Escribano BM, Agüera E, Caballero-Villarraso J, Galván A, Túnez I. SARS-CoV-2 infection in multiple sclerosis patients: interaction with treatments, adjuvant therapies, and vaccines against COVID-19. J Neurol 2022; 269:4581-4603. [PMID: 35788744 PMCID: PMC9253265 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11237-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has raised particular concern for people with Multiple Sclerosis, as these people are believed to be at increased risk of infection, especially those being treated with disease-modifying therapies. Therefore, the objective of this review was to describe how COVID-19 affects people who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis, evaluating the risk they have of suffering an infection by this virus, according to the therapy to which they are subjected as well as the immune response of these patients both to infection and vaccines and the neurological consequences that the virus can have in the long term. The results regarding the increased risk of infection due to treatment are contradictory. B-cell depletion therapies may cause patients to have a lower probability of generating a detectable neutralizing antibody titer. However, more studies are needed to help understand how this virus works, paying special attention to long COVID and the neurological symptoms that it causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Muñoz-Jurado
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cordoba, Campus of Rabanales, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
| | - Begoña M. Escribano
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cordoba, Campus of Rabanales, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
- Maimonides Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Cordoba, (IMIBC), Cordoba, Spain
| | - Eduardo Agüera
- Maimonides Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Cordoba, (IMIBC), Cordoba, Spain
- Neurology Service, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Javier Caballero-Villarraso
- Maimonides Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Cordoba, (IMIBC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of Cordoba, Av. Menendez Pidal, 14004 Cordoba, Spain
- Clinical Analysis Service, Reina Sofía University Hospital, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Alberto Galván
- Maimonides Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Cordoba, (IMIBC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of Cordoba, Av. Menendez Pidal, 14004 Cordoba, Spain
| | - Isaac Túnez
- Maimonides Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Cordoba, (IMIBC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of Cordoba, Av. Menendez Pidal, 14004 Cordoba, Spain
- Cooperative Research Thematic Excellent Network on Brain Stimulation (REDESTIM), Madrid, Spain
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15
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Elgenidy A, Awad AK, Saad K, Atef M, El-Leithy HH, Obiedallah AA, Hammad EM, Ahmad FA, Ali AM, Dailah HG, Elhoufey A, Taha SF. Incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis during COVID-19 pandemic: a meta-analysis of 124,597 children with diabetes. Pediatr Res 2022; 93:1149-1160. [PMID: 35953513 PMCID: PMC9366798 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-022-02241-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life-threatening complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) that has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study will not only shed light on such life-threatening complications but also be a step to increase the awareness of healthcare providers about such complications in the upcoming pandemic waves and increased dependence on telemedicine. Thus, we aimed to further investigate the increase of DKA in pediatrics. METHODS PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were broadly searched for studies assessing the incidence of DKA in pediatrics during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS Our study included 24 papers with a total of 124,597 children with diabetes. A statistically significant increase occurred in the risk of DKA among newly diagnosed T1DM patients during the pandemic (RR 1.41; 95% CI 1.19, 1.67; p < 0.01; I2 = 86%), especially in the severe form of DKA (RR 1.66: 95% CI 1.3, 2.11) when compared to before. CONCLUSION DKA in newly diagnosed children with T1DM has increased during the pandemic and presented with a severe form. This may reflect that COVID-19 may have contributed not only to the development but also the severity of DKA. IMPACT Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) that has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study included 25 papers with a total of 124,597 children with diabetes. A statistically significant increase occurred in the risk of DKA among newly diagnosed T1DM patients during the pandemic. Our findings reflect that COVID-19 may have an altered presentation in T1DM and can be related to DKA severity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ahmed K Awad
- Ain Shams University Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Khaled Saad
- Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
| | - Mostafa Atef
- Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Ahmed A Obiedallah
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Emad M Hammad
- Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | | | - Ahmad M Ali
- Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Hamad Ghaleb Dailah
- Research and Scientific Studies Unit, College of Nursing, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amira Elhoufey
- Department of Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
- Department of Community Health Nursing, Alddrab University College, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Samaher Fathy Taha
- Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
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Alharthi S, Alrajeh A, Alyusuf E, Alguwaihes AM, Jammah A, Al-Sofiani ME. "Pre-Ramadan" telemedicine: Effect on fasting experience and glycemic control during ramadan in people with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Metab Syndr 2022; 16:102567. [PMID: 35939941 DOI: 10.1016/j.dsx.2022.102567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are advised to have a "pre-Ramadan" visit to receive the assessment and education needed to safely fast during the holy month of Ramadan. The COVID-19 lockdown has interrupted this standard of care in Muslim-majority countries where telemedicine is not well-established. Here, we examined the impact of virtual"pre-Ramadan" visits, as an alternative option to the traditional (in-person) visits, on fasting experience and glycemic control during Ramadan in people with T1D. METHOD 151 individuals with T1D were categorized into 3 groups according to the type of"pre-Ramadan" visit that they attended in 2020: virtual (n = 50), in-person (n = 56), and no visit (n = 45). Number of days fast was broken and CGM metrics were retrospectively compared across the groups. RESULT Patients who had a virtual"pre-Ramadan" visit were more likely to use continuous glucose monitors (CGM) than those who had no visit (61.7% and 38.6%, respectively, p < 0.05). Attending a virtual"pre-Ramadan" visit was associated with the least number of days fast was broken compared to those who had no visit (p < 0.01) or in-person visit (p = 0.02). CGM time in range (TIR) during Ramadan was the highest in those who had virtual "Pre-Ramadan" visits compared to those who had no visit or in-person visits (59%, 44%, and 47%,respectively). After adjusting for age, gender, pre-Ramadan A1c, and CGM use, the odds of fasting most days of Ramadan were highest in the virtual group [OR (CI): 9.13 (1.43, 58.22)] followed by the in-person group [3.02 (0.54,16.68)] compared to the no visit group. CONCLUSION Virtual"pre-Ramadan" visits are effective alternative to in-person visits when managing people with T1D who plan to fast during Ramadan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Alharthi
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Areej Alrajeh
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ebtihal Alyusuf
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah M Alguwaihes
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anwar Jammah
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed E Al-Sofiani
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Strategic Center for Diabetes Research, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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AlKhanbashi R, Zedan H. Telemedicine Policy Availability and Awareness: Directions for Improvement. SMART HOMECARE TECHNOLOGY AND TELEHEALTH 2022. [DOI: 10.2147/shtt.s368486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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de Kreutzenberg SV. Telemedicine for the Clinical Management of Diabetes; Implications and Considerations After COVID-19 Experience. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev 2022; 29:319-326. [PMID: 35579849 PMCID: PMC9111950 DOI: 10.1007/s40292-022-00524-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Telemedicine is a clinical approach that was seldom used in the day-to-day practice, if not only in certain settings, before the COVID-19 pandemic. As stated by the WHO, telemedicine is: the delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health care professionals using information and communication technologies (ICT) for the exchange of valid information for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injuries, …. Telemedicine has actually represented the most useful and employed tool to maintain contacts between patients and physicians during the period of physical distance imposed by the pandemic, especially during the lockdown. Diabetes in particular, a chronic disease that often needs frequent confronting between patient and health professionals has taken advantage of the telehealth approach. Nowadays, technological tools are more and more widely used for the management of diabetes. In this review results obtained by telemendicine application in type 1 and type 2 diabetic individuals during COVID-19 are revised, and future perspectives for telemedicine use to manage diabetes are discussed.
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Greenfield M, Stuber D, Stegman-Barber D, Kemmis K, Matthews B, Feuerstein-Simon CB, Saha P, Wells B, McArthur T, Morley CP, Weinstock RS. Diabetes Education and Support Tele-Visit Needs Differ in Duration, Content, and Satisfaction in Older Versus Younger Adults. TELEMEDICINE REPORTS 2022; 3:107-116. [PMID: 35720451 PMCID: PMC9153986 DOI: 10.1089/tmr.2022.0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diabetes education and support are critical components of diabetes care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when telemedicine took the place of in-person visits, remote Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) services were offered to address diabetes education and support. Specific needs for older adults, including the time required to provide education and support remotely, have not been previously reported. METHODS Adults with diabetes (primarily insulin-requiring) were referred to remote CDCESs. Utilization was individualized based on patient needs and preferences. Topics discussed, patient satisfaction, and time spent in each tele-visit were evaluated by diabetes type, age, sex, insurance type, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), pump, and continuous glucose monitor (CGM) usage. t-Tests, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlations were employed as appropriate. RESULTS Adults (n = 982; mean age 48.4 years, 41.0% age ≥55 years) with type 1 diabetes (n = 846) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 136, 86.0% insulin-treated), 50.8% female; 19.0% Medicaid, 29.1% Medicare, 48.9% private insurance; mean HbA1c 8.4% (standard deviation 1.9); and 46.6% pump and 64.5% CGM users had 2203 tele-visits with remote CDCESs over 5 months. Of those referred, 272 (21.7%) could not be reached or did not receive education/support. Older age (≥55 years), compared with 36-54 year olds and 18-35 year olds, respectively, was associated with more tele-visits (mean 2.6 vs. 2.2 and 1.8) and more time/tele-visits (mean 20.4 min vs. 16.5 min and 14.8 min; p < 0.001) as was coverage with Medicare (mean 2.8 visits) versus private insurance (mean 2.0 visits; p < 0.001) and lower participant satisfaction. The total mean time spent with remote CDCESs was 53.1, 37.4, and 26.2 min for participants aged ≥55, 36-54, and 18-35 years, respectively. During remote tele-visits, the most frequently discussed topics per participant were CGM and insulin pump use (73.4% and 49.7%). After adjustment for sex and diabetes type, older age was associated with lack of access to a computer, tablet, smartphone, or internet (p < 0.001), and need for more education related to CGM (p < 0.001), medications (p = 0.015), hypoglycemia (p = 0.044), and hyperglycemia (p = 0.048). DISCUSSION Most remote CDCES tele-visits were successfully completed. Older adults/those with Medicare required more time to fulfill educational needs. Although 85.7% of individual sessions lasted <30 min, which does not meet current Medicare requirements for reimbursement, multiple visits were common with a total time of >50 min for most older participants. This suggests that new reimbursement models are needed. Education/support needs of insulin-treated older adults should be a focus of future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Greenfield
- Department of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Diana Stuber
- Department of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | | | - Karen Kemmis
- Department of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Prasenjit Saha
- Department of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Beth Wells
- Department of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | | | - Christopher P. Morley
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Ruth S. Weinstock
- Department of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
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Telehealth use in patients with type 2 diabetes in australian general practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. BJGP Open 2022; 6:BJGPO.2021.0200. [DOI: 10.3399/bjgpo.2021.0200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe Australian government introduced temporary government-subsidised telehealth service items (phone and video-conference) in mid-March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The uptake of telehealth by type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients for consulting with General Practitioners (GPs) is unknown.AimTo evaluate the uptake of telehealth consultations and associated patient characteristics in Australian general practice, including the frequency of HbA1c tests and change in HbA1c levels by telehealth use, compared to guideline recommendations.Design & settingThis study used electronic patient data from approximately 800 general practices in Victoria and New South Wales, Australia. A pre-COVID-19 period from March 2019 to February 2020 was compared to a pandemic period from March 2020 to February 2021. Patients diagnosed with T2DM before March 2018 were included.MethodTelehealth uptake patterns were examined overall and by patient characteristics. Generalized estimating equation models were used to examine patient probability of 6-monthly HbA1c testing and change in HbA1c levels, comparing between patients who did and patients who did not use telehealth.ResultsOf 57,961 patients, 80.8% had telehealth consultations during the pandemic period. Telehealth consultations were positively associated with T2DM patients who were older, female, had chronic kidney disease, prescribed anti-diabetic medications, and living in remote areas. We found no significant difference in 6-monthly HbA1c testing and HbA1c levels between telehealth users and patients who had face-to-face consultations only.ConclusionTelehealth GP consultations were well utilised by T2DM patients. Diabetes monitoring care via telehealth may be utilised as effective measures as face-to-face consultations.
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Al Owaifeer AM, Al-Swailem SA, Al Dehailan AM, Al Naim A, Al Molhim MF, Khandekar RB. Physician Satisfaction With Virtual Ophthalmology Clinics During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Tertiary Eye Care Center Experience. Cureus 2022; 14:e23837. [PMID: 35530924 PMCID: PMC9070106 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.23837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In this study, we aimed to assess ophthalmologists’ experience with teleophthalmology during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the central region of Saudi Arabia. In addition, we evaluated their satisfaction level and explored their satisfaction determinants. Methodology We conducted an online survey for ophthalmologists who participated in the virtual ophthalmology clinic during COVID-19 between November 2020 and September 2021. The survey was used to evaluate ophthalmologists’ experience with teleophthalmology during the pandemic. Ophthalmologists were asked to measure their satisfaction with equipment and technical issues, communication, and clinical assessment, and to provide an overall program evaluation. Data were analyzed via frequency measures (e.g., numbers, percentages, mean, and standard deviation). Results Out of the 113 ophthalmologists who were invited to participate in our study, 71 completed the survey. In total, 23 (32.4%) participants were general ophthalmologists, 15 (21.1%) were subspecialists in the cornea, 16 (22.5%) were subspecialists in glaucoma, one (1.4%) was a subspecialist in neuro-ophthalmology, seven (9.9%) were subspecialists in pediatric ophthalmology, eight (11.3%) were subspecialists in the retina, and one (1.4%) participant was a subspecialist in oculoplastic. Overall, 56.3% of the respondents were satisfied with teleophthalmology. Ophthalmologists who subspecialized in the retina demonstrated higher levels of satisfaction than other subspecialties. The most common challenge reported by ophthalmologists in the virtual consultation was the lack of adequate equipment to evaluate the patients (53.5%), followed by technical issues (43.7%) and the patients’ lack of experience in using virtual consultation services (38%). Overall satisfaction score was the highest among ophthalmologists who reported providing at least five video consultations before the survey. Conclusions The findings from our study suggest that the subspeciality of ophthalmologists and the number of video consultations conducted by ophthalmologists are important determinants in their level of satisfaction with teleophthalmology. The majority of the respondents were satisfied with the virtual clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current pandemic could pave the way for the future use of telemedicine in ophthalmology if virtual eye examinations become standardized.
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Doctor-Patient Relationship in Synchronous/Real-time Video-Consultations and In-Person Visits: An Investigation of the Perceptions of Young People with Type 1 Diabetes and Their Parents During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int J Behav Med 2022; 29:638-647. [PMID: 35076861 PMCID: PMC8788397 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-021-10047-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background Given that the widely acknowledged influence of the doctor-patient relationship on objective health parameters and treatment adherence in chronic illnesses, this study sought to explore how patients perceived the patient-doctor relationship across virtual and in-person contexts. Methods Parents’ and patients’ perceptions of doctor-patient relationship were evaluated in 610 children and adolescents (12.17 ± 4.19 years, 50.9% girls) with type 1 diabetes who visited via video-conferencing or in person during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results No differences were found between video consultations and in-person visits in terms of care satisfaction (p > .05), doctor-patient relationship—for the dimensions agreement on tasks (p = .506) and bond (p = .828)—as perceived by parents and physician empathy as perceived by patients (p = .096). Parents rated patient-doctor agreement on explicit goals of treatment higher in video consultation than in person (p = .009, d = .211). Agreement on goals (β = − .180, p = .016) and bond with doctor (β = − .160, p = .034) were negatively and significantly associated with HbA1c values, but only in participants who visited in person. Conclusions Parents’ care satisfaction and perceptions of doctor-patient relationship, along with patients’ perceptions of physician empathy, did not substantially differ between visits carried out in person or via video consultations. Given the high risk of psychological problems described in young people with diabetes, video consultation can be considered a useful opportunity to maintain access to a healthcare provider in a challenging time, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12529-021-10047-5.
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March CA, Muzumdar R, Libman I. How Do Virtual Visits Compare? Parent Satisfaction With Pediatric Diabetes Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic. FRONTIERS IN CLINICAL DIABETES AND HEALTHCARE 2022; 2:794493. [PMID: 36994343 PMCID: PMC10012131 DOI: 10.3389/fcdhc.2021.794493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BackgroundIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries relaxed restrictions on telemedicine, allowing for a robust transition to virtual visits for routine care. In response, centers rapidly instituted and scaled telemedicine for pediatric diabetes care. Despite numerous center reports on their experience, little is known about parent perspectives on the widespread increase of telemedicine for pediatric diabetes appointments.ObjectiveTo assess parent satisfaction with virtual care for pediatric diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe conducted an online, cross-sectional survey of parents of youth with diabetes who receive care at a large, academic diabetes center regarding their perspectives on newly introduced virtual appointments. Parents were surveyed at two time points during the pandemic using a validated scale which was adapted for diabetes. We explored demographic and clinical factors which may influence parental satisfaction.ResultsOverall, parents expressed high levels of satisfaction (>90%) with functional aspects of the visit, though only approximately half (56%) felt the visit was as good as an in-person encounter. Nearly three-quarters (74%) would consider using telemedicine again in the future. Prior use of telemedicine significantly influenced parent satisfaction, suggesting that parent preferences may play a role in continued use of telemedicine in the future. There was no difference in responses across the two timepoints, suggesting high satisfaction early in the pandemic which persisted.ConclusionsIf permissive policies for telemedicine continue, diabetes centers could adopt hybrid in-person and virtual care models, while considering various stakeholder perspectives (providers and patients) and equity in access to virtual care.
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Omboni S, Padwal RS, Alessa T, Benczúr B, Green BB, Hubbard I, Kario K, Khan NA, Konradi A, Logan AG, Lu Y, Mars M, McManus RJ, Melville S, Neumann CL, Parati G, Renna NF, Ryvlin P, Saner H, Schutte AE, Wang J. The worldwide impact of telemedicine during COVID-19: current evidence and recommendations for the future. CONNECTED HEALTH 2022; 1:7-35. [PMID: 35233563 PMCID: PMC7612439 DOI: 10.20517/ch.2021.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has emerged worldwide as an indispensable resource to improve the surveillance of patients, curb the spread of disease, facilitate timely identification and management of ill people, but, most importantly, guarantee the continuity of care of frail patients with multiple chronic diseases. Although during COVID-19 telemedicine has thrived, and its adoption has moved forward in many countries, important gaps still remain. Major issues to be addressed to enable large scale implementation of telemedicine include: (1) establishing adequate policies to legislate telemedicine, license healthcare operators, protect patients' privacy, and implement reimbursement plans; (2) creating and disseminating practical guidelines for the routine clinical use of telemedicine in different contexts; (3) increasing in the level of integration of telemedicine with traditional healthcare services; (4) improving healthcare professionals' and patients' awareness of and willingness to use telemedicine; and (5) overcoming inequalities among countries and population subgroups due to technological, infrastructural, and economic barriers. If all these requirements are met in the near future, remote management of patients will become an indispensable resource for the healthcare systems worldwide and will ultimately improve the management of patients and the quality of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Omboni
- Clinical Research Unit, Italian Institute of Telemedicine, Solbiate Arno, Varese 21048, Italy
- Department of Cardiology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Raj S. Padwal
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Tourkiah Alessa
- Biomedical Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11362, Saudi Arabia
| | - Béla Benczúr
- First Department of Internal Medicine (Cardiology-Nephrology), Balassa Janos County Hospital, Szekszard 7100, Hungary
| | - Beverly B. Green
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, WA 98101, USA
| | - Ilona Hubbard
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne 1011, Switzerland
| | - Kazuomi Kario
- Department of Cardiology, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan
| | - Nadia A. Khan
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Alexandra Konradi
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Saint Petersburg 197341, Russia
| | - Alexander G. Logan
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Yuan Lu
- Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06510, USA
| | - Maurice Mars
- Department of TeleHealth, School of Nursing and Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
| | - Richard J. McManus
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2JD, UK
| | - Sarah Melville
- Division of Cardiology, Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L2, Canada
| | | | - Gianfranco Parati
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano 20126, Italy
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS San Luca, Milano 20149, Italy
| | - Nicolas F. Renna
- Unit of Hypertension, Hospital Español de Mendoza, School of Medicine, National University of Cuyo, IMBECU-CONICET, Mendoza 5500, Argentina
| | - Philippe Ryvlin
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne 1011, Switzerland
| | - Hugo Saner
- ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research and Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Aletta E. Schutte
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney 2042, New South Wales, Australia
- Hypertension in Africa Research Team, South African Medical Research Council Unit for Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Jiguang Wang
- The Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
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Alajwari HA, Alfayez A, Alsalman D, Alanezi F, Alhodaib H, Al-Rayes S, Aljaffary A, AlThani B, AlNujaidi H, Al-Saif AK, Attar R, Aljabri D, Al-Mubarak S, Al-Juwair MM, Alrawiai S, Alakrawi Z, Alanzi TM. Knowledge and attitude of Saudi Arabian citizens towards telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Int Health 2021; 14:604-609. [PMID: 34893850 PMCID: PMC8689698 DOI: 10.1093/inthealth/ihab082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadeel Abdullah Alajwari
- Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Road, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Asma Alfayez
- Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Road, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Demah Alsalman
- Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Road, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahad Alanezi
- College of Business Administration, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hala Alhodaib
- Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University
| | - Saja Al-Rayes
- Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Road, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Afnan Aljaffary
- Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Road, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bashair AlThani
- College of Business Administration, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Heba AlNujaidi
- College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Atheer K Al-Saif
- College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Razaz Attar
- Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Duaa Aljabri
- Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Road, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sama'a Al-Mubarak
- Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Road, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona M Al-Juwair
- Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Road, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sumaiah Alrawiai
- Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Road, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zahraa Alakrawi
- Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Road, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Turki M Alanzi
- Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Road, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
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Haleem A, Javaid M, Singh RP, Suman R. Telemedicine for healthcare: Capabilities, features, barriers, and applications. SENSORS INTERNATIONAL 2021; 2:100117. [PMID: 34806053 PMCID: PMC8590973 DOI: 10.1016/j.sintl.2021.100117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Regular hospital visits can be expensive, particularly in rural areas, due to travel costs. In the era of the Covid-19 Pandemic, where physical interaction becomes risky, people prefer telemedicine. Fortunately, medical visits can be reduced when telemedicine services are used through video conferencing or other virtual technologies. Thus, telemedicine saves both the patient's and the health care provider time and the cost of the treatment. Furthermore, due to its fast and advantageous characteristics, it can streamline the workflow of hospitals and clinics. This disruptive technology would make it easier to monitor discharged patients and manage their recovery. As a result, it is sufficient to state that telemedicine can create a win-win situation. This paper aims to explore the significant capabilities, features with treatment workflow, and barriers to the adoption of telemedicine in Healthcare. The paper identifies seventeen significant applications of telemedicine in Healthcare. Telemedicine is described as a medical practitioner to diagnose and treat patients in a remote area. Using health apps for scheduled follow-up visits makes doctors and patients more effective and improves the probability of follow-up, reducing missing appointments and optimising patient outcomes. Patients should have an accurate medical history and show the doctor any prominent rashes, bruises, or other signs that need attention through the excellent quality audio-video system. Further, practitioners need file management and a payment gateway system. Telemedicine technologies allow patients and doctors both to review the treatment process. However, this technology supplements physical consultation and is in no way a substitute for a physical consultation. Today this technology is a safe choice for patients who cannot go to the doctor or sit at home, especially during a pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Haleem
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Mohd Javaid
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Ravi Pratap Singh
- Department of Industrial and Production Engineering, Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
| | - Rajiv Suman
- Department of Industrial & Production Engineering, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India
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Aldekhyyel RN, Almulhem JA, Binkheder S. Usability of Telemedicine Mobile Applications during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: A Heuristic Evaluation of Patient User Interfaces. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:healthcare9111574. [PMID: 34828620 PMCID: PMC8621959 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9111574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the use of telemedicine application (apps), which has seen an uprise. This study evaluated the usability of the user interface design of telemedicine apps deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. It also explored changes to the apps’ usability based on the pandemic timeline. Methods: We screened ten mHealth apps published by the National Digital Transformation Unit and selected three telemedicine apps: (1) governmental “Seha”® app, (2) stand-alone “Cura”® app, and (3) private “Dr. Sulaiman Alhabib”®app. We conducted the evaluations in April 2020 and in June 2021 by identifying positive app features, using Nielsen’s ten usability heuristics with a five-point severity rating scale, and documenting redesign recommendations. Results: We identified 54 user interface usability issues during both evaluation periods: 18 issues in “Seha” 14 issues in “Cura”, and 22 issues in “Dr. Sulaiman Alhabib”. The two most heuristic items violated in “Seha”, were “user control and freedom” and “recognition rather than recall”. In “Cura”, the three most heuristic items violated were “consistency and adherence to standards”, “esthetic and minimalist design”, and “help and documentation” In “Dr. Sulaiman Alhabib” the most heuristic item violated was “error prevention”. Ten out of the thirty usability issues identified from our first evaluation were no longer identified during our second evaluation. Conclusions: our findings indicate that all three apps have a room for improving their user interface designs to improve the overall user experience and to ensure the continuity of these services beyond the pandemic.
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Faleh AlMutairi M, Tourkmani AM, Alrasheedy AA, ALHarbi TJ, Bin Rsheed AM, ALjehani M, AlRuthia Y. Cost-effectiveness of telemedicine care for patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Ther Adv Chronic Dis 2021; 12:20406223211042542. [PMID: 34729144 PMCID: PMC8442482 DOI: 10.1177/20406223211042542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and aim: Telemedicine could be used to provide diabetes care with positive clinical
outcomes. Consequently, this study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of
telemedicine for patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus (i.e.
HbA1c >9). Patients and methods: This was a retrospective chart review of patients with uncontrolled type 2
diabetes attending an outpatient integrated care clinic. The study consisted
of two arms, namely a telemedicine care model and a traditional care model
with 100 patients in each. The clinical effectiveness (i.e. reduction in
HbA1c) and the total cost in both arms were determined, and the incremental
cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated. This study adopted propensity score
matching. Results: The patients in the telemedicine care model had a mean reduction in their
HbA1c level of 1.82 (95% CI = 1.56–2.09, p < 0.001),
while those in the traditional care model had a mean reduction of 1.54 (95%
CI = 1.23–1.85, p < 0.001). Consequently, the
incremental effect was 0.28 (95% CI = −0.194 to 0.546). The mean total costs
were SAR 4819.76 (US$1285.27) and SAR 4150.69 (US$1106.85) for patients in
the telemedicine and traditional care models, respectively. Consequently,
the incremental cost was SAR 669.07 (US$178.42) [95% CI = SAR 593.7
(US$158.32)–SAR 1013.64 (US$270.30)]. The ICER was estimated to be SAR
2372.52 (US$632.67) per 1% reduction in the level of HbA1c. Moreover, the
telemedicine care model resulted in a higher cost and better outcome (i.e.
reduction in the HbA1c level) with an 81.80% confidence level. Conclusion: Telemedicine care is cost-effective in managing type 2 patients with poorly
controlled diabetes. Consequently, we believe that telemedicine care can be
further expanded and incorporated into routine diabetes care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manal Faleh AlMutairi
- Chronic Illness Center, Family and Community Medicine Department, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ayla M Tourkmani
- Chronic Illness Center, Family and Community Medicine Department, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh 11159, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alian A Alrasheedy
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraidah 51452, Saudi Arabia
| | - Turki J ALHarbi
- Chronic Illness Center, Family and Community Medicine Department, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz M Bin Rsheed
- Chronic Illness Center, Family and Community Medicine Department, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed ALjehani
- Chronic Illness Center, Family and Community Medicine Department, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yazed AlRuthia
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia. Pharmacoeconomics Research Unit, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Driver VR, Couch KS, Eckert KA, Gibbons G, Henderson L, Lantis J, Lullove E, Michael P, Neville RF, Ruotsi LC, Snyder RJ, Saab F, Carter MJ. The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the management of chronic limb-threatening ischemia and wound care. Wound Repair Regen 2021; 30:7-23. [PMID: 34713947 PMCID: PMC8661621 DOI: 10.1111/wrr.12975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the critical limb ischemia (CLI) Global Society aims to develop improved clinical guidance that will inform better care standards to reduce tissue loss and amputations during and following the new SARS‐CoV‐2 era. This will include developing standards of practice, improve gaps in care, and design improved research protocols to study new chronic limb‐threatening ischemia treatment and diagnostic options. Following a round table discussion that identified hypotheses and suppositions the wound care community had during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic, the CLI Global Society undertook a critical review of literature using PubMed to confirm or rebut these hypotheses, identify knowledge gaps, and analyse the findings in terms of what in wound care has changed due to the pandemic and what wound care providers need to do differently as a result of these changes. Evidence was graded using the Oxford Centre for Evidence‐Based Medicine scheme. The majority of hypotheses and related suppositions were confirmed, but there is noticeable heterogeneity, so the experiences reported herein are not universal for wound care providers and centres. Moreover, the effects of the dynamic pandemic vary over time in geographic areas. Wound care will unlikely return to prepandemic practices. Importantly, Levels 2–5 evidence reveals a paradigm shift in wound care towards a hybrid telemedicine and home healthcare model to keep patients at home to minimize the number of in‐person visits at clinics and hospitalizations, with the exception of severe cases such as chronic limb‐threatening ischemia. The use of telemedicine and home care will likely continue and improve in the postpandemic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vickie R Driver
- Wound Healing, Limb Preservation and Hyperbaric Centers, Inova Heart and Vascular Institute Inova Health System, Falls Church, Virginia, USA
| | - Kara S Couch
- Wound Care Services, George Washington University Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | - Gary Gibbons
- Center for Wound Healing, South Shore Health, Weymouth, Massachusetts, USA.,Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lorena Henderson
- PULSE Amputation Prevention Centers, Affiliates, El Paso Cardiology Associates, P.A., El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - John Lantis
- Mount Sinai West Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eric Lullove
- West Boca Center for Wound Healing, Coconut Creek, Florida, USA
| | - Paul Michael
- Palm Beach Heart & Vascular, JFK Wound Management & Limb Preservation Center, Lake Worth, Florida, USA
| | - Richard F Neville
- Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, Falls Church, Virginia, USA.,Department of Surgery, Inova Health System, Falls Church, Virginia, USA
| | - Lee C Ruotsi
- Saratoga Hospital Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine, Saratoga Springs, New York, USA
| | - Robert J Snyder
- Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine, Miami Shores, Florida, USA
| | - Fadi Saab
- Advanced Cardiac & Vascular Centers for Amputation Prevention, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
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Alsaleh MM, Watzlaf VJM, DeAlmeida DR, Saptono A. EVALUATION OF A TELEHEALTH APPLICATION (SEHHA) USED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN SAUDI ARABIA: PROVIDER EXPERIENCE AND SATISFACTION. PERSPECTIVES IN HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 2021; 18:1b. [PMID: 34975351 PMCID: PMC8649707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION COVID-19 has drastically transformed healthcare delivery and forced many to utilize telehealth. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the telehealth service "Sehha" used during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia and assess the provider experience and satisfaction with Sehha. METHODS A questionnaire was distributed by the Ministry of Health (MoH) to 362 physicians using Sehha. The questionnaire items were adapted from previous studies and then tested for content validity and reliability (α = 0.88). RESULTS The findings showed that most of the physicians improved their experience in telehealth because of COVID-19. The majority of the physicians (67.6 percent) reported being satisfied with Sehha. However, the most commonly perceived challenge by the physicians was difficulty in providing accurate medical assessments. CONCLUSION COVID-19 has remarkably uncovered numerous benefits of telehealth. Therefore, telehealth should remain a permanent model of healthcare delivery with consideration of further telehealth development initiatives.
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Alguwaihes A, Al-Sofiani ME, Alyusuf E, Almutairi A, Ibrahim E, Albunyan SS, Alzahrani S, Hasanto R, Jammah AA. COVID-19 Precautionary Measures and Type 1 Diabetes Patients in Saudi Arabia. Prim Care Diabetes 2021; 15:793-798. [PMID: 34275769 PMCID: PMC8282990 DOI: 10.1016/j.pcd.2021.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
AIM To minimize the spread of COVID-19, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) enforced a nationwide lockdown. We aimed to explore whether the manner in which Saudi patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) manage their disease has changed during this unparalleled lockdown. METHODS An online survey exploring the effect of lockdown on T1D outcomes was distributed among T1D patients residing in KSA during lockdown. RESULTS A total of 1010 patients responded to the survey. Around 40% reported communicating with their physicians during lockdown. Age, level of education, residence, previous visits to diabetes education clinics, last HbA1c value, and average monthly income were all significantly associated with communication with the treating physician (p = 0.008, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.002, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). Age, level of education, and average monthly income were significantly associated with experiencing severe hypoglycemia (p = 0.036, p = 0.03, and p < 0.001, respectively), while average monthly income and level of education were significantly associated with experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) (p < 0.001 and p = 0.0039, respectively); during lockdown. Patients who communicated with their physicians reported lower rates of severe hypoglycemia compared to those who did not (25.2% vs 30.7%, respectively). CONCLUSION Age and level of education were significantly associated with communication with the treating physician, and experiencing severe hypoglycemia and DKA; in patients with T1D during the lockdown period in Saudi Arabia. Keeping two-way virtual communication channels between physicians and their T1D patients should be encouraged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Alguwaihes
- Division of Endocrinology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Mohammed E Al-Sofiani
- Division of Endocrinology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Strategic Center for Diabetes Research, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
| | - Ebtihal Alyusuf
- Division of Endocrinology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Aeshah Almutairi
- Health Education, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Eman Ibrahim
- Health Education, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Sarah S Albunyan
- Division of Clinical Nutrition, Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Saad Alzahrani
- Obesity, Endocrine, and Metabolism Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Rana Hasanto
- Pathology Department, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Anwar A Jammah
- Division of Endocrinology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Robert AA, Al Saeed A, Al Dawish MA. COVID-19 among people with diabetes mellitus in Saudi Arabia: Current situation and new perspectives. Diabetes Metab Syndr 2021; 15:102231. [PMID: 34330072 PMCID: PMC8302829 DOI: 10.1016/j.dsx.2021.102231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM This review aims to report the current status of COVID-19 among people with diabetes, newly diagnosed diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis, and programmatic efforts including vaccinations. METHODS We conducted a literature search using PubMed, Google, and Scopus until July 15, 2021. RESULTS In Saudi Arabia, most studies have reported diabetes as one of the highly prevalent comorbidities among patients with COVID-19. Currently, there are limited studies from Saudi Arabia on the newly diagnosed diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis caused by COVID-19. The Saudi ministry has taken several measures to control the impact of COVID-19 among people with diabetes, including comprehensive guidelines and prioritized vaccinations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of telehealth services dramatically increased in diabetes clinics in Saudi Arabia. CONCLUSIONS Focused and evidence-based interventions are essential to control the impact of COVID-19 among people with diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asirvatham Alwin Robert
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Diabetes Treatment Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Abdulghani Al Saeed
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Diabetes Treatment Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Mohamed Abdulaziz Al Dawish
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Diabetes Treatment Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Magliah SF, Alsabban AS, Turkistani HA, Abulaban BA, Alsharif AH, Alsharif SS, Zarif HA. Perception of virtual clinics among Saudi adults with type 1 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Diabetes Metab Syndr 2021; 15:102175. [PMID: 34186374 PMCID: PMC8744414 DOI: 10.1016/j.dsx.2021.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS We aimed to assess patient perception toward the rapid implementation of virtual phone clinics among Saudi adult patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS This cross-sectional, web-based study included Saudi adult patients with T1DM who attended at least one virtual phone visit with the diabetes clinic at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between August 1 and December 31, 2020. Patients anonymously answered a Google form-created Arabic questionnaire. Information about patient characteristics, outcome, and perception of the virtual phone visit were obtained. Data were presented using descriptive statistics, chi-square, one-way ANOVA, independent t-, and Welch's t-tests. RESULTS The questionnaire was sent to 281 patients, of whom 201 completed it. 59.2% patients were satisfied with their overall virtual phone clinic experience, and 75.6% preferred to continue attending the virtual phone clinics in the future. The average perception value of patients toward virtual phone clinics was 67.76 ± 19.9, suggesting good perception among the majority. Negative or neutral views of current health, asking to be physically seen, and missing a virtual appointment were associated with significantly lower average patient perception value (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Most Saudi patients with T1DM have adapted to virtual phone consultations, exhibiting good satisfaction and perception, and high preference to continue using this system in the future. The utilization of the service to assist patients with diabetes is highly encouraged, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strategies need to be developed to further enhance the patient experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sultan F Magliah
- Department of Family Medicine, Ministry of the National Guard-Health Affairs, King Abdulaziz Medical City, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Ahmad S Alsabban
- Department of Family Medicine, Ministry of the National Guard-Health Affairs, King Abdulaziz Medical City, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia; College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia; King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia
| | - Haneen A Turkistani
- Department of Family Medicine, Ministry of the National Guard-Health Affairs, King Abdulaziz Medical City, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bahaa A Abulaban
- Department of Family Medicine, Ministry of the National Guard-Health Affairs, King Abdulaziz Medical City, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz H Alsharif
- Department of Family Medicine, Ministry of the National Guard-Health Affairs, King Abdulaziz Medical City, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarah S Alsharif
- Department of Medicine, Ministry of the National Guard-Health Affairs, King Abdulaziz Medical City, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hawazen A Zarif
- Department of Medicine, Ministry of the National Guard-Health Affairs, King Abdulaziz Medical City, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia; College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia; King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia
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Al-Sofiani ME, Albunyan S, Alguwaihes AM, Kalyani RR, Golden SH, Alfadda A. Determinants of mental health outcomes among people with and without diabetes during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Arab Gulf Region. J Diabetes 2021; 13:339-352. [PMID: 33351239 DOI: 10.1111/1753-0407.13149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS To determine the prevalence and factors associated with depression and anxiety among people with and without diabetes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. METHODS A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study collecting demographic and mental health data from 2166 participants living in the Arab Gulf region (568 with diabetes, 1598 without diabetes). Depression and anxiety were assessed using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, respectively. RESULTS The prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms were 61% and 45%, in people with diabetes (PWD) and 62% and 44%, respectively, in people without diabetes. PWD who have had their diabetes visit canceled by the clinic were more likely to report depression and anxiety symptoms than those without diabetes (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.37 [1.02, 1.84] and 1.37 [1.04, 1.80], for depression and anxiety; respectively). PWD who had no method of telecommunication with their health care providers (HCP) during the pandemic, PWD with A1C of ≥ 10%, women, employees (particularly HCPs), students, unmarried individuals, and those with lower income were more likely to report depression and/or anxiety symptoms (all P < 0.01). Fear of acquiring the coronavirus infection; running out of diabetes medications; or requiring hospitalization for hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, or diabetic ketoacidosis; and lack of telecommunication with HCPs were all associated with significantly higher odds of having depression and anxiety symptoms among PWD. CONCLUSIONS The remarkably high prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among subgroups of PWD, calls for urgent public health policies to address mental health during the pandemic and reestablish health care access for PWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed E Al-Sofiani
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Strategic Center for Diabetes Research, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarah Albunyan
- Division of Clinical Nutrition, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah M Alguwaihes
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rita R Kalyani
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sherita Hill Golden
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- The Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Assim Alfadda
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Strategic Center for Diabetes Research, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Obesity Research Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Alaqeel A, Aljuraibah F, Alsuhaibani M, Huneif M, Alsaheel A, Dubayee MA, Alsaedi A, Bakkar A, Alnahari A, Taha A, Alharbi K, Alanazi Y, Almadhi S, Khalifah RA. The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on the Incidence of New-Onset Type 1 Diabetes and Ketoacidosis Among Saudi Children. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:669302. [PMID: 33868185 PMCID: PMC8049603 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.669302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Overburdened healthcare systems during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic led to suboptimal chronic disease management, including that of pediatric type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The pandemic also caused delayed detection of new-onset diabetes in children; this increased the risk and severity of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). We therefore investigated the frequency of new-onset pediatric T1DM and DKA in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared it to the same period in 2019. Methods We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study, including patients aged 1-14 years admitted with new-onset T1DM or DKA during the COVID-19 pandemic (March-June 2020) and the same period in 2019. We assessed factors including age, sex, anthropometric measures, nationality, duration of diabetes, diabetes management, HbA1c levels, glycemic control, cause of admission, blood gas levels, etiology of DKA, DKA complications, length of hospital stay, and COVID-19 test status. Result During the lockdown, 106 children, compared with 154 in 2019, were admitted to 6 pediatric diabetes centers. Among the admissions, DKA was higher in 2020 than in 2019 (83% vs. 73%; P=0.05; risk ratio=1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.26), after adjusting for age and sex. DKA frequency among new-onset T1DM and HbA1c levels at diagnosis were higher in 2020 than in 2019 (26% vs. 13.4% [P=<0.001] and 12.1 ± 0.2 vs. 10.8 ± 0.25 [P<0.001], respectively). Females and older patients had a higher risk of DKA. Conclusion The lockdown implemented in Saudi Arabia has significantly impacted children with T1DM and led to an increased DKA frequency, including children with new-onset T1DM, potentially owing to delayed presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aqeel Alaqeel
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahad Aljuraibah
- Pediatric Department, King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs (MNGHA), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Alsuhaibani
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Huneif
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulhameed Alsaheel
- Pediatric Endocrine Department, Obesity, Endocrine and Metabolism Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Al Dubayee
- Pediatric Department, King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs (MNGHA), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz Alsaedi
- Al Hada Armed Forces Hospital, Pediatric Department, Pediatric Endocrine Division, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ayman Bakkar
- Al Hada Armed Forces Hospital, Pediatric Department, Pediatric Endocrine Division, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Alnahari
- Diabetes and Endocrinology Center, King Fahad Central Hospital in Jizan, Jizan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Areej Taha
- Pediatric Endocrinology Division, Pediatrics Department, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khulood Alharbi
- Pediatric Department, King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yousef Alanazi
- Pediatric Department, King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Majmaah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Samia Almadhi
- Pediatric Endocrine Department, Obesity, Endocrine and Metabolism Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Reem Al Khalifah
- Pediatric Endocrinology Division, Pediatrics Department, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Núñez A, Sreeganga SD, Ramaprasad A. Access to Healthcare during COVID-19. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18062980. [PMID: 33799417 PMCID: PMC7999346 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18062980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Ensuring access to healthcare is critical to prevent illnesses and deaths from COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 cases in health systems that have deteriorated during the pandemic. This study aims to map the existing literature on healthcare access after the appearance of COVID-19 using an ontological framework. This will help us to formalize, standardize, visualize and assess the barriers to and drivers of access to healthcare, and how to continue working towards a more accessible health system. A total of 131 articles are included and considered for mapping in the framework. The results were also compared to the World Health Organization guidelines on maintaining essential health services to determine the overlapping and nonoverlapping areas. We showed the benefits of using ontology to promote a systematic approach to address healthcare problems of access during COVID-19 or other pandemics and set public policies. This systematic approach will provide feedback to study the existing guidelines to make them more effective, learn about the existing gaps in research, and the relationship between the two of them. These results set the foundation for the discussion of future public health policies and research in relevant areas where we might pay attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Núñez
- Department of Management Control and Information Systems, School of Economics and Business, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8330015, Chile
- Correspondence:
| | - S. D. Sreeganga
- Ramaiah Public Policy Center, Bengaluru 560054, India; (S.D.S.); (A.R.)
| | - Arkalgud Ramaprasad
- Ramaiah Public Policy Center, Bengaluru 560054, India; (S.D.S.); (A.R.)
- Information and Decision Sciences Department, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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Alharthi SK, Alyusuf EY, Alguwaihes AM, Alfadda A, Al-Sofiani ME. The impact of a prolonged lockdown and use of telemedicine on glycemic control in people with type 1 diabetes during the COVID-19 outbreak in Saudi Arabia. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2021; 173:108682. [PMID: 33539868 PMCID: PMC9754156 DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2021.108682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To minimize the spread of Coronavirus Disease-2019, Saudi Arabia imposed a nationwide lockdown for over 6 weeks. We examined the impact of lockdown on glycemic control in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM); and assessed whether changes in glycemic control differ between those who attended a telemedicine visit during lockdown versus those who did not. MATERIALS AND METHODS Flash CGM data from 101 individuals with T1D were retrospectively evaluated. Participants were categorized into two groups: Attended a telemedicine visit during lockdown (n = 61) or did not attend (n = 40). Changes in CGM metrics from the last 2 weeks pre-lockdown period (Feb 25 - March 9, 2020) to the last 2 weeks of complete lockdown period (April 7-20, 2020) were examined in the two groups. RESULTS Those who attended a telemedicine visit during the lockdown period had a significant improvement in the following CGM metrics by the end of lockdown: Average glucose (from 180 to 159 mg/dl, p < 0.01), glycemic management indicator (from 7.7 to 7.2%, p = 0.03), time in range (from 46 to 55%, p < 0.01), and time above range (from 48 to 35%, p < 0.01) without significant changes in time below range, number of daily scans or hypoglycemic events, and other indices. In contrast, there were no significant changes in any of the CGM metrics during lockdown in those who did not attend telemedicine. CONCLUSIONS A six-week lockdown did not worsen, nor improve, glycemic control in individuals with T1D who did not attend a telemedicine visit. Whereas those who attended a telemedicine visit had a significant improvement in glycemic metrics; supporting the clinical effectiveness of telemedicine in diabetes care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar K Alharthi
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ebtihal Y Alyusuf
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah M Alguwaihes
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Assim Alfadda
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Obesity Research Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed E Al-Sofiani
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; Strategic Center for Diabetes Research, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Abdel Nasser A, Mohammed Alzahrani R, Aziz Fellah C, Muwafak Jreash D, Talea A Almuwallad N, Salem A Bakulka D, Abdel Ra'oof Abed R. Measuring the Patients' Satisfaction About Telemedicine Used in Saudi Arabia During COVID-19 Pandemic. Cureus 2021; 13:e13382. [PMID: 33754105 PMCID: PMC7972323 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.13382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many studies have found that telemedicine and telehealth services quality and patients’ clinical outcomes, following telehealth visits, maybe comparable to those of traditional face-to-face office visits especially in a crisis like COVID-19 complete lockdown. Objective This study aimed to identify the patient's experience in using the telemedicine strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess these patients' perception about their experience of using telemedicine in Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional survey study was done on 425 patients treated through telemedicine programs in Saudi Arabia from February to August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was adopted and modified to elicit participants’ socio-demographic data, participants’ satisfaction and attitude toward telehealth and telemedicine, and their views on health care services. Results About 84.9% of the participants thought that telemedicine made healthcare easier during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost half of the respondent was very satisfied with the ease of registration (52%), while 43.4% of respondents stated that they had the ability to talk freely over telemedicine. In the present study, The highest satisfaction was reported by 53.4% of respondents for ease registration, 40.1% for quality of the visual image, 41.9% for quality of the audio sound, and 44.8% for their ability to talk freely over telemedicine, respectively. The highest satisfaction was reported by 40.5% about the ability to understand the recommendations, 40.5% about the overall quality of care provided, 37.4% about the overall telemedicine consult experience. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between satisfaction and attitude scores. Conclusion This study revealed acceptable satisfaction and attitude of patients toward telemedicine programs in Saudi Arabia. However, more effort should be done by the Saudi Ministry of Health to increase the knowledge of patients about teleconsultation available services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa Abdel Nasser
- Medical Education Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, EGY.,Medical Education Unit, Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies, Jeddah, SAU
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Alharbi R, Qadri A, Mahnashi M, Hakami A, Darraj B, Shnaimer J, Gosadi I. Utilization of Health Applications Among Patients Diagnosed with Chronic Diseases in Jazan, Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Patient Prefer Adherence 2021; 15:2063-2070. [PMID: 34556976 PMCID: PMC8453435 DOI: 10.2147/ppa.s329891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Health applications are employed to aid patients with chronic diseases in effective long-term disease management. This investigation aims to measure the utilization of health applications among patients diagnosed with chronic conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS This cross-sectional investigation was conducted in the Jazan region in Saudi Arabia between October 2020 and March 2021. Data were collected during interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire collected items about the patients' demographics, morbidity, and use of electronic devices and health applications developed by the Saudi MoH. Logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with odds of reporting use of applications. RESULTS A total of 658 patients were recruited. The mean age of the patients was 51 years, and 59% of them were females. The most frequently reported diagnosed condition was diabetes (53.5%), followed by hypertension (42.7%). Majority of the patients reported not using any health applications developed by the Saudi MoH (68.2%). Patients with higher educational levels and younger patients were more likely to report use of the applications (ORs: 4.2, 2.6 respectively). Comorbidity history and disease duration did not seem to influence the probability of reporting use of health applications (P-values >0.05). CONCLUSION Patients diagnosed with chronic diseases in Jazan had low utilization of health applications developed by the Saudi MoH. This indicates a need to encourage the use of these health applications, particularly among patients with chronic diseases and to consider use restriction among older patients with lower educational levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruwaym Alharbi
- Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alanood Qadri
- Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Bushra Darraj
- Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jubran Shnaimer
- Family Medicine Department, Jazan Health Affairs, Ministry of Health, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim Gosadi
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: Ibrahim Gosadi Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, P.O. Box: 2349, Jazan, 82621, Saudi ArabiaTel +966 562137711 Email
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Kaliyadan F, A Al Ameer M, Al Ameer A, Al Alwan Q. Telemedicine Practice in Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Cureus 2020; 12:e12004. [PMID: 33457115 PMCID: PMC7797413 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.12004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased use of telemedicine. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate attitudes and behaviors of licensed physicians in the region to telemedicine. METHODOLOGY A cross-sectional design using an electronic survey as the primary tool was done. The questionnaire had a demographic component of the respondent (first part), covering age, specialty, and experience with telemedicine during the COVID pandemic, and a second part, which was in the form of a Likert scale, covering perceptions related to telemedicine. The Likert scale itself had two main areas: (1) attitudes toward telemedicine and (2) perceived barriers. RESULTS There were 392 valid responses of which 228 (58.1%) had used some form of telemedicine (other than standard phone calls) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most common platforms used for telemedicine include WhatsApp® (211, 53.8%), Zoom® (131, 33.4%), Microsoft Teams® (27, 6.2%), Sehha App (65, 16.5%), Email (84, 21.4%). There was a strong agreement on the following statements: "Telemedicine can reduce unnecessary outpatient visits" (87.5%), "Effectiveness of telemedicine depends on the specialty" (89.5%), and "Telemedicine can be used to monitor chronic patients from home" (88.3%). Concerning the barriers to telemedicine, the ones having the most concordance were technological limitations (66.6%) and concerns of diagnostic reliability (66.1%). CONCLUSIONS The responses from our study seem to suggest that while the attitudes toward telemedicine are positive, practicing physicians are concerned about a perceived lack of clarity regarding related legal frameworks and barriers such as technological issues, cultural factors, and diagnostic concordance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ali Al Ameer
- Dermatology, King Fahad General Hospital, Hofuf, SAU
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Alghamdi SM, Alqahtani JS, Aldhahir AM. Current status of telehealth in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19. J Family Community Med 2020; 27:208-211. [PMID: 33354152 PMCID: PMC7745786 DOI: 10.4103/jfcm.jfcm_295_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the responses of countries to emerging infectious diseases have altered dramatically, increasing the demand for health-care practitioners. Telehealth (TH) applications could have an important role in supporting public health precautions and the control of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This review summarizes the existing literature on the current status of TH applications used during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia and discusses the extent to which TH can support public health measures. TH mobile applications (e.g., Seha, Mawid, Tawakklna, Tabaud, and Tetamman) have found effective tools to facilitate delivering healthcare to persons with COVID-19, and tracking of COVID-19 patients. TH has been essential in the control of the spread of COVID-19 and has helped to flatten the growth curve in Saudi Arabia. Further research is needed to explore the impact of TH applications on the progression of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed M Alghamdi
- Faculty of Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK.,Respiratory Care Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jaber S Alqahtani
- Department of Respiratory Care, Prince Sultan Military College of Health Sciences, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.,UCL Respiratory, University College London, London, UK
| | - Abdulelah M Aldhahir
- UCL Respiratory, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Respiratory Care, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
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