Autonomy and paternalism in shared decision-making in a Saudi Arabian tertiary hospital: A cross-sectional study.

Medical paternalism has long been a common medical practice. However, patient autonomy in healthcare has been recently adopted by doctors and patients alike. This study explored whether doctors and patients in a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia preferred autonomy or paternalism in shared decision-making. A total of 118 participants (51 patients requiring total knee replacement, owing to stages 3-4 of osteoarthritis, and 67 doctors) from the Eastern province, Saudi Arabia. responded to a 17-question category-based questionnaire involving four scales of autonomy. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test results revealed that in this hospital, patients preferred a paternalistic approach toward their medical care along with a full disclosure of the risks related to surgical procedures. We recommend health education regarding the specific autonomy subscales (doctor knows best, patient should decide, right to non-participation, and obligatory risk information), and the implementation of protocols that protect patients' rights and enhance personal autonomy.

Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccines Primer Doses: Experience of Saudi Healthcare Workers Participating in CoVaST-SA.

BACKGROUND: Side effects emerging after COVID-19 vaccines may adversely impact public confidence in vaccines. Therefore, this study was designed to explore the short-term side effects of COVID-19 vaccines as a part of the COVID-19 Vaccines Safety Tracking (CoVaST) study. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey-based study was carried out to collect data from healthcare workers (HCWs) in Saudi Arabia. The study was initiated between June and December 2021. A validated questionnaire was used in this study consisting of four categories, including demographic characteristics and medical anamnesis of the participants, COVID-19-associated anamnesis, and side effects of vaccine uptake. RESULTS: The study included 1039 participants, of which 70.2% were females, and their median age was 34. About 82.9% and 52.3% of the participants reported a minimum of both one local and systemic side effect, respectively. Females, young participants (≤34 years old), and non-obese participants had more potential to disclose post-vaccination side effects than their counterparts. Heterologous schedules and viral vector-based vaccines were linked with a greater rate of systemic side effects, whereas homologous vaccination schedules and mRNA-based vaccines were linked with a greater rate of local side effects. CONCLUSION: Future studies on COVID-19 vaccines should focus on the role of BMI, previous infection, and vaccination schedule in terms of vaccine safety and reactogenicity.

Prevalence of COVID-19-related anxiety among healthcare workers: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 was labeled as a pandemic in March 2020. Healthcare workers (HCW) are confronting great mental stressors in coping with the crisis. In Saudi Arabia, research on the psychological effect of COVID-19 on HCW is lacking. AIM: To evaluate COVID-19 psychological impact on HCW and determine anxiety predictors to identify high-risk individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on HCW in First Health Cluster Institutes in Eastern Province. An English self-administered questionnaire was adopted from similar research done in China. The original questionnaires were modified to meet the objectives of our study and suit Saudi sociodemographic differences. Generalized anxiety disorder-7 scale was incorporated to be the main tool for assessing the psychological impact. RESULTS: One-third of HCW were classified as having anxiety disorder. In univariate analyses, the age group in years (P = 0.026), gender (P = 0.001), nationality (P = 0.033), and living with family (P = 0.007) significantly influenced anxiety disorder. However, in the multivariate regression model, gender (P = 0.004), living with family (P = 0.021), family history of COVID-19 (P = 0.022), and been suspected or confirmed with COVID-19 infection (P = 0.018) remained statistically significant when compared to anxiety disorder. CONCLUSION: During early COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety disorder among HCW was noticeable. Being a female, living with family members, and having a family history of COVID-19 increased the risk for anxiety disorder.