Unveiling the factors influencing public knowledge and behaviours towards medication errors in Jordan: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Medication errors are preventable incidents resulting from improper use of drugs that may cause harm to patients. They thus endanger patient safety and offer a challenge to the efficiency and efficacy of the healthcare system. Both healthcare professionals and patients may commit medication errors. METHODS AND OBJECTIVES: A cross-sectional, observational study was designed using a self-developed, self-administered online questionnaire. A sample was collected using convenience sampling followed by snowball sampling. Adult participants from the general population were recruited regardless of age, gender, area of residence, medical history, or educational background in order to explore their practice, experience, knowledge, and fear of medication error, and their understanding of this drug-related problem. RESULTS: Of the 764 participants who agreed to complete the questionnaire, 511 (66.9%) were females and 295 (38.6%) had a medical background. One-fifth of participants had experienced medication errors, with 37.7% of this segment reporting these medication errors. More than half of all medication errors (84, 57.5%) were minor and thus did not require any intervention. The average anxiety score for all attributes was 21.2 (The highest possible mean was 36, and the lowest possible was 0). The highest level of anxiety was seen regarding the risk of experiencing drug-drug interactions and the lowest levels were around drug costs and shortages. Being female, having no medical background, and having experience with medication errors were the main predictors of high anxiety scores. Most participants (between 67% and 92%) were able to recognise medication errors committed by doctors or pharmacists. However, only 21.2 to 27.5% of participants could recognise medication errors committed by patients. Having a medical background was the strongest predictor of knowledge in this study (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study revealed that the prevalence of self-reported medication errors was significantly high in Jordan, some of which resulted in serious outcomes such as lasting impairment, though most were minor. Raising awareness about medication errors and implementing preventive measures is thus critical, and further collaboration between healthcare providers and policymakers is essential to educate patients and establish effective safety protocols.

Surgical vs. Conservative Management of Chronic Sciatica (>3 Months) Due to Lumbar Disc Herniation: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Sciatica, characterized by leg or back symptoms along the sciatic nerve pathway, often manifests as a chronic condition lasting over 12 weeks. Decision-making between nonoperative treatment and immediate microdiscectomy for chronic sciatica remains challenging, due to the complex relationship between symptom duration, severity, and lumbar discectomy outcomes. In this systematic review, we conducted a comprehensive search across Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, identifying relevant two-arm clinical trials up to September 2023. Rigorous screening and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers, with study quality evaluated using the risk of bias 2 (RoB) tool. This meta-analysis incorporated four studies comprising 352 participants. Our analysis revealed that conservative treatment was associated with a significant reduction in leg pain and improvement in, SF mental, and physical scores compared to surgical intervention. However surgical treatment demonstrated significant improvement in back pain. In conclusion, our findings suggest that surgical intervention may be more effective than non-surgical treatment for chronic sciatica-related back pain. Conservative treatment significantly reduces leg pain while improving mental and physical health outcomes. Ultimately, our findings support conservative as the initial approach unless surgery is warranted, particularly in cases with neurological deficits or cauda equina syndrome.

Knowledge, attitudes, practices and barriers of medical research among undergraduate medical students in Jordan: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Integrating medical students in research at an early stage of their program is a crucial step to enhance the ability of future physicians to employ critical thinking and problem-solving processes, which in turn improves patients' health outcomes. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was administered to medical school students at Al-Balqa Applied University. This study aims to analyze the attitudes, practices, and barriers faced by medical students in regard to engaging in medical research. RESULTS: A total of 333 students participated in the study with a mean age of 21.2 ± 1.5 years. A total of 60.1% were females. Female students had significantly higher knowledge scores (µ = 3.97, SD ± 1.81, P = 0.009) than males (µ = 3.44, SD ± 1.69). As students progress to higher academic years of their clinical program, their knowledge in research significantly increases in comparison to their knowledge in basic medical years (P < 0.001). Student age and academic year significantly correlated with the knowledge scores; each additional year of study increased the knowledge score by 0.25 (ß = 0.25, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.63). The percentage of students who correctly answered each question on the knowledge scale was 37.5% (SD ± 12.5%). The most reported barriers to research participation were insufficient training in medical research, lack of sufficient research opportunities, and lack of stimulation and support from faculty. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students demonstrated a positive attitude toward research starting from their second year of study, despite having limited knowledge on the topic. They identified barriers that could be utilized to promote greater involvement of students in research. The implications for clinical practice suggest that policymakers and educators should consider the outcomes of this study and implement improvements in medical education, specifically by encouraging the early participation of students in the research process.