ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The outbreak of the novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has influenced all aspects of life and significantly impacted healthcare services. It has collectively necessitated the use of telemedicine in providing healthcare. Through this study, we aim to report the statistics on telemedicine utilization and satisfaction across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during COVID-19. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study to report the utilization and patient satisfaction with telemedicine services across Saudi Arabia. The data was collected retrospectively from March 2020 to July 2020 on 22,620 patients who used telemedicine services for consultations, medicine refills, and home healthcare visits during COVID-19. RESULTS: The patients received a quick response to their calls within a mean (± SD) waiting time of 2.54 (± 6.8) minutes corresponding to a median (IQR) of 0 (0-1) minutes. Home healthcare services were presented within a median (IQR) time of 20.16 (4.64 - 42.28) hours, and patients received medication at home with a median (IQR) time of 18.8 (12.15 - 36.1) hours. Conversations over the phone varied for a median (IQR) time of 5 (3-7) minutes. The highest number of telemedicine calls were for family medicine consultations, i.e., 6729 (29.7%), and the lowest was for infectious diseases 04 (0.1%), followed by cardiology consultations, i.e., 635 (2.8%). A total of 13,154 (58.15) rated their overall satisfaction, of which 11,684 (88.82%) found telemedicine services satisfactory. CONCLUSION: The utilization of telemedicine across Saudi Arabia results have shown telemedicine to be a satisfactory service for convenient and safe communication between patients and their healthcare providers. It can thus be established as a smart and indissoluble service across the kingdom. However, there is a need to raise awareness of insurance coverage for such services to make them more feasible and accessible to the public.
ABSTRACT
Background. The current study aims to give a scientific origin for employing Habenaria plantaginea Lindl. as a potential candidate against nociception, inflammation, and pyrexia. The pharmacological studies were performed on crude extract and subfractions. In the gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis, a total of 21 compounds were identified. The plant samples were displayed for in vitro anti-inflammatory potentials. The observed IC50 for chloroform against cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lipoxygenase enzymes was 33.81 and 26.74 µg/mL, respectively. The in vivo activities were prerequisites with the acute toxicity studies. In carrageenan-induced inflammation, the chloroform fraction exhibited 46.15% inhibition similar to that of standard drug diclofenac sodium 47.15%. Likewise, in the acetic acid-induced writhing test, the ethyl acetate fraction displayed 71.42% activity, which was dose-dependent as that of standard drug. In Brewer's yeast-induced antipyretic activity, a significant decrease in rectal volume was observed after 30, 60, and 90 minutes. Moreover, the results of this study indicated that the chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions inhibited nociception, inflammation, and pyrexia dose dependently. Likewise, mechanistic insights indicated that naloxone antagonized the antinociceptive effect of chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions, thereby signifying the involvement of opioidergic mechanisms respectively. These results suggest that these molecules present in this plant have synergistically beneficial potential for the cure and management of analgesia, inflammation, and pyrexia.
