Factors, Barriers, and Recommendations Related to Mobile Health Acceptance among the Elderly in Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Study.

The use of mobile health (mHealth) is providing value to the elderly, but their acceptance of it is lower than in other age groups. Thus, this study aims to explore the factors influencing their intention to use mHealth and identify barriers and suggested solutions among elderly people aged 50+ years in Saudi Arabia, guided by the Healthcare Technology Acceptance Model (H-TAM). In this qualitative study, 14 elderly people (six females and eight males) were recruited. Participants were included if they were Saudi, aged 50+ years, and used smartphones. Participants were engaged in semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Peer review was conducted and saturation was reached to maintain rigor. Three major themes emerged: (1) factors affecting intention to use, (2) concerns and barriers, and (3) solutions and recommendations. Influenced factors were identified as perceived usefulness, perceived need, perceived ease of use, perceived benefits, familiarity, trust in technology, advice acceptance, facilitating conditions (family support), and compatibility. Older participants, particularly those with lower educational attainment, displayed less familiarity with mHealth. Lack of digital literacy, health and aging issues, worry about making mistakes, and social issues emerged as central barriers. Addressing these factors in the design and promotion of mHealth can enhance its successful adoption among the elderly.

Evaluation of Problem-Based Learning implementation in a College of Medicine, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: a cross sectional comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is an innovative student-centered learning method that has been implemented in numerous medical colleges worldwide. However, the newly adopting PBL institutes may face challenges during its implementation. This study aims to evaluate PBL implementation in the medical college of Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University (IAU) from the facilitators' and students' perspectives. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study using a quantitative self-administered online questionnaire. The questionnaire evaluated PBL implementation using the three scales: small group learning, problem case scenario, and facilitator role. A total of 52 facilitators and 1289 students (from second to sixth years) were invited to participate in the study at the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. RESULTS: Forty-six facilitators (88.46%) and 324 students (25.13%) responded to the questionnaire. There was an overall positive evaluation of PBL implementation. However, the facilitators' rating was significantly higher than the students' rating across the three scales. Regarding the small group learning, a significant difference was found between types of facilitation status (p = 0.017) and between trained and not trained facilitators (p = 0.029). In respect to the problem case scenario, there was a significant difference based on the types of facilitation status (p = 0.017) and facilitating tutorials related to the facilitator's specialty (p = 0.004). Regarding the facilitator role, a significant difference was found between the academic year they had facilitated (p = 0.032). Female students rated the three scales significantly higher than male students (p < 0.001). Students aged between 24 and 25 years old and sixth years students also rated the three scales significantly higher than other students (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The participants rated PBL implementation positively as measured by the three scales rating. However, specific concerns have been highlighted that are related to group dynamics, training before starting PBL, relevancy of the case scenarios, and the facilitator's role in nominating group members and providing feedback.

Real-World Evidence of COVID-19 Patients' Data Quality in the Electronic Health Records.

Despite the importance of electronic health records data, less attention has been given to data quality. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of COVID-19 patients' records and their readiness for secondary use. We conducted a retrospective chart review study of all COVID-19 inpatients in an academic healthcare hospital for the year 2020, which were identified using ICD-10 codes and case definition guidelines. COVID-19 signs and symptoms were higher in unstructured clinical notes than in structured coded data. COVID-19 cases were categorized as 218 (66.46%) "confirmed cases", 10 (3.05%) "probable cases", 9 (2.74%) "suspected cases", and 91 (27.74%) "no sufficient evidence". The identification of "probable cases" and "suspected cases" was more challenging than "confirmed cases" where laboratory confirmation was sufficient. The accuracy of the COVID-19 case identification was higher in laboratory tests than in ICD-10 codes. When validating using laboratory results, we found that ICD-10 codes were inaccurately assigned to 238 (72.56%) patients' records. "No sufficient evidence" records might indicate inaccurate and incomplete EHR data. Data quality evaluation should be incorporated to ensure patient safety and data readiness for secondary use research and predictive analytics. We encourage educational and training efforts to motivate healthcare providers regarding the importance of accurate documentation at the point-of-care.

Usability of Telemedicine Mobile Applications during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: A Heuristic Evaluation of Patient User Interfaces.

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.

Stress and Burnout Related to Electronic Health Record Use among Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A Preliminary National Randomized Survey.

Healthcare providers' burnout may potentially have a negative impact on patient care. The use of the electronic health record (EHR) increases the burden for healthcare providers (HCPs), particularly during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study assessed the stress and burnout related to the use of EHRs and health information technology (HIT) tools among HCPs during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. We used a self-developed survey tool. It consisted of five sections; demographics and professional data, experience using EHR, effects of EHR use, use of EHR and technology tools during COVID-19, and health and wellbeing. The survey link was emailed to a random sample of HCPs registered with a national scientific regulatory body. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed to measure the association between burnout and study variables. A total of 182 participants completed the survey. 50.5% of participants reported a presence of HIT-related stress, and 40.1% reported a presence of burnout. The variables independently associated with burnout were providing tertiary level of care, working with COVID-19 suspected cases, dissatisfaction with EHRs, and agreement with the statement that using EHRs added frustration to the workday. Further research that explores possible solutions is warranted to minimize burnout among HCPs, especially during infectious outbreaks.

Medical students' experience with accessing medical records in Saudi Arabia: a descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Medical students can enhance their knowledge by accessing patients' medical records and documenting patient care. This study assessed medical students' access to paper medical records and electronic health records (EHRs) in Saudi Arabia and compared students' experience of accessing paper medical records and EHR from their perspective. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled second-year to intern medical students randomly from different medical colleges in Saudi Arabia. A self-developed survey was administered to them. It comprised 28 items in three sections: general information about medical students and their level of accessing medical records, their experience with the medical record system used in hospitals, and their preference for the medical record type. RESULTS: 62.8% of participants had access to medical records, with 66.1% of them having access to EHRs and 83.27% had read-only access. The EHR group and paper group mostly liked being able to reach medical records effortlessly (70.1% and 67.1%, respectively). The EHR group had a better experience compared to the paper group with U = 5200, Mean Rank = 122.73, P = .04. Students who trained in University - owned and National Guard hospitals had better experiences compared to students who trained in other hospitals with Mean Ranks =122.35, and 147.99, respectively. CONCLUSION: Incorporating EHR access into the medical curriculum is essential for creating new educational opportunities that are not otherwise available to medical students.

What it means to be a woman in the field of biomedical informatics: exploring the lived experiences of women managers in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: Although women in the field of biomedical informatics (BMI) are part of a golden era, little is known about their lived experiences as informaticians. Guided by feminist standpoint theory, this study aims to understand the impact of social change in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia- in the form of new policies supporting women and health technological advancements-in the field of BMI and its women informaticians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted semistructured telephone interviews with 7 women managers in the field of BMI, identified through LinkedIn. We analyzed interview transcripts to generate themes about their lived experiences, how they perceived health information technology tools, identified challenges that may hinder the advancement of the field, and explored the future of BMI from their perspectives. During our analysis, we utilized a feminist theoretical approach. RESULTS: Women managers in the field of BMI shared similar experiences and perspectives. Our analysis generated 10 themes: (1) career beginning, (2) opportunities given, (3) career achievements, (4) gender-based experiences, (5) meaning of BMI, (6) meaning of health information technology tools, (7) challenges, (8) overcoming challenges, (9) future and hopes, and (10) meaning of "2030 Saudi vision." Early in their careers, participants experienced limited opportunities and misperceptions in understanding what the field of informatics represents. Participants did not feel that gender was an issue, despite what feminist theory would have predicted. CONCLUSIONS: Recognizing the lived experiences of women in the field of BMI contributes to our collective understanding of how these experiences may enhance our knowledge of the field.