281 research outputs found
Geographical aspects of health and use of primary health care services in Jeddah, South Arabia
This thesis examines the contribution that geographical analysis can make to the study of the variation in the patterns of human health and subsequently to the discussion on the type and level of use of the public health service in a rapidly developing country. The current study was conducted in Jeddah Governorate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the period 1994 and 2000. One of the main aims was to examine the pattern of health services provided in Saudi Arabia and this aim was achieved by investigating the provision and use of the Public Healthcare services. An attempt was made to clarify the complex web of relations that existed between, on the one hand, the different socioeconomic and geographic factors and on the other, the distribution of common ailments together with the level of utilization of health services. Shortcomings in the nature of the official health statistics regarding socioeconomic conditions of the patients were remedied through the use of a questionnaire. A total of 1000 patients from the eight PHCCs were surveyed for their use of the public health service. Data was collected from the same patients on their socio-economic, education and habitation details. This sample was used to supplement the data collected from the official government health statistics. These two data sets permitted an evaluation of the occurrence of different ailments and the variations in geographic distribution among the eight selected PHCCs. Difficulties persisted in the availability of official 1992 census data until publication of census data became available in 1999. In contrast to the problems of the census data, the availability of accurate and up-to-date patient records compiled by Ministry of Health staff was of considerable benefit to this research project. Use was made of Geographic Information Systems software for the analysis of data collected at the level of the PHCC. This allowed visual identification of the spatial variation in the use of the different health services and also allowed the identification of gaps in healthcare provision. The study showed that a density of habitation index used as a prime indicator of socio-economic status could be used as an indicator of the occurrence level for a number of common diseases. A pattern of disease was observed that suggested that the number of visits to PHCCs was substantially higher in low socio-economic districts compared to medium and higher socio-economic districts. It can be shown that the most common ailment was Upper Respiratory Tract Infections followed by Dental and Gingival diseases. Persons aged between 15 and 44 years made most visits to PHCCs although children under 15 years made proportionately greater use of PHCC facilities. No difference could be found between Saudi and Non Saudi as regards the occurrence of the most common ailments and diseases. The lack of difference was probably due to the close integration of the two population groups and the sharing of the same local environment. This similarity occurred despite considerable differences in income levels and socio-economic status. The level of utilisation of health centers in the selected districts showed differences, being higher in those districts categorized as low socio-economic in the south of Jeddah when compared to higher socio-economic districts in the north of the city.;It was evident that the difference in socio-economic factors had an impact on the occurrence of some frequently occurring diseases e.g. URI, Dental, Ophthalmic, musculoskeletal and skin diseases. Although not primarily concerned with private health care facilities, for completeness sake some information was collected on the use of private health care in conjunction with public health care facilities. The author was surprised to discover that greatest use of private facilities occurred among women and children patients from Al Nuzla al Yamaneyyah and Al Thaalebah, districts that were characterised by low socio-economic conditions. The use of traditional folk healing was also briefly studied as this form of treatment remains important for some patients. Results showed that there was no difference between the educational standards of patients and their use of traditional folk healers. Again, children and women constituted the majority (86.6%) of users of traditonal healing with Saudi users (18.9%) higher than non Saudi (11.4%). There remains the supposition that alternative medicine may be of far greater importance than the sparse official data suggests. The unquantified illegal immigrant population may be totally reliant on unofficially operating alternative medicine centres. The thesis concludes by recommending a number of improvements to the existing public health care system. Some changes in the policy and practice of PHCC services will inevitably require more financial resources. These include an extension of the opening times of PHCCs and an increase in the number of specialist facilities such as dental surgeries. Other changes may not require more finances. These include a strengthening of communication and co-operation between PHCCs and hospitals to improve the referral of patients. Expansion of the existing computer network connecting PHCCs with hospitals should be given high priority. A programme of educating new immigrant staff on the special socio-economic conditions that prevail in the districts would be of major benefit both to staff and patients. Attention should be paid to the integration of traditional and modern medicine as this could offer the potential to correct the deficiencies of each and enable the development of a medical service that would provide a better overall level of treatment.This thesis examines the contribution that geographical analysis can make to the study of the variation in the patterns of human health and subsequently to the discussion on the type and level of use of the public health service in a rapidly developing country. The current study was conducted in Jeddah Governorate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the period 1994 and 2000. One of the main aims was to examine the pattern of health services provided in Saudi Arabia and this aim was achieved by investigating the provision and use of the Public Healthcare services. An attempt was made to clarify the complex web of relations that existed between, on the one hand, the different socioeconomic and geographic factors and on the other, the distribution of common ailments together with the level of utilization of health services. Shortcomings in the nature of the official health statistics regarding socioeconomic conditions of the patients were remedied through the use of a questionnaire. A total of 1000 patients from the eight PHCCs were surveyed for their use of the public health service. Data was collected from the same patients on their socio-economic, education and habitation details. This sample was used to supplement the data collected from the official government health statistics. These two data sets permitted an evaluation of the occurrence of different ailments and the variations in geographic distribution among the eight selected PHCCs. Difficulties persisted in the availability of official 1992 census data until publication of census data became available in 1999. In contrast to the problems of the census data, the availability of accurate and up-to-date patient records compiled by Ministry of Health staff was of considerable benefit to this research project. Use was made of Geographic Information Systems software for the analysis of data collected at the level of the PHCC. This allowed visual identification of the spatial variation in the use of the different health services and also allowed the identification of gaps in healthcare provision. The study showed that a density of habitation index used as a prime indicator of socio-economic status could be used as an indicator of the occurrence level for a number of common diseases. A pattern of disease was observed that suggested that the number of visits to PHCCs was substantially higher in low socio-economic districts compared to medium and higher socio-economic districts. It can be shown that the most common ailment was Upper Respiratory Tract Infections followed by Dental and Gingival diseases. Persons aged between 15 and 44 years made most visits to PHCCs although children under 15 years made proportionately greater use of PHCC facilities. No difference could be found between Saudi and Non Saudi as regards the occurrence of the most common ailments and diseases. The lack of difference was probably due to the close integration of the two population groups and the sharing of the same local environment. This similarity occurred despite considerable differences in income levels and socio-economic status. The level of utilisation of health centers in the selected districts showed differences, being higher in those districts categorized as low socio-economic in the south of Jeddah when compared to higher socio-economic districts in the north of the city.;It was evident that the difference in socio-economic factors had an impact on the occurrence of some frequently occurring diseases e.g. URI, Dental, Ophthalmic, musculoskeletal and skin diseases. Although not primarily concerned with private health care facilities, for completeness sake some information was collected on the use of private health care in conjunction with public health care facilities. The author was surprised to discover that greatest use of private facilities occurred among women and children patients from Al Nuzla al Yamaneyyah and Al Thaalebah, districts that were characterised by low socio-economic conditions. The use of traditional folk healing was also briefly studied as this form of treatment remains important for some patients. Results showed that there was no difference between the educational standards of patients and their use of traditional folk healers. Again, children and women constituted the majority (86.6%) of users of traditonal healing with Saudi users (18.9%) higher than non Saudi (11.4%). There remains the supposition that alternative medicine may be of far greater importance than the sparse official data suggests. The unquantified illegal immigrant population may be totally reliant on unofficially operating alternative medicine centres. The thesis concludes by recommending a number of improvements to the existing public health care system. Some changes in the policy and practice of PHCC services will inevitably require more financial resources. These include an extension of the opening times of PHCCs and an increase in the number of specialist facilities such as dental surgeries. Other changes may not require more finances. These include a strengthening of communication and co-operation between PHCCs and hospitals to improve the referral of patients. Expansion of the existing computer network connecting PHCCs with hospitals should be given high priority. A programme of educating new immigrant staff on the special socio-economic conditions that prevail in the districts would be of major benefit both to staff and patients. Attention should be paid to the integration of traditional and modern medicine as this could offer the potential to correct the deficiencies of each and enable the development of a medical service that would provide a better overall level of treatment
Technology Enabled Active Learning in Electrical Engineering
Educational technology supports meaningful learning and enables the presentation of spatial and dynamic images, which portray relationships among complex concepts. The Technology-Enabled Active Learning (TEAL) involves media-rich software for simulation and visualization in freshman Electrical Engineering carried out in a specially redesigned classroom to facilitate group interaction. These technology-based learning materials are especially useful in safety procedures in transformers in electrical engineering to help students conceptualize phenomena and processes. This study analyzes the effects of the unique learning environment of the TEAL on students’ cognitive and affective outcomes. The assessment of the project included examining students’ conceptual understanding before and after studying safety procedures in electrical engineering in a media-rich environment. We also investigated the effect of this environment on students’ preferences regarding the various teaching methods. As part of the project, we developed pre-test and posttests consisting of conceptual questions from standardized tests, as well as questions designed to assess the effect of visualizations and experiments. It consisted of a small- and a large-scale experimental groups and a control group. TEAL students improved their conceptual understanding of the subject matter to a significantly higher extent than their control group peers. A majority of the students in the small-scale experiment noted that they would recommend the TEAL course to fellow students, indicating the benefits of interactivity, visualization, and hands-on experiments, which the technology helped enable also about teaching learning process for building students confidence is discussed. In the large-scale implementation students expressed both positive and negative attitudes in the course survey and feedback is also mentioned
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Building responsive capability for disaster managemen. An empirical study of the Saudi Civil Defence Authority.
Disasters are always local in their impact, and therefore approaches towards their
alleviation need to be designed and implemented based on this certainty. Since the
1960s there has been a constant evolution in the common understanding of
international disaster management. Various measures and structures were created to
plan for emergency relief and the management of a disastrous event. Despite
international efforts which aimed to reduce the impact of natural and anthropogenic
hazards on humankind, very little progress was made. Loss of life, property,
infrastructure and economic livelihoods are on the increase without any indication of
improvement. Developmental activities can in most instances be blamed for the high
level of disaster risk present in communities. On the other hand, very little has been
done in the international arena (through a multi-disciplinary approach) to ensure a
developmental focus on disaster risk. This study investigates the current state of
disaster management practices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) by
benchmarking its activities against established frameworks applied in the developed
world for disaster management.
The aim of this thesis was primarily to provide a comprehensive framework for
disaster risk management in KSA. Such a framework will serve as a guideline for all
spheres of government on a strategic level in order to implement disaster risk
management.
Conclusions to the research demonstrate the importance of linking government
policy and practice on disaster risk management across different stakeholders
involved in managing disaster risk. This study proposed an integrated model for
disaster management by introducing the dual paradigm of disaster management
(proactive mindset and reactive mindset).
In a nutshell, this thesis aimed to develop a comprehensive multi-disciplinary
disaster risk management framework that would be tailor-made for the strategic
management arena in Saudi Arabia¿s Ministry of Interior (Directorate of Civil
Defence). The research provides the reader with a background study on the
international development of the concept of disaster risk management and its
components. It focuses on disaster risk management within the Saudi Arabian
context. Four international disaster risk management frameworks are analytically
compared and aligned with international best practices. Subsequently, the proposed
Framework for Disaster in Saudi Arabia is analysed
Automation bias in electronic prescribing
© 2017 The Author(s). Background: Clinical decision support (CDS) in e-prescribing can improve safety by alerting potential errors, but introduces new sources of risk. Automation bias (AB) occurs when users over-rely on CDS, reducing vigilance in information seeking and processing. Evidence of AB has been found in other clinical tasks, but has not yet been tested with e-prescribing. This study tests for the presence of AB in e-prescribing and the impact of task complexity and interruptions on AB. Methods: One hundred and twenty students in the final two years of a medical degree prescribed medicines for nine clinical scenarios using a simulated e-prescribing system. Quality of CDS (correct, incorrect and no CDS) and task complexity (low, low + interruption and high) were varied between conditions. Omission errors (failure to detect prescribing errors) and commission errors (acceptance of false positive alerts) were measured. Results: Compared to scenarios with no CDS, correct CDS reduced omission errors by 38.3% (p < .0001, n = 120), 46.6% (p < .0001, n = 70), and 39.2% (p < .0001, n = 120) for low, low + interrupt and high complexity scenarios respectively. Incorrect CDS increased omission errors by 33.3% (p < .0001, n = 120), 24.5% (p < .009, n = 82), and 26.7% (p < .0001, n = 120). Participants made commission errors, 65.8% (p < .0001, n = 120), 53.5% (p < .0001, n = 82), and 51.7% (p < .0001, n = 120). Task complexity and interruptions had no impact on AB. Conclusions: This study found evidence of AB omission and commission errors in e-prescribing. Verification of CDS alerts is key to avoiding AB errors. However, interventions focused on this have had limited success to date. Clinicians should remain vigilant to the risks of CDS failures and verify CDS
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