Healthcare adjustments and concerns: a qualitative study exploring the perspectives of healthcare providers and administrative staff during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Healthcare systems have modified their strategies to manage their staff, supplies, and space to deal systematically with the COVID-19 pandemic. This research aimed to explore the nature of hospital adjustments and the concerns of healthcare providers and administrative staff working in Governmental and private hospitals throughout the Qassim Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) during the pandemic. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological study using semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 75 purposively selected healthcare providers and administrative staff working at three main hospitals in the Qassim Region, KSA. The maximum variation sampling technique was utilized. Recruitment of participants was continued until data saturation was reached. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Results: Four core themes were identified in this paper: (1) changes in hospital policy and procedures, (2) workforce management, (3) the well-being of the workforce, and (4) apprehensions and expectations of the workforce. The participants showed satisfaction with timely administrative decisions and new policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the psychological health of healthcare professionals was affected more than their physical state. Finally, the providers perceived the emergence of multiple concerns in the coming months. Conclusion: Although healthcare providers were initially overwhelmed, they gradually accepted new administrative policies. Numerous innovative interventions effectively reduced their physical workload and increased their productivity, but they remained significantly affected by a wide range of psychological disorders, with a high prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder. There were some concerns about the new SARS-CoV-2 variant, but the majority were optimistic.

Awake Not Sleeping The Power of Storytelling to Activate Gender Equality and Respectful Relationships in Our Minds, Homes, and Communities

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world in 2020, UN Women Europe and Central Asia's Awake Not Sleeping: Reimagining Fairy Tales for a New Generation Initiative brought over 120 feminist writers and gender experts together through a series of online workshops and writers' circles. The key purpose of these workshops was to consider how gender inequality and its intersecting issues could be explored and reimagined in fairy tales and to support writers to create a decidedly different and transformative fairytale collection. Written from multiple perspectives this article describes the development and editing process that shaped this collection, the principle of care that was core to the initiative, and the importance of engaging storytelling with deep respect for the reflective and creative capacity of young readers. © 2022 by Wayne State University Press, Detroit, MI.

Factors Affecting Electric Bike Adoption: Seeking an Energy-Efficient Solution for the Post-COVID Era

Sustainability think tanks such as the United Nations Organization have a strong focus on achieving economic and environmental sustainability goals globally. On the road to sustainable development, electric bike (E-bike) adoption is crucial. Nevertheless, research on the factors associated with E-Bike use, especially the psychological, financial, and capacity factors, has remained unexplored. This paper extends the theory of planned behavior with six novel factors related to individual choices to analyze E-bike adoption behavior. A sample of 507 Chinese bike riders is collected through the snowball sampling technique. The sample is estimated through structural equation modeling. The key findings are as follows: first, speed capacity, mileage capacity, and real-time camera positively drove E-bike adoption intention. Second, price differentiation negatively affected E-bike adoption intention. Third, the theory of planned behavior factors, including perceived relative advantage, cost savings, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes toward E-bike adoption, proved to be drivers of E-bike adoption intention. Finally, cost savings are the most critical factor of E-bike adoption intention, whereas perceived behavior control is the least critical factor. These results will help green transportation companies and emerging economies promote E-bike adoption to reach the environmental sustainability goals of the United Nations.

CovidNeuroOnc: A UK multicenter, prospective cohort study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the neuro-oncology service.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected cancer services. Our objective was to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on decision making and the resulting outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial tumors. METHODS: We performed a multicenter prospective study of all adult patients discussed in weekly neuro-oncology and skull base multidisciplinary team meetings who had a newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial (excluding pituitary) tumor between 01 April and 31 May 2020. All patients had at least 30-day follow-up data. Descriptive statistical reporting was used. RESULTS: There were 1357 referrals for newly diagnosed or recurrent intracranial tumors across 15 neuro-oncology centers. Of centers with all intracranial tumors, a change in initial management was reported in 8.6% of cases (n = 104/1210). Decisions to change the management plan reduced over time from a peak of 19% referrals at the start of the study to 0% by the end of the study period. Changes in management were reported in 16% (n = 75/466) of cases previously recommended for surgery and 28% of cases previously recommended for chemotherapy (n = 20/72). The reported SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was similar in surgical and non-surgical patients (2.6% vs. 2.4%, P > .9). CONCLUSIONS: Disruption to neuro-oncology services in the UK caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was most marked in the first month, affecting all diagnoses. Patients considered for chemotherapy were most affected. In those recommended surgical treatment this was successfully completed. Longer-term outcome data will evaluate oncological treatments received by these patients and overall survival.

Knowledge and preventive behaviors regarding COVID-19 among health care providers at primary health care centers in Hilla city/Iraq

COVID-19 is an ongoing pandemic, for which appropriate infection prevention and control measures need to be adopted. The study aimed to assess knowledge and practice of preventive behaviors among those who works at primary health care centers in Hilla City. Methodology: A non-probability (systematic sample) of 300 subject were selected throughout the use of non probability sampling approach and analyzed through the application of descriptive and inferential statistical data analysis approach that includes, frequencies, percentages;and Chi-squared test". Results: "Recent results indicate that 73% were young, 62% were males, graduated from a diploma in working as a nurses for less than 5 years as an experience without training courses and took social media as a source of information The results show that the majority (55.3% and 52.3) were Good knowledge and weak protective behaviors respectively. There is a statistically significant relationship between healthcare providers ’knowledge of COVID-19 and their protective behaviors at p-value <0.01". Conclusion: "This study found out that there is a relationship between good knowledge regarding COVID-19 among healthcare providers and poor preventive behaviors. There is a need for a improve practice at the place of preventive behaviors. Also, education and training on protection and protective measures are required to improve better practices at work during the COVID-19 pandemic response". © 2021, Universitatea de Vest Vasile Goldis din Arad. All rights reserved.

The immediate psychological response of the general population in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of COVID-19 may differentially exacerbate anxiety and stress in people subjected to the real or perceived threat of the virus. METHOD: An online cross-sectional survey was carried out to assess the general population's psychological response during the initial state of the outbreak in Saudi Arabia. The study used brief screening tools PHQ-4 for anxiety-depression symptoms and IES-6 for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. RESULTS: Among the 584 respondents, 19.8% and 22.0% reported moderate to severe anxiety and depression symptoms respectively. According to the combined PHQ-4 score, 14.5% of participants showed moderate to severe anxiety or depression disorder. Overall, 64.8% met the level of clinical concern for posttraumatic stress disorder and 51.3% met the level of probable posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis. Multivariate analyses showed that females, non-Saudi nationalities, and those who had a history of mental illness were more vulnerable to anxiety and depression disorders than their counterparts, whereas a higher prevalence of distress symptoms was reported among those who prefer Arabic over English for communication. It was found that people whose colleagues or family infected with the disease were more likely to report moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety or depression and distress. The study further showed that the higher the perceived threat, the higher the chances of exhibiting anxiety-depressive disorder symptoms and distress symptoms. CONCLUSION: The findings might be a matter for serious concern, and considerable attention is required from authorities and policymakers regarding early detection and treatment of these illnesses in order to reduce the burden of the pandemic related mental illness.

Saudi Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine guidance on pregnancy and coronavirus disease 2019.

[No Abstract Available]    Saudi Med J 2020; Vol. 41 (8): 779-790doi: 10.15537/smj.2020.8.25222 How to cite this article:Yaser A. Faden, Nadia A. Alghilan,  Samiha H. Alawami, Eman S. Alsulmi, Hythem A. Alsum, Yasir A. Katib, Yasser S. Sabr, Fadwah H. Tahir, Nabeel S. Bondagji. Saudi Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine guidance on pregnancy and coronavirus disease 2019. Saudi Med J 2020; Vol. 41 (8): 779-790. doi: 10.15537/smj.2020.8.25222.