Perspectives on Telemedicine during the Era of COVID-19; What Can Saudi Arabia Do?

Int J Environ Res Public Health

Health Promotion and Health Education Research Chair, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia.

Published: October 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has represented a challenge to medical practice in Saudi Arabia and worldwide. In contrary to the increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients, there was a limitation in the capacity of medical practices and access to healthcare. A growing body of evidence from healthcare settings in Saudi Arabia and worldwide has suggested a possible role for telemedicine in responding to this evolving need. Telemedicine can be used for triage, direct care, follow-up, and consultation. It could be delivered through synchronous, asynchronous, and mixed approaches. While telemedicine has several advantages, such as accessibility and cost-effectiveness, its diagnostic reliability should be further investigated. The Saudi Vision (2030) has drawn up a roadmap to invest in digital healthcare during the coming decade; however, some barriers related to using telemedicine in Saudi healthcare settings, including cultural issues and technical difficulties, should be openly discussed. In addition, before putting telemedicine in practice on a wide scale in Saudi Arabia, more efforts should be carried out to issue updated legislation and regulations, discuss and respond to ethical concerns, and ensure data security.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8535869PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010617DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

saudi arabia
16
arabia worldwide
8
healthcare settings
8
saudi
6
telemedicine
5
perspectives telemedicine
4
telemedicine era
4
era covid-19
4
covid-19 saudi
4
arabia
4

Similar Publications

Using -rhizobia- interaction networks, we address first the soil invasion success of , and second, we report either -rhizobia partnership should form an isolated module within the symbiosis interaction network. Different indexes were used to determine model invasion success and the network topology. Our results indicated that invasion decreased soil microbial biomass, basal respiration, and enzymatic activities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) is a minimally invasive surgical approach. Initially utilized for low-risk procedures, such as the resection of benign lesions, now LLR has evolved to include more complex operations such as metastatic lesions. We present in this article two cases with liver metastasis who underwent a successful two-stage total LLR: a 57-year-old man diagnosed with sigmoid cancer and liver metastasis and a 36-year-old man diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor and liver metastasis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the possible impacts of fasting on physical activity and weight loss in adult users of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, specifically semaglutide and tirzepatide, using qualitative methods to gain in-depth insights into participants' experiences and perceptions.

Patients And Methods: A qualitative study was conducted at the Polyclinic at King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, during and after Ramadan in 2024, along with the completion of International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQs). The semi-structured interviews and the IPAQ were used to assess physical activity levels.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Diabetic retinopathy is a significant microvascular disorder and the leading cause of vision impairment in working-age individuals. Hyperglycemia triggers retinal damage through mechanisms such as the polyol pathway and the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Inhibiting key enzymes in this pathway, aldose reductase (AR) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SD), alongside preventing AGE formation, may offer therapeutic strategies for diabetic retinopathy and other vascular complications.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Lactic acid bacteria are prized for their probiotic benefits and gut health improvements. This study assessed five LAB isolates from Neera, with RAMULAB51 (, GenBank ON171686.1) standing out for its high hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, antimicrobial activity, and enzyme inhibition.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!