Evaluation of The Quality of E-Learning Platforms Used in Educating Kindergarten Children Distantly During the Coronavirus Pandemic

During the coronavirus pandemic, and for the first time, ministries of education in many countries have resorted to electronic education platforms for kindergarten children as a safe alternative to face-to-face education. This shift to distance education is still used partly in the education process, even after the end of the pandemic. The current study aimed to consider this unique experience by evaluating the quality of the Rawdaty platform, which is one of the e-learning platforms launched by the Saudi Ministry of Education during the coronavirus pandemic, to ensure the continuation of the educational process in kindergartens. The analytical descriptive approach was used, and a scale derived from the Saudi National E-Learning Center (NELC) standards was designed to achieve the studys objectives. The scale includes four main dimensions: Design, Interaction, Equity and accessibility, Measurement and Evaluation. The research sample consisted of (94) mothers and (67) kindergarten teachers. The results of the study were as follows: The quality standards of the Rawdaty platform were achieved to a high degree from the point of view of mothers, with an arithmetic mean of (55.93) and an average weight of (2.664). It also showed the high-quality standards of the kindergarten platform from the point of view of the teachers, with an arithmetic mean of (58.35) and an average weight of (2.78). The study recommended the possibility of adopting e-learning platforms to teach kindergarten children distantly during exceptional circumstances

Left Main Coronary Artery Revascularization in Patients with Impaired Renal Function: Percutaneous Coronary Intervention versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Introduction: The evidence about the optimal revascularization strategy in patients with left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease and impaired renal function is limited. Thus, we aimed to compare the outcomes of LMCA disease revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] vs. coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG]) in patients with and without impaired renal function. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 2,138 patients recruited from 14 centers between 2015 and 2,019. We compared patients with impaired renal function who had PCI (n= 316) to those who had CABG (n = 121) and compared patients with normal renal function who had PCI (n = 906) to those who had CABG (n = 795). The study outcomes were in-hospital and follow-up major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). Results: Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of in-hospital MACCE was significantly higher in CABG compared to PCI in patients with impaired renal function (odds ratio [OR]: 8.13 [95% CI: 4.19–15.76], p < 0.001) and normal renal function (OR: 2.59 [95% CI: 1.79–3.73]; p < 0.001). There were no differences in follow-up MACCE between CABG and PCI in patients with impaired renal function (HR: 1.14 [95% CI: 0.71–1.81], p = 0.585) and normal renal function (HR: 1.12 [0.90–1.39], p = 0.312). Conclusions: PCI could have an advantage over CABG in revascularization of LMCA disease in patients with impaired renal function regarding in-hospital MACCE. The follow-up MACCE was comparable between PCI and CABG in patients with impaired and normal renal function

Evaluation of Impact of a Pharmacist-Led Educational Campaign on Disease Knowledge, Practices and Medication Adherence for Type-2 Diabetic Patients: A Prospective Pre- and Post-Analysis

Type 2 Diabetes mellitus is a major public health concern with an alarming global growth rate. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Saudi Arabia ranks seventh in the world and second in the Middle East for the largest estimated burden of diabetic cases. Evidence shows that pharmacist-led care programs can be beneficial for the effective treatment of diabetes mellitus. Current study was aimed to evaluate the impact of Pharmacist-Based Diabetic Intervention (PDIM) for Type 2 Diabetes patients on knowledge of the disease, adherence to medications and self-care practices during the first wave of COVID-19. A multi-arm pre-post study was conducted among type 2 diabetic patients from April to October 2021 in Sakaka, Saudi Arabia. Patients were randomly divided into an intervention and a control group. The intervention group received the PDIM, whereas the control group only received the usual care. The pharmacist-based diabetes intervention model consisted of a diabetic educational module and medication improvement strategies. Furthermore, the intervention group also received specific telepharmacy services (calls, messages or emails) to address their medication-related problems, inquire about medication adherence and follow-up. At the end of six months, disease knowledge, self-care practices, and medication adherence score were analyzed. Furthermore, HbA1c and lipid profile were also compared. A total of 109 patients were included in the study. A significant difference was observed in the knowledge score between the intervention and control group (16.89 ± 2.01 versus 15.24 ± 2.03, p-value < 0.001). Similarly, self-care practices also improved in the intervention group as compared to the control group (4.39 ± 1.10 versus 3.16 ± 0.97, p-value < 0.001). Furthermore, the medication adherence and HbA1c significantly improved during between the group analysis (p < 0.05). Our study demonstrates that pharmacist-based diabetes intervention model is effective in improving patients’ knowledge of diabetes, self-care practices, medication adherence and glycemic control