Assessment of knowledge and prevalence of fibromyalgia among medical students and physicians in Riyadh region.

Background: Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and tenderness of soft tissue. The prevalence of FM in Saudi Arabia is not known. The diagnosis of FM is mainly clinical. The knowledge about fibromyalgia is poor, even among healthcare providers. Aim: To assess the knowledge and prevalence of fibromyalgia among medical students and physicians in the Riyadh region. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at all medical colleges in Riyadh and Riyadh hospitals. The study was conducted on both medical students and physicians using a questionnaire. The SPSS program was used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 556 participants were involved; 56.5% heard about fibromyalgia, and only 5.6% attended Continuing Medical Education (CME) activity. There were 31.5% had high knowledge, whereas 68.5% had low knowledge. The level of knowledge was associated with the year (P = 0.002), specialty (P = 0.013), hearing about fibromyalgia (P = 0.0001), attending lectures (P = 0.009), and being aware of diagnostic criteria (P = 0.0001). Conclusion: The prevalence of FM was high, and there was poor knowledge among medical students and physicians regarding fibromyalgia.

Emotional Intelligence and Burnout Among Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Residents.

Background: Burnout syndrome is common among surgical residents, negatively affecting their mental health, physical wellbeing, and work performance. We investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and burnout among Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery residents. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined 51 residents across different Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery programs at various hospitals in Saudi Arabia using a survey conducted between January 2021 and March 2021. The questionnaire had different validated measurements of burnout and included the Trait EI Questionnaire-Short Form, Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services survey, and questions regarding demographics and job satisfaction. Results: Of all the residents, 17.6% had a high risk of burnout, 39.2% had emotional exhaustion (EE), 29.4% had depersonalization (DP), and 43.1% had a low sense of personal accomplishment (PA). A statistically significant negative association was observed between the total EI score and EE (r = -0.577, p < 0.001) and DP (r = -0.765, p < 0.001), indicating that higher total EI scores were associated with lower EE levels. Conclusions: Positive associations existed between high levels of EI, PA, and satisfaction with both surgical skills and specialty choice. Therefore, residency programs should use EI modifiers as tools to reduce the risk of burnout.