Awareness, Views, Perceptions, and Beliefs of Pharmacy Interns Regarding Digital Health in Saudi Arabia: Cross-sectional Study

Knowledge and perception of mHealth medication adherence applications among pharmacists and pharmacy students in Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The advances in digital health, including mobile healthcare (mHealth) medication adherence applications (MApps), have been demonstrated to support medication adherence and improve health outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and perception of the MApps among pharmacists and pharmacy students. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 223 pharmacists and pharmacy students in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia between 1st and 30th April 2023. The survey collected information about the participants' socio-demographics, knowledge, and perception of the MApps. Among the 223 participants included in the study, 105 (47.1%) were pharmacists and 118 (52.9%) were pharmacy students. Most participants were females (72.6%) and aged 18-30 (70.4%). About half of the participants had poor knowledge of the MApps [pharmacists (48.0%) and students (42.0%)] and mainly encountered Medisafe (18.1%) or Pills (17.0%) MApps, respectively. Pharmacy students showed significantly higher knowledge of MApps (p = 0.048), especially the Pills (p = 0.022) than pharmacists. However, the pharmacists had significantly higher knowledge of MyMeds (p = 0.001) than pharmacy students. Most participants had a positive perception of the usefulness of the MApps (pharmacists, 79.0%; students 80.0%). Notably, over 85% of the participants expressed willingness to know and provide guidance on MApps, with over 50% willing to recommend it to the patients. There was no significant difference in perception between the pharmacists and pharmacy students (p>0.05). In conclusion, the study demonstrates limited knowledge with a positive perception of mHealth medication adherence applications among pharmacists and pharmacy students. Integrating digital adherence tools like the MApps into pharmacy training could significantly improve professional practice mHealth competencies, and optimize healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.

Redesigning Pharmacy to Improve Public Health Outcomes: Expanding Retail Spaces for Digital Therapeutics to Replace Consumer Products That Increase Mortality and Morbidity Risks

United States healthcare outcomes, including avoidable mortality rates, are among the worst of high-income countries despite the highest healthcare spending per capita. While community pharmacies contribute to chronic disease management and preventive medicine, they also offer consumer products that increase mortality risks and the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and depression. To resolve these contradictions, our perspective article describes opportunities for major pharmacy chains (e.g., CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens) to introduce digital health aisles dedicated to prescription and over-the-counter digital therapeutics (DTx), together with mobile apps and wearables that support disease self-management, wellness, and well-being. We provide an evidence-based rationale for digital health aisles to replace spaces devoted to sugar-sweetened beverages and other unhealthy commodities (alcohol, tobacco) that may increase risks for premature death. We discuss how digital health aisles can serve as marketing and patient education resources, informing customers about commercially available DTx and other technologies that support healthy lifestyles. Since pharmacy practice requires symbiotic balancing between profit margins and patient-centered, value-based care, replacing health-harming products with health-promoting technologies could positively impact prevention of chronic diseases, as well as the physical and mental health of patients and caregivers who visit neighborhood pharmacies in order to pick up medicines.

Perceptions of Community Pharmacists toward the National E-Prescribing Service (Wasfaty) and Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of the Service: A Descriptive Study from Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Electronic prescribing systems (e-prescription) for medications have many benefits, including patient safety, increase in patient satisfaction, efficiency of pharmacy work, and quality of patient care. However, few studies have been conducted to evaluate the national e-prescription system "Wasfaty" service in Saudi Arabia, which was recently adopted.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study were to explore the benefits observed through the use of the system and most frequent challenges experienced by community pharmacists in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

This study was conducted using a descriptive survey on a web-based platform. The target population of the study included community pharmacists in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia who worked in pharmacy chains utilizing the e-prescription service between September 2022 and November 2022. Descriptive statistics along with multiple ordinal regression were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

The study population consisted of 124 pharmacists, of which 62.9% (78/124) were males and 37.1% (46/124) were females. Most of the participants had a positive perception of the e-prescription system with regard to medication safety, with 68.6% (85/124) indicating that e-prescriptions reduce the risk of dispensing errors. However, 81.5% (101/124) did not agree that the e-prescription system resulted in a reduction in workload, and 70.2% (87/124) disagreed that the service increased patient satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study indicated that the national e-prescription system has many benefits to healthcare employees and improves their work, particularly for patient safety, reducing medication errors, and improving the management of patient medications. The participants believe that there is a need to improve communication with prescribers, showing concern about the unavailability of some medications; thus, it is important for policymakers to encourage other pharmacy chains and suppliers to join the service to increase patient access to medications.

Evaluating Change in Student Pharmacists' Familiarity, Attitudes, Comfort, and Knowledge as a Result of Integrating Digital Health Topics Into a Case Conference Series: Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

The use of technology in health care, often referred to as digital health, has expanded rapidly because of the need to provide remote care during the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of this rapid boom, it is clear that health care professionals need to be trained in these technologies in order to provide high-level care. Despite the growing number of technologies used across health care, digital health is not a commonly taught topic in health care curricula. Several pharmacy organizations have called attention to the need to teach digital health to student pharmacists; however, there is currently no consensus on best methods to do so.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to determine if there was a significant change in student pharmacist scores on the Digital Health Familiarity, Attitudes, Comfort, and Knowledge Scale (DH-FACKS) after exposure to digital health topics in a yearlong discussion-based case conference series.

METHODS

Student pharmacists' initial comfort, attitudes, and knowledge were gathered by a baseline DH-FACKS score at the beginning of the fall semester. Digital health concepts were integrated into a number of cases in the case conference course series throughout the academic year. The DH-FACKS was administered again to students after completion of the spring semester. Results were matched, scored, and analyzed to assess any difference in DH-FACKS scores.

RESULTS

A total of 91 of 373 students completed both the pre- and postsurvey (response rate of 24%). Using a scale from 1 to 10, the mean student-reported knowledge of digital health increased from 4.5 (SD 2.5) before intervention to 6.6 (SD 1.6) after intervention (P<.001) and the mean self-reported comfort increased from 4.7 (SD 2.5) before intervention to 6.7 (SD 1.8) after intervention (P<.001). There was a significant increase in scores for all 4 elements of the DH-FACKS. The mean familiarity scores increased from 11.6 (SD 3.7) to 15.8 (SD 2.2), out of a maximum of 20 (P<.001). The mean attitudes scores increased from 15.6 (SD 2.1) to 16.5 (SD 1.9), out of a maximum of 20 (P=.001). The mean comfort scores increased from 10.1 (SD 3.9) to 14.8 (SD 3.1), out of a maximum of 20 (P<.001). The mean knowledge scores increased from 9.9 (SD 3.4) to 12.8 (SD 3.9), out of a maximum of 20 (P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Including digital health topics in a case conference series is an effective and approachable way of providing education on important digital health concepts to students. Students experienced an increase in familiarity, attitudes, comfort, and knowledge after the yearlong intervention. As case-based discussions are an important component of most pharmacy and other medical curricula, this method can be easily applied by other programs that wish to give their students practice applying their knowledge of digital health to complex case-based scenarios.

Implementation of a digital health module for undergraduate medical students: A comparative study on knowledge and attitudes

BACKGROUND

Digital competencies are more and more required in everyday work, and training future healthcare professionals in digital health is highly important.

OBJECTIVE

Aim of this study was to assess medical students' gain of knowledge by participation in a teaching module "Digital Health", and to evaluate their attitudes towards digital health and its role in medical education.

METHODS

Students of the module were asked to complete a questionnaire and a multiple-choice-test before and after completing the classes. Students of the same educational level in different modules served as reference group.

RESULTS

34 students took part (n= 17 "Digital Health group"; n= 17 "reference group"). There was no significant difference in pre-existing knowledge between the groups. After having completed the module, participants reached significantly higher scores, compared to their preexisting knowledge (p< 0.05) and the reference group (p< 0.05). Most students found that digital medicine is not sufficiently represented in undergraduate medical education, but will influence everyday work of physicians in the next five years.

CONCLUSIONS

Students showed a high awareness for the impact of digital health on physicians' work. The results suggest that the format can sufficiently transfer knowledge about digital health. Teaching of digital knowledge and competencies should be firmly implemented into medical education to form digitally competent future doctors.

Knowledge, attitude and practice toward the mHealth app Mawid: a cross-sectional study

Background

The Mawid app is a mobile appointment system that may improve access to primary healthcare services in Saudi Arabia. This study investigates the Saudis’ level of knowledge of the Mawid app, their attitude towards it and their practice or use of it.

Methods

A cross-sectional design was used. The data were collected using an online survey via Google Forms from April to May 2021. Linear regression and binomial logit models were used to answer the research questions.

Results

A total of 916 responses were collected. There were significant effects of gender, age, marital status, occupation, income and region on knowledge scores (p&lt;0.05). Higher knowledge scores predict greater agreement that the Mawid app facilitates access to health services (p&lt;0.001). The probability of using the app is predicted to be greater among individuals who agree that the Mawid app facilitates access to care (p&lt;0.001). The probability of using the app is predicted to be higher among individuals who have a higher frequency of using primary health centres (p&lt;0.001).

Conclusions

The Ministry of Health has declared eHealth as a transformational enabler for patient-centric care. This study found that the Mawid app facilitated access and improved healthcare services. Knowledge positively influences attitudes toward the app and subsequently its use.

Healthcare Providers’ Perception and Barriers Concerning the Use of Telehealth Applications in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Telehealth services are widely used in Saudi Arabia. Despite this, neither the use rate nor the attitudes, perceptions, and barriers concerning telehealth applications have been evaluated nationally from the perspective of healthcare providers (HCPs). Aim: This study aims to explore the use rate of telehealth, as well as the attitudes, perceptions, and barriers concerning telehealth use in Saudi Arabia from the perspective of HCPs. Methods and design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted and distributed to all HCPs between 16 November 2021 and 16 March 2022, through an online platform (Survey Monkey). Results: Overall, 1034 HCPs completed the online survey, of which 65.0% (n = 677) were male. Physicians accounted for 22.34%, while nurses and respiratory therapists accounted for 22.34% and 21.47%, respectively. Only 491 HCPs (47%) have used telehealth applications, the majority for less than a year (21.47%) or from one to three years (14.51%). Around 44% of HCPs perceived telehealth as being useful in quality and care delivery. Around 43% of HCPs felt comfortable using telehealth, and 45.45% perceived telehealth as being useful for patients with transportation difficulties. Additionally, 38% believed that telehealth provides a confidential way of protecting patients’ information, and 36% would like to receive more training in telehealth. Speech-language therapists and public health professionals were the highest HCP users (98% and 95%, respectively), while general physicians and dentists were the lowest users (44% and 55%, respectively). Lack of time or a busy schedule was the most common barrier to not using telehealth among all HCPs (38%). Conclusion: The use of telehealth was perceived as being positive as well as valuable and confidential in monitoring and providing care. However, challenges such as the lack of time or a busy schedule impeded the use of telehealth among HCPs in Saudi Arabia.