Interactive online survey raises awareness about cornea donation

ObjectiveTo assess the impact of a 5 min interactive online survey on raising awareness about cornea donation and willingness to become a donor.MethodsAn interactive online questionnaire was used to collect information regarding awareness, perceptions and attitudes towards cornea donation and to educate the participants about the process and value of cornea donation. Willingness to become a cornea donor was assessed at the beginning and the end of the survey.ResultsThe survey was completed by 1769 Greek residents. Willingness to become a cornea donor increased from 40.5% (n=717) at the beginning of the survey to 55.2% (n=977) by the end of it (p<0.00001). Younger participants, those whose work or studies were unrelated to the medical field, and those with the least knowledge about cornea donation and transplantation were more likely to change their views towards donation by the end of the survey (42.3%, 44.8% and 82.1% increase in willingness to donate, respectively). Major deterrents to donation were lack of information, concerns about the use of the donated corneas and corruption within the medical field.ConclusionOur 5 min online survey had a significant impact on changing the mentality towards cornea donation in Greece. We live in an online era and incorporation of online tools and applications in awareness campaigns towards cornea and organ donation has become a necessity.

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The Commonly Utilized Natural Products during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18094688 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 4688

Author(s):

Sina M. AlNajrany ◽

Yousif Asiri ◽

Ibrahim Sales ◽

Yazed AlRuthia

Keyword(s):

Dietary Supplements ◽

Online Survey ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Utilization Rate ◽

Prescription Medications ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Awareness Campaigns ◽

The Impact

Objectives: The utilization rate of herbal and dietary supplements among the Saudi population is reported to be high. However, the utilization rate and types of herbal and dietary supplements during the COVID-19 pandemic are largely unknown. Methods: This was an online questionnaire-based cross-sectional study that used convenience sampling and social media platforms (Telegram®, Twitter®, and WhatsApp®) to disseminate a 12-item questionnaire across the Saudi general public aged 18 years and above. The questionnaire inquired about the sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, education, geographical location), presence of chronic health conditions and the use of prescription medications, awareness of the viral nature of COVID-19 infection and its common symptoms, and the commonly utilized herbal and/or dietary supplements. Results: Sixty-four percent of the 1473 participants reported using herbal and/or dietary supplements for the purpose of boosting their immune system to prevent COVID-19 infection. In addition, 88.2% of the respondents were misinformed about the manifestation of COVID-19 symptoms. Most of the participants were Saudi (91.9%), aged 49 years and younger (83%), female (52%), and healthy (81%). Honey (46%), lemon (45%), ginger (36%), vitamin C (32%), black seed (26%), garlic (26%), and turmeric (19%) were the most commonly used herbal and/or dietary supplements by the participants. Saudi nationals (OR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.6, p = 0.02), older adults (OR = 1.30, 95% CI:1.10 to 1.55, p = 0.002), and those taking prescription medications had higher odds of using dietary and/or herbal supplements (OR = 3.31, 95% CI: 2.61 to 4.18, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The utilization rate of herbal and dietary supplements among the Saudi public during the COVID-19 pandemic is high. Future studies should examine the impact of different public awareness campaigns aimed at improving the public knowledge of the risk and benefits associated with the use of different commonly utilized herbal and dietary products identified in this study.

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Exploring Australian pharmacists’ perceptions and attitudes toward codeine up-scheduling from over-the-counter to prescription only

Pharmacy Practice ◽

10.18549/pharmpract.2020.2.1904 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 1904

Author(s):

Melanie McKenzie ◽

Jacinta Johnson ◽

Karen Anderson ◽

Richard Summers ◽

Pene Wood

Keyword(s):

Low Dose ◽

Design Method ◽

Pharmacy Practice ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Over The Counter ◽

Change Perceptions ◽

Perceptions And Attitudes ◽

Depth Interview ◽

The Impact

Objective: Explore the perceptions, attitudes and experiences of pharmacists relating to the up-scheduling of low dose codeine containing analgesics and the impact on pharmacy practice. Methods: A mixed design method was used consisting of an anonymous online questionnaire survey to quantitatively capture broad pre-scheduling change perceptions paired with a series of in-depth post-scheduling semi-structured interviews to provide a qualitative picture of the impact of codeine up-scheduling on pharmacy practice in Australia. Results: A total of 191 pharmacists completed the quantitative survey and 10 participated in the in-depth interview. The majority of respondents supported the decision to up-schedule over-the-counter combination products containing codeine to some degree. Three main themes emerged from the data: pharmacists’ perceptions of the codeine up-scheduling decision, preparing for the up-schedule and impact of the up-schedule on pharmacy practice. Pharmacists were concerned about the impact of up-scheduling on the pharmacy business, patient access to pain relief and the diminishment of their professional role. Conclusions: There were diverse perceptions, preparedness and impact on practice regarding the up-scheduling of low dose codeine products. Further research should be conducted to gauge if and how these perceptions have changed over time and to identify whether pain is being managed more effectively post codeine up-scheduling.

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Self-perceived preparedness of dental school graduates and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their confidence

10.21203/rs.3.rs-49483/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Islam Abd Alraheam ◽

Mays A. Alashqar ◽

Susan Hattar ◽

Abeer AlHadidi ◽

Alaa Alhaddad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Likert Scale ◽

Dental School ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Surgical Extraction ◽

Perceived Preparedness ◽

Considerable Impact ◽

The Mean ◽

University Of Jordan ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background. To study self-perceived preparedness of dental school graduates and the impact of COVID-19 on their preparedness. Method. An online survey was designed and sent electronically to students who were graduating in 2020, dentists who graduated in 2019 and were doing their prelicensure training, and dentists who graduated before 2019. Four- point Likert scale was used to assess participants’ perception.Results. There were 209 participants responded to the online questionnaire. The mean total preparedness score (TPS) for the 209 participants was 97.6 (SD ±9.7) with a range of 69 to 120. The mean TPS of the different classes of participants was 99.5 for the class graduated before 2019, 98.1 for the 2020 class, and 95.1 for the 2019 class. Participants felt they are confident and extremely confident doing the majority of the required competencies. Weakness was mainly reported in surgical extraction for 2020 graduates due to the 8 weeks loss of their training. COVID-19 had considerable impact on 59.7% of the participants and marginal to no impact on 40.3%. The highest prevalence of those who thought it had some to severe impact on their confidence were those who graduated in year 2019 (73.4%).Conclusions. The graduates of University of Jordan felt confident in performing the majority of general dentistry procedures. COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the confidence of all the classes of participants even those graduated before 2019.

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Feasibility of learning dermatology among undergraduates through online means: the impact of COVID-19

Our Dermatology Online ◽

10.7241/ourd.20214.2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 354-358

Author(s):

Sagar Pokhrel ◽

Neelam Dahal ◽

Dhan Kesar Khadka

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Large Scale ◽

Online Survey ◽

Learning Material ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Online Tools ◽

The Impact

Background: The outbreak of the deadly disease COVID-19 has shaken the entire world. The pandemic has resulted in a global lockdown affecting all areas of life, including medical education. This has impeded the traditional way of teaching and learning activities and forced educational institutions such as medical universities to shift rapidly to distance and online learning. Aims and Objectives: The aim was to find out the impact of COVID-19 and the perception of undergraduate students of B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) of learning dermatology through online means. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a self-administered online questionnaire. The inclusion criteria were all MBBS third and fourth years students of BPKIHS willing to participate in the study. Result: A total of 151 participants agreed to complete the online survey questionnaire. The overall attitude toward online education was positive. The majority of students agreed that online learning material should be of high quality for online education (66.2%) and that online learning will bring new opportunities for organizing teaching and learning (62.3%). Zoom and Dudal were the most common online tools used by students. The geographic location, lack of past experience in using online tools, and communication barriers such as a poor Internet connection and frequent electricity cutoffs were identified by students as the main barriers to online education. Conclusion: Although the COVID-19 pandemic culminated in the lockdown of medical universities, it provided opportunities for bringing innovations into effect. Such large-scale studies are missing in developing countries such as Nepal, thus further research is needed to explore these possibilities nationwide.

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The impact of YouTube peer feedback on attitudes toward recovery from non-suicidal self-injury: An experimental pilot study

Digital Health ◽

10.1177/2055207618780499 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 205520761878049 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Stephen P. Lewis ◽

Yukari Seko ◽

Poojan Joshi

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Online Survey ◽

Subjective Norms ◽

Health Concern ◽

Future Research ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Self Injury ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Seeking Behavior ◽

The Impact

Background Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious public health concern facing adolescents and young adults worldwide. Despite growing concern that accessing NSSI content on the internet may negatively influence perceptions toward NSSI recovery, no studies have examined actual impacts. Objectives This experimental pilot study assessed the impact of exposure to hopeless versus hopeful peer messages on perceptions toward NSSI recovery. It was hypothesized that exposure to hopeless messages would lead to more negative perceptions about NSSI recovery whereas the opposite would occur for hopeful messages. Methods We developed fictional peer comments embedded in a screenshot of an NSSI-themed YouTube video and randomly assigned participants to either hopeless or hopeful recovery-oriented comments. Participants’ attitudes toward NSSI recovery, recovery-oriented subjective norms, and recovery self-efficacy were measured pre- and post-exposure using an online questionnaire. Results Sixty-one participants with a self-reported NSSI history (mean age 20.89 years) completed the online survey. There was a statistically significant effect for attitudes toward recovery. Within the hopeful comment condition, there was an increase in positive attitudes toward recovery and in recovery-oriented subjective norms. Participants exposed to hopeless peer messages did not report an increase in hopeless attitudes toward NSSI recovery. Conclusions Our pilot study indicated that exposure to hopeful online messages improved positive attitudes toward recovery and recovery-oriented subjective norms, while exposure to hopeless messages did not increase hopeless attitudes. Future research on the impacts of online peer comments on one’s attitude toward NSSI recovery and support-seeking behavior could further inform practices and policies.

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COVID-19 Pandemic Causing Depression in Different Sociodemographic Groups in Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18136955 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (13) ◽

pp. 6955

Author(s):

Hana Sonbol ◽

Hadil M. Alahdal ◽

Rasis A. Alanazi ◽

Khawla Alsamhary ◽

Fuad Ameen

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Online Survey ◽

World Health ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Impact Of Event Scale ◽

Event Scale ◽

The Impact

COVID-19 disease was announced as a global pandemic in March 2020 by the World health organization (WHO). Saudi Arabia was among the first countries to enforce restriction measures such as closing schools, remote working, and a travel ban. We aim to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s depression in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey of 1109 participants was conducted during the curfew between 18th of May and 11th of June 2020. An online questionnaire included questions about the commitment to follow the precautionary measures, knowledge on COVID-19, and depression. Depression was assessed with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised method. Females, unmarried individuals, elderly persons, parents of young children, unemployed, and small families were more likely to be depressed. Education level did not explain the differences in depression. However, the more knowledge the participants had about COVID-19 the better they followed the restrictions. A regression analysis revealed that the commitment of a person to follow the restrictions increased his/her depression symptoms. Attention should be paid to different groups of people in future psychiatric planning.

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Self-perceived preparedness of dental school graduates and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their confidence

10.21203/rs.3.rs-49483/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Islam Abd Alraheam ◽

Mays A. Alashqar ◽

Susan Hattar ◽

Abeer AlHadidi ◽

Alaa Alhaddad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Dental School ◽

Educational Tool ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Surgical Extraction ◽

Perceived Preparedness ◽

Considerable Impact ◽

Competency Based ◽

The Mean ◽

The Impact

Abstract BackgroundTo study self-perceived preparedness of dental school graduates and the impact of COVID-19 on their preparedness.MethodAn online survey was designed and sent electronically to students who are graduating in 2020, dentists who graduated in 2019 and doing their prelicensure training, and dentists who graduated before 2019. Four- point Likert scale was used to assess participants’ perception.Results209 participants responded to the online questionnaire. The mean total preparedness score (TPS) for the 209 participants was 97.6 (SD ± 9.7) with a range of 69 to 120. The mean TPS of the different classes of participants was 99.5 for the class graduated before 2019, 98.1 for the 2020 class, and 95.1 for the 2019 class. Participants felt they are confident and extremely confident doing the majority of the required competencies. Weakness was mainly reported in surgical extraction for 2020 graduates due to the 8 weeks loss of their training. COVID-19 has considerable impact on 59.7% of the participants and marginal to no impact on 40.3%. The highest prevalence of those who thought it had some to severe impact on their confidence were those who graduated in year 2019 (73.4%). Of the participants 95.2% agreed that problem-based learning is a good educational tool and 58.5% agreed that competency-based assessment is a good educational and grading tool.ConclusionsThe graduates of University of Jordan felt confident in performing the majority of general dentistry procedures. COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the confidence of all the classes of participants even those graduated before 2019.

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Self-perceived preparedness of dental school graduates and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their confidence

10.21203/rs.3.rs-49483/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Islam Abd Alraheam ◽

Mays A. Alashqar ◽

Susan Hattar ◽

Abeer AlHadidi ◽

Alaa Alhaddad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Likert Scale ◽

Dental School ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Surgical Extraction ◽

Perceived Preparedness ◽

Considerable Impact ◽

The Mean ◽

University Of Jordan ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background. To study self-perceived preparedness of dental school graduates and the impact of COVID-19 on their preparedness. Method. An online survey was designed and sent electronically to students who are graduating in 2020, dentists who graduated in 2019 and doing their prelicensure training, and dentists who graduated before 2019. Four- point Likert scale was used to assess participants’ perception. Results. There were 209 participants responded to the online questionnaire. The mean total preparedness score (TPS) for the 209 participants was 97.6 (SD ±9.7) with a range of 69 to 120. The mean TPS of the different classes of participants was 99.5 for the class graduated before 2019, 98.1 for the 2020 class, and 95.1 for the 2019 class. Participants felt they are confident and extremely confident doing the majority of the required competencies. Weakness was mainly reported in surgical extraction for 2020 graduates due to the 8 weeks loss of their training. COVID-19 has considerable impact on 59.7% of the participants and marginal to no impact on 40.3%. The highest prevalence of those who thought it had some to severe impact on their confidence were those who graduated in year 2019 (73.4%). Conclusions. The graduates of University of Jordan felt confident in performing the majority of general dentistry procedures. COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the confidence of all the classes of participants even those graduated before 2019.

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PP27 An exploration of the experiences of paramedics taking part in a large randomised trial of airway management, and the impact on their views and practice

Emergency Medicine Journal ◽

10.1136/emermed-2019-999abs.27 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 (10) ◽

pp. e12.1-e12

Author(s):

K Kirby ◽

J Brandling ◽

M Robinson ◽

S Voss ◽

J Benger

Keyword(s):

Airway Management ◽

Online Survey ◽

Randomised Trial ◽

Barriers And Facilitators ◽

Trial Participation ◽

List Type ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Advanced Airway ◽

The Impact

BackgroundThe participation of over 1500 study paramedics in AIRWAYS-2 provides a unique opportunity for an in depth exploration of how the views and practice of study paramedics, in advanced airway management, may have developed as a result of their participation in AIRWAYS-2, and how their experiences can inform future trials in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Future prehospital guidelines and practice will not only be shaped by the results of large trials such as AIRWAYS-2, but also by the views and attitudes of UK paramedics towards OHCA, airway management and research. This study allows an opportunity to add depth and understanding to the results of AIRWAYS-2.Study aimsTo explore paramedics’ experiences of participating in a large cluster randomized trial of airway management during OHCA, specifically:The challenges of enrolling patients who are critically unwell and unable to consent;Barriers and facilitators to successful research in OHCA patients;The impact on paramedics’ clinical practice and airway management during and after the trial;The role of advanced airway management during OHCA.MethodsContent analysis of an online survey of 1500 study paramedics to assess their experiences of participating in the trial and to establish any changes in their views and practice.Thematic analysis of telephone interviews with study paramedic to explore the findings of the online questionnaire. Exploring any changes in views and practice around advanced airway management as a result of participating in the trial; assessing experiences of trial training and enrolling critically unwell patients without consent, and exploring the barriers and facilitators for trial participation and the views of paramedics on the future role of advanced airway management during OHCA.Results and conclusionsThe study is in the analysis phase and is due to complete and report by the 31st January 2019.

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The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Perception of Health and Treatment-Related Issues among Patients with Phenylketonuria in Poland—The Results of a National Online Survey

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18126399 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (12) ◽

pp. 6399

Author(s):

Dariusz Walkowiak ◽

Bożena Mikołuć ◽

Renata Mozrzymas ◽

Łukasz Kałużny ◽

Bożena Didycz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

High Stress ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Dietary Compliance ◽

Vulnerable Patients ◽

Therapy Effectiveness ◽

Therapy Compliance ◽

Study Participants ◽

Perception Of Health ◽

The Impact

There is agreement that the pandemic has affected the healthcare system and behaviour of patients. This study aims to identify problems encountered by patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) and their parents/caregivers during the six-week pandemic lockdown in Poland (15 March to 30 April 2020). To determine the factors that influenced health and treatment-related issues, as well as the respondents’ perception of the impact of the pandemic, study participants were asked to complete a non-validated online questionnaire comprising 31 questions (including 27 single-choice, two multiple-choice and two open-ended ones). A total of 571 patients or their parents completed the questionnaire, with 9.5% of respondents not performing any blood phenylalanine (Phe) test in the analysed period, 21.3% declaring a blood Phe increase, and 15.3% a decrease. Increased problems in contacting the doctor or dietitian were reported by 26.1% of subjects, whereas 39.3% of them felt restricted access to dietary products. Most (63.4%) participants were satisfied with remote contact with their PKU clinic. Better compliance was associated with higher odds of acceptance of remote contact and of reporting fewer problems with contacting the doctor, and with lower odds of missing Phe testing. Self-reported high stress was associated with higher odds of reporting the limited availability of low-Phe products and Phe-free formulas, as well as with increased Phe concentrations and non-PKU-related health problems. These patients also had poor dietary compliance and experienced more problems in contacting specialists. Health and treatment-related problems experienced during the pandemic lockdown were related to a higher intensity of stress in patient’s family and worse therapy compliance before the pandemic. Previous experience of remote visits resulted in a better perception of this method of contact. It seems that this form of communication should be popularized and improved to increase therapy effectiveness in case of different limitations in the future. Special attention should be paid to vulnerable patients who may be at extra risk when the provision of standard care is affected.

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