Assessing Patient Use of and Attitudes toward eHealth Services for Communication with Primary Care Centers in Saudi Arabia and Factors Affecting Usage.

Background: This study investigates patients' use of eHealth services, their awareness of the availability of these services, and their intention to use them in primary care. It also examines patient characteristics and factors that influence the use of these services.

Methods: A cross-sectional design using questionnaires was conducted.

Clinicians' Attitudes Toward Electronic Health Records in Saudi Arabia.

Aim:  This study explored physicians' and nurses' attitudes toward an electronic health record (EHR) system and examined the features and factors that clinicians associated with the implementation of EHR systems.

Methods:  A self-administered anonymous questionnaire with high reliability and validity was adopted from existing research to gather clinicians' attitudes toward the EHR system implemented at King Khalid University Hospital, one of the biggest hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Results:  A total of 438 questionnaire responses were received from the participants; 240 of them were physicians and 198 were nurses.

Effectiveness of Computer-Tailored Health Communication in Increasing Physical Activity in People With or at Risk of Long-Term Conditions: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Regular physical activity (PA) is beneficial for enhancing and sustaining both physical and mental well-being as well as for the management of preexisting conditions. Computer-tailored health communication (CTHC) has been shown to be effective in increasing PA and many other health behavior changes in the general population. However, individuals with or at risk of long-term conditions face unique barriers that may limit the applicability of CTHC interventions to this population.

Identification of the Most Suitable Mobile Apps to Support Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet Self-Management: Systematic Search of App Stores and Content Analysis.

Smartphone apps might provide an opportunity to support the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, a healthy diet designed to help lower blood pressure. This study evaluated DASH diet self-management apps based on their quality, likely effectiveness, and data privacy/security to identify the most suitable app(s). A systematic search and content analysis were conducted of all DASH diet apps available in Google Play and the Apple App Store in the UK in November 2022.

The Use of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Mobile Apps for Supporting a Healthy Diet and Controlling Hypertension in Adults: Systematic Review.

Background: Uncontrolled hypertension is a public health issue, with increasing prevalence worldwide. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is one of the most effective dietary approaches for lowering blood pressure (BP). Dietary mobile apps have gained popularity and are being used to support DASH diet self-management, aiming to improve DASH diet adherence and thus lower BP.

Evaluation of the Wateen App in the Blood-Donation Process in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Blood transfusions are essential for many medical procedures, but current supplies of blood are insufficient to meet the needs of all patients. Apps offer a means to improve donor recruitment and enhance blood-donation systems, if they are usable and useful. The Saudi Ministry of Health launched a blood-donation app, "Wateen".

The worldwide impact of telemedicine during COVID-19: current evidence and recommendations for the future.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has emerged worldwide as an indispensable resource to improve the surveillance of patients, curb the spread of disease, facilitate timely identification and management of ill people, but, most importantly, guarantee the continuity of care of frail patients with multiple chronic diseases. Although during COVID-19 telemedicine has thrived, and its adoption has moved forward in many countries, important gaps still remain. Major issues to be addressed to enable large scale implementation of telemedicine include: (1) establishing adequate policies to legislate telemedicine, license healthcare operators, protect patients' privacy, and implement reimbursement plans; (2) creating and disseminating practical guidelines for the routine clinical use of telemedicine in different contexts; (3) increasing in the level of integration of telemedicine with traditional healthcare services; (4) improving healthcare professionals' and patients' awareness of and willingness to use telemedicine; and (5) overcoming inequalities among countries and population subgroups due to technological, infrastructural, and economic barriers.

Identification of the Most Suitable App to Support the Self-Management of Hypertension: Systematic Selection Approach and Qualitative Study.

Background: Smartphone apps are increasingly being used to aid in hypertension self-management, and a large and ever-growing number of self-management apps have been commercially released. However, very few of these are potentially effective and secure, and researchers have yet to establish the suitability of specific hypertension apps to particular contexts.

Objective: The aim of this study is to identify the most suitable hypertension app in the context of Saudi Arabia and its health system.

Views of stakeholders on factors influencing shared decision-making in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: a systematic review.

Background: Shared decision-making is advocated as a key component of patient-centred care and associated with many benefits that improve patient outcomes. However, shared decision-making is not yet embedded in clinical practice and confronts many barriers that hinder its implementation especially in countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Aims: We conducted a systematic review to identify and understand factors influencing shared decision-making in the Region.

Reducing negative emotions in children using social robots: systematic review.

Background: For many children, visiting the hospital can lead to a state of increased anxiety. Social robots are being explored as a possible tool to reduce anxiety and distress in children attending a clinical or hospital environment. Social robots are designed to communicate and interact through movement, music and speech.

Using a Commercially Available App for the Self-Management of Hypertension: Acceptance and Usability Study in Saudi Arabia.

Background: The use of smartphone apps to assist in the self-management of hypertension is becoming increasingly common, but few commercially available apps have the potential to be effective along with adequate security and privacy measures in place. In a previous study, we identified 5 apps that are potentially effective and safe, and based on the preferences of doctors and patients, one (Cora Health) was selected as the most suitable app for use in a Saudi context. However, there is currently no evidence of its usability and acceptance among potential users.

What Influences the Implementation of Shared Decision Making: An Umbrella Review.

Objective: To provide a cogent summation of the evidence base of the key barriers and facilitators to implementing shared decision making (SDM).

Methods: An umbrella review of existing reviews on SDM was adopted. Databases were searched from 1997 to December 2018.

Smartphone Apps to Support Self-Management of Hypertension: Review and Content Analysis.

Background: Hypertension is a widespread chronic disease, and its effective treatment requires self-management by patients. Health-related apps provide an effective way of supporting hypertension self-management. However, the increasing range and variety of hypertension apps available on the market, owing to the global growth in apps, creates the need for patients and health care professionals to be informed about the effectiveness of these apps and the levels of privacy and security that they provide.

Mobile Apps to Support the Self-Management of Hypertension: Systematic Review of Effectiveness, Usability, and User Satisfaction.

Background: Hypertension is a chronic disease that is considered to be a public health problem and requires efforts by patients to manage themselves. The global growth in the use of mobile phones and tablets has been accompanied by the increased use of health apps. Many of these apps support the self-management of hypertension and, therefore, they have the potential benefits of lowering blood pressure.