Awareness and attitude of primary healthcare patients towards telehealth in Cairo, Egypt

 Awareness and attitude of primary healthcare patients towards telehealth in Cairo, Egypt

 

Sara Shouman (1), Tamer Emara (2), Heba Gamal Saber (3), Mohamed Farouk Allam (1)

 

1. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

2. Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

3. Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

 

DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2022.2065141

 

Abstract

Background: Telehealth is delivering health care services remote from healthcare facilities using telecommunications and virtual technology. Egypt is aiming to reach Universal Health Coverage; this increases the demand of telehealth in routine health services. Telehealth helps in increasing access to areas with no available medical services as patients can be monitored remotely. 

Objective: To measure the awareness of telehealth among attendees of primary health care units and their acceptance of applying telehealth. 

Methodology: This was a cross sectional study among attendees of primary health units. Ethical issues were considered. 

Results: A sample size calculated to be 162 and 170 valid Arabic interview questionnaires were filled by attendees. Awareness percentage of telehealth among attendees was 64.7% while willingness to implement telehealth was 78%. Both awareness and willingness were significantly associated with age groups, residence, socioeconomic status, and presence of computer with internet access. Age, residence, and possession of a PC were the only adjusted predictive factors for knowledge about telehealth among patients in the multivariable analysis. 

Conclusion: Large percentages of attendees to primary health care centers are aware of telehealth and are willing to implement it. The major cause of refusal to implement telehealth was due to ignorance of using telecommunication devices and the desire to be in close contact with the physicians.

 

Keywords: Customers; Patients; Primary Healthcare; Primary Healthcare Centers; Telehealth; Telemedicine.

 

Current Medical Research and Opinion 2022 Apr 11;1-14.

 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03007995.2022.2065141

Validation of a modified cow's milk-related symptom score (CoMISS) for screening of lactose intolerance in adults

Heba Ibrahim Mohammed (1), Essam Baioumy (2), Mohamed Farouk Allam (1), Mohamed Nabil Badawy Al-Ashram (2)

 

1. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

2. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

 

DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2022.2057153

 

Abstract

Introduction: Lactose intolerance (LI) is the failure to digest foods and beverages containing the lactose present in milk. LI can present by many digestive symptoms.

Objective: To validate the modified CoMiSS score for prediction of LI, that was confirmed by a stool acidity test.

Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study, was conducted at Ain Shams University Hospitals/Gastrointestinal Clinics, and included one hundred adult participants during the period from December 2018 to December 2019. Enrolled patients had one or more gastrointestinal symptoms and were subjected to a stool acidity test (fecal PH test) as a reference test and modified CoMiSS as an index test. 

Results: The mean age of participants was 35.30 ± 10.714 years old; 55% were females, and their mean body mass index (BMI) was 23.08 ± 2.080 kg/m2, with no significant relation between LI and patients` gender or BMI. Out of the studied participants 24% had positive stool PH, LI diagnosed according to modified CoMISS was present among 19% of them. The mean value of modified CoMISS Score was significantly higher in positive cases (12.37) compared to negative LI participants (2.33) as p < 0.001. Area under ROC Curve was 0.998, at the selected cut-off value 8, the sensitivity was 89.5% and specificity was 100% thus, levels of questionnaire scoring of 8 or higher would indicate presence of lactose intolerance. 

Conclusion: Modified CoMiSS is a simple, fast, and easy-to-use tool that can predict LI, with a cut-off value of >8, the Area under the ROC Curve was 0.998, sensitivity 89.5%, and specificity was 100%.

Keywords: Adults; LI; Modified CoMISS Score; Sensitivity; Specificity; Validity.

 

Current Medical Research and Opinion 2022 Mar 23;1-19.

 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03007995.2022.2057153

Healthcare Workers Should Receive Seasonal Influenza Vaccine during COVID-19 Pandemic?

Healthcare Workers Should Receive Seasonal Influenza Vaccine during COVID-19 Pandemic?

 

Hadir Fathy Abdel-Rahman Ibrahim (1), Aisha Aboul Fotouh (2), Mohamed Farouk Allam (1,2)*

 

1. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

2. Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

 

*Correspondence: Mohamed Farouk Allam (farouk.allam@med.asu.edu.eg)

 

ABSTRACT

It is known that seasonal influenza virus vaccination is important to be taken every year among healthcare workers (HCWs) to avoid transmission of influenza virus and its complications inside the workplace. The reason behind the importance of vaccination is that HCWs are at high risk to be infected with influenza virus. Among the studies addressing the rates of influenza vac[1]cine status among HCWs, a study was conducted in three Middle East countries where the vaccination rates were 24.7%, 67.2%, and 46.4% in United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Oman, respectively. Now, after the pandemic of COVID-19 there are beliefs that vaccination with influenza virus could decrease the deaths from COVID-19. A recent retrospective cohort study to detect the effect of seasonal influenza vaccine on the deaths among COVID-19 patients showed that the individuals who didn’t take the influenza vaccine in the last year before being infected with COVID-19 had a higher risk of being hospitalized when compared with patients who took the vaccine. In conclusion, seasonal influenza vaccine could have an important role in the prevention of COVID-19. Seasonal influenza vaccine coverage should be improved among HCWs. New tailored health education programs to improve the attitudes and beliefs of HCWs towards seasonal influenza vaccine during the era of COVID-19 are strongly and urgently needed.

 

Keywords: Coronavirus, COVID-19, Influenza, Vaccine, Healthcare Workers, Review

 

Global Journal of Epidemiology and Infectious Disease 2022;2(1):33-35.

 

https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/gjeid/article/view/215

Role of Ivermectin in Management of COVID-19

Role of Ivermectin in Management of COVID-19

 

Areej Mohamed Abdelhady Ahmed Helaly (1), Ghada Essam El-Din Amin (1,2), Salwa Mostafa Mohammad Abdel Rahman (1,3), Mohamed Farouk Allam (1,4)*

 

1. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

2. Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

3. Department of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

4. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Cordoba, Cordoba 14004, Spain.

 

*Correspondence: Mohamed Farouk Allam (farouk.allam@med.asu.edu.eg)

 

ABSTRACT

The pandemic corona virus disease 19 (COVID-19), caused by (SARS-CoV-2) a single stranded-RNA virus, has been spread rapidly worldwide with high rate of morbidity and mortality. Few months after the spread of the pandemic, few medications have proven to be efficient in human clinical trials. Several antiviral drugs have been used outside the scope of their initial medical use, such as lopinavir, hydroxychloroquine or azithromycin. Recent researches were done to show the efficacy of ivermectin in reducing SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA within 2 days. The use of ivermectin in in vitro studies has proven its efficacy against Corona virus. Based on the potency of ivermectin in in vitro studies, various clinical trials including patients infected with COVID-19 have been started; most of them have not been completed yet. Since the way how the virus infects the cells in vitro and in vivo is different, a decisive comment about how the ivermectin could exactly be bene[1]ficial to the patients has not been proven yet. Nevertheless, if ivermectin is compared to the other therapeutic treatments available for COVID-19 management, ivermectin has proved to have leverage over them. New randomized controlled clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of ivermectin the management of COVID-19 are strongly and urgently needed.

 

Keywords: Coronavirus, COVID-19, Ivermectin, Management, Review.

 

Global Journal of Epidemiology and Infectious Disease 2022;2(2):36-37.

 

https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/gjeid/article/view/238