Joint venture healthcare system as common practice in developing countries : game changing on assessing health services

To explore the essence of game changing on applying joint venture (JV) approach for healthcare system improvement in developing countries. This is cross-sectional study exploring the factors influencing the successful implementation of JV for the healthcare services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The study included: Qatar Statistical Authority, CIA fact book, Ministry of Health Annual Report, Hamad Medical Corporation Annual Report, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development information, and Qatar's healthcare system history. The research indicated that the LMIC healthcare system would benefit from affiliation with leading technology partner for healthcare reform. The findings support the view of LMIC healthcare systems' needs to incorporate joint venture approach in implementing JV concept for process improvement and knowledge transfer to contribute in country economic growth, development, and stability. Current study explored evidence supporting decision maker and management control of JV trends in different ways in comparison with developed countries. JV can also help the organization to share the risk and cost of large capital investment. The present study supports observations on expending the use of JVs as approach for improvement in LMIC healthcare system. The current study confirmed the advantages of JV which include helping businesses grow faster, increasing productivity, and generating greater profits, both parties sharing the risks and costs, accessing new markets and distribution networks. [Abstract copyright: Copyright: © 2020 International Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The distribution of the ABO blood groups among the diabetes mellitus patients

Background: There is strong evidence in the literature that there is an association between ABO blood group and certain diseases.Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate any association between the ABO blood groups and diabetes mellitus (DM) in Qatar.Design: This was a sex.matched case.control study.Setting: This study was carried out in the diabetic outpatient clinics and blood bank of the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) from April 2011 to December 2012.Subjects and Methods: The study included 1633 diabetic patients and 1650 nondiabetic apparently healthy controls. Atotal of 2148 adult patients above 18 years of age were selected consecutively from the diabetic clinics of the hospitals and 1633 patients gave consent to take part in this study, thus giving a response rate of 76%. Atotal of 2150 nondiabetic healthy adults above 18 years of age were recruited from the blood bank and 1650 individuals agreed to take part in this study, giving a response rate of 76.7%. Blood group of the recruited subjects was taken from the database of the Blood Bank, Central laboratory, HMC.Results: The data revealed that the blood group B was significantly more common in diabetic patients as compared with healthy population (25.7% vs. 20.4%; P < 0.001). Blood group O was significantly less common in diabetic patients compared with nondiabetics (38.5% vs. 45.4%; P < 0.001). Among diabetic men, the frequency of only blood group B was significantly higher, while on the contrary among diabetic women the  frequency of both A and B (29.7% vs. 24.8%; P = 0.03 and 25.5% vs. 20%; P < 0.009, respectively) were significantly higher as compared with nondiabetic healthy population.Conclusion: The findings in this study suggest that ABO antigens are associated with DM. DM is more common in individuals with blood group B.Key words: ABO blood groups, case.control, diabetes mellitus, prevalenc

Prevalence of dieting, overweight, body image satisfaction and associated psychological problems in adolescent boys

Purpose - The aim of the present study is to examine the severity of dieting and its association with obesity, body satisfaction and psychological problems in adolescent boys. Design/methodology/approach - A representative sample of 800 boys in the age group of 14-19 in Qatar was approached during the period from October to December, 2004 and 593 boys gave consent to participate in this study, thus giving a response rate of 74.1 per cent. Self-reports were obtained from 593 teenage boys using the adolescent dieting scale (ADS), and the self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20) for psychopathology. Findings - Of the studied subjects, 33.1 per cent were overweight, 10.1 per cent were extreme dieters and 37.4 per cent were intermediate dieters. Among the dieters, 34 per cent were overweight. Dieting was more likely in subjects who practiced exercise and who were perceived by peers or themselves as overweight. The extreme dieters experienced more psychological problems than the intermediate dieters and non-dieters. Extreme dieters reported sleeping problems (58.3 per cent), tired all the time (53.3 per cent) and felt like crying more than usual (50 per cent). Television was the main source of information on diet (61.7 per cent). Originality/value - The present study findings provide a strong evidence for the association between frequent dieting and overweight, body image dissatisfaction and psychological problems

Prevalence and associated risk factors of ante‑partum hemorrhage among Arab women in an economically fast growing society

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of antepartum hemorrhage (APH) in the third trimester of Arab women residing in Qatar and their neonatal outcome.Design and Setting: A prospective hospital‑based study was conducted in the Women’s Hospital and Maternity Clinics.Materials and Methods: The study was based on pregnant women in the third trimester from the first week of January 2010 to April 2011. A total of 2,056 pregnant women, who had any kind of maternal complications, were approached and 1,608 women (78.2%) expressed their consent to participate in the study. The questionnaire covered variables related to socio‑demographic factors, family history, medical history, maternal complications and neonatal outcome. Multiple logistic regressions were used to describe the association between socio‑demographic factors and APH.Results: The overall prevalence of APH among Arab women residing in Qatar was 15.3% with 6.7% among Qatari’s and 8.6% among non‑Qatari Arab women; the difference in ethnicities was not significant. Among maternal socio‑demographic characteristics, lower education (primary or below AOR 1.72; 95%CI 1.22‑2.43, and intermediate education AOR 1.41; 95%CI 0.88‑2.26; P=0.005) compared to university education was significantly associated with APH. As for maternal biological characteristics, family history of G6PD (AOR 1.87; 95% CI 1.18‑2.95; P=0.007) and family history of Down’s Syndrome (AOR 1.88; 95%CI 1.35‑2.62; P=<0.001) were significantly associated with APH at the multivariable level; family history of hypertension (OR 1.78; 95%CI 1.30‑2.44; P<0.001) was significant at the univariate level. Neonatal outcomes as a result of APH included increased risk of Apgar score at 1 minutes <7 (AOR 1.44; 95%CI 1.12‑2.02; P=0.04) and minor congenital anomaly (AOR 2.82; 95%CI 1.39‑5.71; P=0.004).Conclusion: Qatar has a high prevalence of APH. Poor education, family history of hypertension, G6PD and Down’s syndrome were found to be significantly associated with increased risk of APH in Qatar. Neonates of APH are at significantly increased risk of adverse outcome. Thus it is essential that obstetricians are alerted to these risk factors for early detection and to decrease the negative effects of APH

Intelligent system for accurate measurement of intima-media thicknesses as markers of atherosclerosis

Abstract – One of the anatomical methods for diagnosis of atherosclerosis involves measurement of intima-media thickness (IMT) using ultrasound. However these measurements are quite complicated using conventional approaches; for this reason we are developing an intelligent measurement system that will potentially enable inexpensive and accurate IMT measurements. In this paper the IMT measurement system architecture is discussed along with the algorithm to post-trigger the ultrasonic scans. Experimental results obtained in vivo are presented and discussed. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/2881

Relationship between patient satisfactions with diabetes care and treatment

Background: Measurement of treatment satisfaction in diabetes is important as it has been shown to be associated with positive outcomes, reduced disease cost and better health.Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between treatment satisfaction of diabetes patients and socioeconomic, clinical, medication adherence and health‑related factors in Qatar.Design: This is a cross‑sectional study.Setting: The survey was carried out in primary health care centers and hospitals from April 2010 to May 2011.Subjects: Of a total of 3000 diabetic patients, 2582 patients gave their consent to take part in the study, with a response rate of 86.1%.Materials and Methods: The Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to measure the patient satisfaction. The modified Morisky  Medication Adherence was used to measure medication taking behavior. A multivariate stepwise linear regression model was performed to identify factors independently associated with patients’ satisfaction instrument.Results: Of the studied patients, majority of the diabetes patients were Qataris (61.2%), married (86.1%), above secondary education (46.9%) and unemployed (28.6%). Diabetes patients who had professional jobs (3.97 ± 0.65; P = 0.009) and those who were staying alone had a significantly higher treatment satisfaction score (4.01 ± 0.64; P = 0.001) compared with the other patients. Patients who were taking tablets were significantly more satisfied with treatment (4.08 ± 0.60; P < 0.001). Diabetes patients of primary health care centers (3.96 vs. 3.80; P < 0.001) were more satisfied with treatment than patients visiting hospitals. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that age of the patient (P < 0.001), expatriates (P = 0.023), patients visiting hospitals (P < 0.001), treatment with insulin (P < 0.001) and any diabetes complications (P < 0.001) were significantly less satisfied with the treatment.Conclusion: The study findings revealed that patient satisfaction was positively associated with sociodemographic variables like high income, employment, married individuals and those with higher levels of education. We found a lower treatment satisfaction in patients with diabetes‑related complications and insulin treatment.Key words: Diabetes care, DTSQ, health status, patient satisfaction, quality of life, treatment adherenc

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome components, individually and in combination, in male patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome, without previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus

Background: Mortality from cardiovascular disease in the Middle East is projected to increase substantially in the coming decades. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) continues to raise interest, but data from the Middle East is limited, especially in non-diabetic patients. This study was conducted to ascertain the prevalence of MS and frequency of its components, individually and in combination, in a male population presenting with ACS, but without a previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM).Methods: This is a prospective study of 467 consecutive male patients hospitalized for ACS. They were categorized according to the specific criteria stated in the latest joint statement for the global definition of MS.Results: The mean age was (49.7910.7 years). Of the 467 patients, 324 (69.4%) fulfilled the criteria for MS. ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) was identified in 178 patients (54.9%), and non-ST elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS) in 146 patients (45.1%). These proportions were not significantly different from those without MS (STEMI 51.7% vs. NSTE-ACS 48.3%, respectively). However, patients with MS were older (50.6910 vs. 47.9911 years; p0.012), and more than half of those with MS were above 50 years. The most common abnormal metabolic components were reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c; 94.1%), elevated fasting blood glucose (FBG; 89.8%), and elevated triglycerides (81.8%), followed by increased waist circumference (61.7%) and raised blood pressure (40.4%). The majority of patients with MS had three or more metabolic components (326 patients, 69.4%), and 102 (21.8%) had two components, but only 37 (8.4%) had a single component.Conclusions: In ACS patients, without previous history of DM, MS is highly prevalent. Reduced HDL, elevated FBG and triglycerides were the most frequent metabolic components. The majority had multiple components. These findings raise alarm and show that drug therapy alone may not be fully effective, unless the underlying risk factors causing MS, such as weight and exercise, are also tackled.Keywords: male; metabolic syndrome; acute coronary syndrome; diabetes mellitu

The impact of cigarette smoking, water-pipe use on hearing loss/hearing impairment: a cross-sectional study

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the association between cigarette smoking, waterpipe smoking, and co-morbidity diseases on hearing loss. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1015 patients [386 males (38%) and 629 females (62%)] who were aged are between 25 and 65 years. The study used clinical, physical examinations and Pure-Tone Audiometry (PTA) to assess hearing. Univariate and multivariate stepwise logistic regression analyses were used for the statistical analysis. Results: Out of 1015 patients assessed, 199 were cigarette smokers with hearing loss (21.6%) and 111 waterpipe smokers with hearing loss (12%). There were statistically significant differences between cigarette smokers with hearing loss regarding (p<0.001), gender (p<0.001), BMI (p<0.001), hypertension (p<0.001), tinnitus (p<0.001), vertigo and/or dizziness (p<0.001), and migraine/headaches (p<0.001). Also there were statistically significant differences between waterpipe smokers with hearing loss, none smokers concerning age groups (p<0.001), BMI (p<0.001), using MP3 players (p=0.004), family history of hypertension (p=0.026), ATP III metabolic syndrome (p=0.010), IDF metabolic syndrome (p=0.012), tinnitus (p<0.001), vertigo/dizziness (p<0.001), and migraine/headaches (p=0.025). Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis indicated that tinnitus (p<0.001), dizziness (p<0.001), nausea (p=0.001), headaches and migraine (p<=0.003), fatigue (p=0.004), and vertigo (p=0.022) were considered as risk predictors risk hearing loss related cigarette smokers. Also, analysis revealed that tinnitus (p<0.001), nausea (p=0.001), headaches and migraines (p<0.001), Type 2 diabetes mellitus (p<0.001), and vertigo (p=0.021), were considered as risk predictors for hearing loss related waterpipe smokers. Conclusion: The present study suggests cigarette smoking and waterpipe smoking, life-style factors are possible risk factors for hearing loss among smoker participants

Growth Patterns of Qatari School Children and Adolescents Aged 6-18 Years

The study was conducted to analyze the patterns of growth in height and weight and the prevalence of over-weight among Qatari school children aged 6-18 years. Weights and heights of a cross-sectional sample of Qatari school children were measured. These children were selected randomly, in equal proportions of age and gender, from different schools from urban and semi-urban districts. Appropriate statistical procedures were performed to produce smooth percentile curves for boys and girls using a two-stage approach. Initial curve smoothing for selected major percentiles was accomplished by various parametric and non-parametric procedures. In the second stage, a normalization procedure was used for creating z-scores that closely matched the smooth percentile curves. The height and weight results were compared with the international reference values of National Center for Health Statistics/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NCHS/CDC) . The prevalence of over-weight was calculated using the new International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) reference. Of 7,442 Qatari children studied, 50.3% were male and 49.7% female. The mean values for height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) increased with the age for both boys and girls until the age of 18 years, except BMI, which stabilized at the age of 16-18 years at around 22.6 for boys and at 21.6 for girls. The growth patterns of the Qatari children, aged 6-18 years, appeared to be comparable with those of the NCHS/CDC reference. The weight-for-age centile curves of the Qatari boys tended to be superior to those of the NCHS/CDC reference until the age of 15 years, less so those of the Qatari girls. In contrast, the height-for-age centile curves of the Qatari children tended to deviate in a negative sense from the NCHS/CDC reference curves, for boys and girls from age around 11 years and 13 years respectively. The deviation of the smoothed median height-for-age curves from the reference in adolescence could most likely be attributed to a later maturation among the Qatari children. The prevalence of under-weight, over-weight, and obesity for the Qatari children was quite below the CDC and IOTF rates, except for girls aged 6-9 years. More males than females were over-weight or obese according to either the local, the CDC, or the IOTF reference, and the prevalence increased with age. A good percentage of the Qatari children was at risk of being over-weight, which needs more attention because the development of obesity results in different types of diseases associated with changes in body composition