Sociodemographic Characteristics as Predictors of Satisfaction in Public and Private Dental Clinics

Objective: This study aimed to investigate influence of multiple sociodemographic characteristics on the patient satisfaction levels in outpatient public and private dental practices of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Methods: Questionnaire-based survey data were collected from 500 patients, 250 each from the public and private dental clinics of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from September to December, 2017. Questions related to demographic factors and service attributes were included. A Likert scale of 5-points was used to measure satisfaction levels. Data was analyzed to calculate the descriptive and inferential statistics [analysis of variance and multiple regression analysis] to find the statistical difference [p < 0.01]

Results: Satisfaction level differed significantly by education level [P< 0.001] and the type of clinic [P<0.001]. The multiple regression analysis suggest that all variables influenced satisfaction, except age and marital status. The satisfaction score was higher by 27 percent for private clinics compared to public clinics

Conclusion: This study was exploratory and revealed an effect of individual variables on overall satisfaction score of the services attributes. Future plans for patient care could be developed with the help of this research

Impact of network aided platforms as educational tools on academic performance and attitude of pharmacology students

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the impact of learning management system and WhatsApp application as educational tools on students' academic achievement and attitude

Methods: The sample population was the students of six medical colleges of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia attending Medical Pharmacology's semester course in Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery [MBBS] program from September 2016 to January 2017. An exploratory approach was adopted based on a comparison between students exposed to only in-class lectures [Group-N], inclass lectures together with WhatsApp platform to disseminate the lecture slides [Group-W] and students group with in-class lectures facility blended with Learning Management System [LMS] and WhatsApp platform [Group-WL]. The students' grades were assessed using unified multiple choice questions at the end of the semester. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation [p<0.01]

Results: Using learning management system [LMS] and/or WhatsApp messenger tool showed a significant positive correlation in improving students' grades. Additionally, use of WhatsApp enhances students' in-class attendance though statistically insignificant

Conclusion: The results are pivotal for a paradigm shift of in-class lectures and discussion to mobile learning [M-learning]. M-learning through WhatsApp may be as an alternative, innovative, and collaborative tool in achieving the required goals in medical education