Study of the relation between quality of inpatient care and early readmission for diabetic patients at a hospital in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia

Readmission of diabetic patients after discharge from hospital has potential value as a quality of care indicator. This retrospective cohort and case-control study aimed to determine the readmission rate for diabetic patients within 28 days after discharge and the association between quality of inpatient care and unplanned readmission. An audit of records was conducted in a hospital in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia during 2000-2008. The rate of unplanned readmission of patients originally admitted with diabetes mellitus [n = 1125] was 5.2%. Comparison of data from readmitted patients [n = 62] and a sample of non re admitted patients [n = 62] showed that adherence by health care providers to American Diabetes Association guidelines for admission work-up [OR 0.91, 95% Cl: 0.85-0.99] and readiness for discharge criteria [OR 0.89, 95% Cl: 0.84-0.95] were significantly more likely to decrease the risk of readmission within 28 days

Dental health knowledge, attitudes and behaviour among students at the Kuwait University Health Sciences Centre

The aim of the study was to determine the extent of dental health knowledge among students at the Kuwait University Health Sciences Centre [HSC], as well as their attitudes toward dental health and their oral hygiene habits. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 450 of the 800 students enrolled in 3 faculties of the HSC from March to April 2000. The questionnaire was completed anonymously by the students. Four hundred and ten students [91.1%] completed the questionnaire. Of these, 64.6% believed that the main cause of tooth decay was 'not brushing properly'. Only 19.3% of the students believed that sugar could cause dental decay. Half of the students did not know if sugar-free drinks are harmful to their teeth, and 29.5% did not know about any measures to prevent gums from bleeding. Self-assessment questions showed that 84.5% of the students were satisfied with their dental health. A large majority of the students [94.8%] brushed their teeth at least once a day. Female students brushed their teeth more frequently than male students, as did those students who had visited a dentist in the past 6-12 months and those who rated their dental health to be very good. The main reason given for a dental visit was toothache [70.0%]. Coffee was consumed daily by 68.9% of students, 76.6% of whom added sugar to their coffee. Conclusions: The findings indicate that although most of the students at the HSC seem to be satisfied with their dental health, they did not have correct knowledge about the causes and prevention of dental diseases. In general, female students were more aware and concerned about dental health issues and more engaged in dental behaviour than male students