Academic literature on the topic 'Australians Health aspects Saudi Arabia'

BACKGROUND: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a developing nation with significant resources to improve the nations population health and a planned objective to do so with its Vision 2030 plan. Nonetheless to achieve national strategic goals in health policy and outcomes, the structures and methods necessary to do so must first be elucidated, and outcomes of proposed actions must be appropriately predicted. The primary purpose of this literature review is to compare and critically analyse the structural and policy aspects of the Australian and KSA health systems to offer insights into the potential mechanics of developing further health system accessibility within the KSA. Importantly, this review addresses the issue of accessibility in the context of the recently proposed privatisation of hundreds of services throughout the KSA as a major component of the Vision 2030 plan.METHOD: 43 peer-reviewed articles were identified using the PRISMA approach and systematically analysed to determine the effects of policy changes in the 2030 Vision to the accessibility of healthcare, in particular the effect of privatisation, as observed in other nations such as Australia.FINDINGS & DISCUSSION: the literature review demonstrated that privatisation can, but does not always, lead to productivity and efficiency gains, however privatisation also leads to increasing administrative costs and service cost inflation. Health outcomes or service quality indicators are not significantly affected by privatisation. It is probable that privatising health services will reduce accessibility to health services in some subsets of the population.CONCLUSION: according to the international evidence, the proposed plan to privatise health services in the KSA will probably have a negative effect on the accessibility of health services and downstream improvement in population health outcomes. If inappropriate governance is not implemented, the plan to privatise services also carries the risk of decreasing access to vulnerable populations and threatens health equity and needs-based health care.

Abstract The current study aimed to examine how the government departments of health in Saudi Arabia and Australia provided health advice to the public through Twitter during the COVID-19 crisis. To this end, 100 Saudi and 100 Australian tweets were analysed by using Martínez-Flor’s (2003) advice linguistic realization strategies typology and an adapted version of Trosborg’s (1995) coding scheme for internal modifiers. The external modifiers that emerged in the data were also examined. The results showed a general tendency to use direct advice-giving strategies among Saudis and Australians. Statistical comparisons showed that Saudis used significantly more direct advice-giving strategies and external modifiers than Australians while Australians employed significantly more conventionally indirect strategies and internal modifiers than Saudis.

Every year, flash floods hit many cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia) leading to many injuries and deaths as well as a huge amount of damage to infrastructure. Risks of frequent flash floods have been linked to a lack of emergency planning. This paper presents a systematic review of emergency planning for flash floods response currently in place in Saudi Arabia. Collected information was analysed based on the suitability of content and data for emergency planning in flash floods response. Aspects of the dominant approach of emergency planning and the community-based approach are examined and considered against applications in Saudi Arabia. A case study is used about flash floods in Jeddah in 2009 and 2011 to consider these approaches. This may be the first systematic review of emergency planning for flash floods response in Saudi Arabia and shortcomings listed may lead to improvements in policy, planning and training, particularly given the scientific consensus of an increase in the frequency and magnitude of flash floods in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Although in recent times the Saudi government has paid much attention to the adaptation of hospital information systems (HIS) and electronic medical records (EMR), the importance of utilising HIS to enhance medical research has been neglected. Objective: We aimed to (i) investigate the current state of medical research in Saudi Arabia, (ii) identify possible issues that hinder improvement of medical research and (iii) identify possible solutions to enhance the role of HIS in medical research in Saudi Arabia. Method: We used a questionnaire and structured interview approach. Questionnaires were distributed to Saudi healthcare professionals. One hundred responses to our questionnaire were captured by the online Google Form designed specifically for our survey. Structured interviews with two IT professionals were conducted regarding technical aspects of their hospital data management systems. Results: Six themes contributing to the inefficacy of HIS in medical research in Saudi Arabia emerged from the data: incorrect datasets, difficult data collection and storage, poor data analytics, a lack of system interoperability across different HIS for universal access and negative perception of the usefulness of HIS for medical research. Conclusion and implications: Our findings suggest (i) cloud-based HIS would support efficient, reliable and integrated data collection and storage across all hospitals in Saudi Arabia; (ii) EMR data sources should be seamlessly linked to avoid incomplete, fragmented or erroneous EMR in Saudi Arabia; and (iii) collaboration between all hospitals in Saudi Arabia to adopt a uniform standard to support interoperability and improve data exchange and integration is necessary.

Information was collected on patients with End-stage Renal Disease (ESRD) receiving maintenance dialysis in all of the dialysis facilities in Saudi Arabia. Similar information was also collected from the Saudi Arabian government-sponsored patients with ESRD in the United States between December 1985 to March 1986. As of March 31, 1986, 806 Saudi patients were on maintenance hemodialysis and 16 on peritoneal dialysis in hospital-based dialysis facilities in Saudi Arabia. The prevalence rate of ESRD was 139/million at the completion of the study. The rates increased with age and were similar when compared on a regional basis, but were higher in the rural areas for both sexes in all regions except the Southern Region. Here, the prevalence rates for the female urban residents were higher than for female rural residents. Although primary health care services are available in rural areas, a delay was noted in seeking medical care. This was attributed to the possible lack of health education, knowledge of the disease and information on the availability of the health services. Upon completion of this study, it was concluded that a need exists for further research in all aspects to delineate the role of the various factors that affect ESRD in Saudi Arabia, with the universal goal of preventing development of the disease in the population.

Background: Patient autonomy in the health care system is achieved by the vital principle of providing informed consent. Throughout history, informed consent gained recognition and improved to include more aids and steps to formalize and standardize the process of obtaining proper consent in medical and dental practice. Regardless of the type of informed consent obtained before the treatment, it should include an adequate understandable description of nature and diagnosis of the disease, treatment plan, proper alternatives, risks, and limitations. Summary: There is limited information in the ethics literature covering critical concepts related to different dental procedures in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, informed consent in dentistry is not well-documented. As everything is evolving and changing in Saudi society, litigation has progressed and impacted dentistry. This overview will help in addressing aspects related to informed consent and closing the gaps in the dental health care system in Saudi Arabia, managing complex ethical issues associated with dental patients. In addition, providing recommendations and shedding some light on the importance of informed consent will improve the situation of the informed consent process in Saudi Arabia. Key Messages: Informed consent allows patients to be part of the decision-making process, and it provides legal protection for the practitioners from practice lawsuit cases. Dentists should take extra care in documenting the consent process and patient’s choice regarding their treatment to avoid unfavorable consequences. In Saudi Arabia, attention should be drawn toward the crucial role of informed consent, and more studies should be published in order to enrich the knowledge and to improve the health care system.

In the past ten years, microbiome studies have shown tremendous potentiality for implementation of understanding microbiome structures and functions of various biomes and application of this knowledge for human betterment. Saudi Arabia is full of geographical, ecological, ethnical, and industrial diversities and scientific capacities. Therefore, there is a great potential in Saudi Arabia to conduct and implement microbiome-based research and applications. However, there is no review available on where Saudi Arabia stands with respect to global microbiome research trends. This review highlights the metagenome-assisted microbiome research from Saudi Arabia compared to the global focuses on microbiome research. Further, it also highlights the gaps and areas that should be focused on by Saudi microbiome researchers and the possible initiatives to be taken by Saudi government and universities. This literature review shows that the global trends of microbiome research cover a broad spectrum of human and animal health conditions and diseases, environmental and antimicrobial resistance surveillance, surveillance of food and food processing, production of novel industrial enzymes and bioactive pharmaceutical products, and space applications. However, Saudi microbiome studies are mostly confined to very few aspects of health (human and animal) and environment/ecology in last ten years, without much application. Therefore, Saudi Arabia should focus more on applied microbiome research through government, academic, and industry initiatives and global cooperation to match the global trends.

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 tot al 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.

Health communication has gained worldwide recognition as one of the most effective methods for tackling global health challenges; a conclusion that is supported by a range of studies showing generally positive results. Literature in the field has tended to focus on one of two perspectives: either individual behaviour change or a cultural/critical approach. This dissertation, which falls into the latter category, extends previous work on health communication and culture into a new context, namely Saudi Arabia. The thesis is motivated by two main research questions. First, how has culture influenced health communication in Saudi Arabia specifically in initiatives against illicit drug use and alcohol abuse? Second, how has this communication developed? At the heart of this study is the role of Saudi culture in health communication in an increasingly interdependent and connected world. The dissertation makes use of mixed qualitative data collection methods. Principally, it utilised semi-structured interviews with key officials and focus groups with young Saudis and health promoters in Saudi Arabia as well as attendance at and observation of health-communication events and permanent exhibitions as a subordinate method. The study reveals promising findings supporting the growing scholarly interest in the cultural dimension of health communication. It concludes that the key influence of the Saudi culture on health communication against substance abuse is Islamic beliefs about health, in particular those about substance abuse. These beliefs created a rejection of illicit drug abuse in Saudi society, thereby shaping a supportive environment for promotion activities against risky health behaviour. In addition, Islamic influence inspired the related regulations and laws in the kingdom. Islamic and local influences exert a powerful influence on the practical side of health communication in Saudi Arabia, including the content of messages, the appeal used to attract the specific audience, and the communication channels used to promote the campaigns. The study engages with four concepts constituting the Islamic model of health and illicit drug abuse: prohibition (haram), promotion (Da’wah), repentance and inclusiveness (Tawbah), and treatment and rehabilitation (Elaj). The study also examines controversial issues about health communication in the country, such as the predominance of top-down communication, the absence of participatory communication and cultural diversity. In short, a lack of innovation and creativity in delivering health communication messages. The study illustrates the major role the Saudi government has played in communicating health and substance abuse since the 1980s, when officials realised the need to modernise the means of communicating health and drug issues from mosque-based only to include modern methods such as televised campaigns, school-based programmes and hospital-based health education. Since then, government-led health communication initiatives have been well established in the kingdom. The dissertation is able to demonstrate a critical understanding of the reality of health communication against substance abuse in Saudi Arabia and make a range of recommendations to improve the efficacy of current policies and suggest new avenues for future research.

Recent health care reforms within Saudi Arabia have advocated use of economic evaluation in health care decision making. Little research has, however, considered the use of economic evaluation to set priorities in rentier state settings. This thesis explores the nature of the rentier state and the basis of health care priority setting, and conducts a systematic review of the use of economic evaluation in priority setting. The thesis uses in-depth qualitative research to explore health care priority setting and use of economic evaluation in Saudi Arabia. Qualitative data comprised 22 in-depth interviews with decision makers at the national and district levels, 3 focus groups, and one meeting observation. Data collection and analysis were conducted iteratively using constant comparison. Findings show that contextual factors have a great influence on the decision making process and that the use of economic evaluation is still very limited. There appeared to be two types of barriers to the use of economic evaluation: decision context-related barriers and barriers relating to the production of economic evaluation data. Incorporating economic evaluation into the health care decision making process in Saudi Arabia is proving to be complex and contextual factors have more influence on priority decisions than economic evaluation.