External Vs Internal e-Referrals: Results from a Nationwide Epidemiological Study Utilizing Secondary Collected Data.

Background: E-referral systems, streamlining patient access to specialists, have gained global recognition yet lacked a comparative study between internal and external referrals in Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: This retrospective study utilized secondary data from the Saudi Medical Appointments and Referrals Centre system. The data covers 2020 and 2021, including socio-demographic data, referral characteristics, and specialties. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with external referrals. Results: Out of 645,425 e-referrals from more than 300 hospitals, 19.87% were external. The northern region led with 48.65%. Males were 55%, and those aged 25-64 were 56.68% of referrals. Outpatient clinic referrals comprised 47%, while 61% of referrals were due to a lack of specialty services. Several significant determinants are associated with higher rates of external referral with (p-value <0.001) and a 95% Confidence interval. Younger individuals under 25 exhibit higher referral rates than those aged 25-64. Geographically, compared to the central region, in descending order, there were increasing trends of external referral in the northern, western, and southern regions, respectively (OR = 19.26, OR = 4.48, OR 3.63). External referrals for outpatient departments (OPD) and dialysis services were higher than for routine admissions (OR = 1.38, OR = 1.26). The rate of external referrals due to the lack of available equipment was more predominant than other causes. Furthermore, in descending order, external referrals for organ transplantation and oncology are more frequent than for medical specialties, respectively (OR = 9.39, OR = 4.50). Conclusion: The study reveals trends in e-referrals within the KSA, noting regional differences, demographic factors, and types of specialties regarding external referrals, benefiting the New Model of Care for the 2030 Vision. Findings suggest expanding virtual consultations to reduce external referrals. Strengthening primary care and preventive medicine could also decrease future referrals. Future studies should assess resource distribution, including infrastructure and workforce, to further inform healthcare strategy.

Epidemiology and outcomes of out of hospital cardiac arrest in Saudi Arabia: Findings from the Saudi Out of Hospital cardiac Arrest Registry (SOHAR).

Aim: The Saudi Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Registry (SOHAR) is the first out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) registry in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology and outcomes of OHCA in Saudi Arabia. Methods: The SOHAR is a prospective data collection system. Data were collected monthly from defined regions, and registry measured variables were adopted from the Utstein recommendations. Results: During the period from 01/01/2019 to 31/12/2022, 3671 patients were included in the registry. The mean age was 62 years, and 6.5% (240) of patients were under the age of 18 years. The most common cause of OHCA was medical 3439 (93.6%). A total of 641 (17.4%) and 129 (3.9%) had presumed cardiac and respiratory causes. Additionally, most OHCA in Saudi Arabia (3034, 82.6%) occurred at home. Prehospital Return Of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) was achieved in 275 (7.4%) cases, and 491 (13.3%) patients were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Survival to hospital discharge was achieved in 107 (2.9%) of the cases, and good neurological outcomes, defined as a Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) of 1-3, occurred in < 0.5% of patients. Conclusion: The Saudi out-of-hospital ROSC was 7.4%. The survival to hospital discharge rate was 2.9%, and less than 1% of patients were discharged with good neurological outcomes. Further research and the continuation of registry data collection is highly recommended. Additionally, a national-level out-of-hospital cardiac arrest system is recommended to ensure the standardization of medical care provided to patients with OHCA.

Shortening Door-to-Balloon Time: The Use of Ambulance versus Private Vehicle for Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Purpose: Time is critical when dealing with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients in the Emergency Department (ED), as 90 min is crucial for overall health. Using non-EMS transportation for critical patients, such as patients with acute myocardial infarction, to a hospital might delay the rapid identification of the underlying medical disease and initiating definitive treatment. We aim to evaluate the association between the mode of transportation and the D2B time in patients presenting at the ED with AMI. Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study with patients who presented at ED with AMI and underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The participants were patients with confirmed AMI at the ED of King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC) from January 2019 to December 2019. Results: In total, 162 AMI patients were enrolled in the study and divided based on the method of transportation. Less than half (n=65, 40.1%) were transported with an ambulance and 97 (59.9%) patients with a private car. The door-to-balloon (D2B) time for the ambulance group was 93.6±38.31 minutes, and the private car group was 93.8±30.88 minutes. Conclusion: There was no statistical significance when comparing the D2B time between the private car group and the ambulance group (P = 0.1870). Finally, ambulance transport significantly shortened the time to first ED physician contact. However, it was not associated with shortened D2B time when compared to private vehicle transport.

Evaluation of Telephone Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Performance in Current Practice in Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a global health problem with a low survival rate. Telephone cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR) guidance by emergency medical services (EMS) dispatchers can improve CPR performance and, consequently, survival rates. Accordingly, the American Heart Association (AHA) has released performance standards for T-CPR in current practice to improve its quality. However, no study has examined T-CPR performance in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate T-CPR performance in the Saudi Arabian EMS system. Methods: A retrospective observation of OHCA calls in current practice was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. OHCA calls were reviewed to identify those that met the selection criteria. Variables collected included return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), OHCA recognition rate, time from EMS call receipt to location acquisition, to OHCA recognition and to commencement of CPR. Results: A total of 308 OHCA cases were reviewed, and 100 calls were included. ROSC was identified in 10% of the included calls. OHCA was correctly recognized in 62% of the calls. The time to OHCA identification and CPR performance from EMS call receipt were found to be 303 s and 367 s, respectively. Conclusion: T-CPR performance in Saudi Arabia is below AHA standards. However, this is similar to what has been reported in the literature. Avoiding any unnecessary call transfer during OHCA calls and prompt identification of callers' locations could improve T-CPR performance.

The Ability of Emergency Medical Service Staff to Predict Emergency Department Disposition: A Prospective Study.

Purpose: Paramedics' decision to notify receiving hospitals and transport patients to an appropriate healthcare facility is based on the Prediction of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Hospital Admissions guide. This study aimed to assess the paramedics' gestalt on both ward and ICU admission. Patients and Methods: A prospective study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City between September 2021 and March 2022. Paramedics were asked several questions related to the prediction of the patient's hospital outcome, including emergency department (ED) discharge or hospital admission (ICU or ward). Additional data, such as the time of the ambulance's arrival and the staff years of experience, were collected. The categorical characteristics are presented by frequency and percentage for each category. Results: This study included 251 paramedics and 251 patients. The average age of the patients was 62 years. Of the patients, 32 (12.7%) were trauma, and 219 (87.3%) were non-trauma patients. Two-thirds of the patients (n=171, 68.1%) were predicted to be admitted to the hospital, and 80 (31.8%) of the EMS staff indicated that the patient do not need a hospital or an ambulance. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of the emergency medical service (EMS) staffs' gestalt for patient admission to the hospital were, respectively (77%), (33%), (16%), and (90%). Further analysis was reported to defend the EMS staffs' gestalt based on the level of EMS staff and the nature of the emergency (medical vs trauma), are reported. Conclusion: Our study reports a low level of accurately predicting patient admission to the hospital, including the ICU. The results of this study have important implications for enhancing the accuracy of EMS staff predictive ability and ensuring that patients receive appropriate care promptly.