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BackgroundMobile phones have great potential for medical education, as they allow health care providers and students to access resources efficiently at the precise time at the point-of-care to help in informed decision making. ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of mobile phone usage among medical residents and to explore their attitudes, perceptions, and the challenges they experience when using mobile phones in academic and clinical practice. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted on all 133 residents in 17 different specialties across two large academic hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Web-based validated questionnaire measured mobile phone platform preferences, and their uses in general and medical practice. The perception of confidentiality and safety impact of using mobile phones for communication and accessing patient’s data was also explored, alongside challenges of use and how residents learn to use their mobile phone. ResultsWith a response rate of 101/133 (75.9%) and mean age of 27.8 (SD 3.0) years, we found that 100/101 (99.0%) of participants were mobile phone users with mean duration of use of 5.12 (SD 2.4) years, and a range from 1 to 12 years. There was no significant difference in use between male and female respondents. A negative linear correlation was found between age and use duration (P=.004). The most common operating system used by participants was the iOS platform (55/101, 54.5%), with English the most commonly used language to operate residents’ mobile phones (96/100, 96.0%) despite their native language being Arabic. For communication outside medical practice, chatting applications such as WhatsApp matched phone calls as most commonly used tools (each 88/101, 87.1%). These were also the primary tools for medical communication, but used at a lower rate (each 65/101, 64.4%). In medical practice, drug (83/101, 82.2%) and medical (80/101, 79.2%) references and medical calculation applications (61/101, 60.4%) were the most commonly used. Short battery life (48/92, 52%) was the most common technical difficulty, and distraction at least on a weekly basis (54/92, 58%) was the most likely side effect of using a mobile phone in medical practice. Practically, all participants agreed with the idea of integrating medical staff mobile phones with the hospital information system. Most residents described themselves as self-learners, while half learned from peers, and a quarter learned from the Internet. Only 7/101 (6.9%) had received formal training on the medical use of mobile phones. Over half of residents thought it was safe to discuss patients over their personal, nonencrypted email. ConclusionsMobile phone use among medical residents has become almost universal in academic and clinical settings. Thus, academic and health care institutions should support proper utilization of these devices in medical training and point-of-care decision making, while continuing to protect patient confidentiality.

BackgroundHealth information obtained from the Internet has an impact on patient health care outcomes. There is a growing concern over the quality of online health information sources used by diabetic patients because little is known about their health information–seeking behavior and the impact this behavior has on their diabetes-related self-care, in particular in the Middle East setting. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the online health-related information–seeking behavior among adult type 2 diabetic patients in the Middle East and the impact of their online health-related information–seeking behavior on their self-care activities. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted on 344 patients with type 2 diabetes attending inpatient and outpatient primary health care clinics at 2 teaching hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The main outcome measures included the ability of patients to access the Internet, their ability to use the Internet to search for health-related information, and their responses to Internet searches in relation to their self-care activities. Further analysis of differences based on age, gender, sociodemographic, and diabetes-related self-care activities among online health-related information seekers and nononline health-related information seekers was conducted. ResultsAmong the 344 patients, 74.1% (255/344) were male with a mean age of 53.5 (SD 13.8) years. Only 39.0% (134/344) were Internet users; 71.6% (96/134) of them used the Internet for seeking health-related information. Most participants reported that their primary source of health-related information was their physician (216/344, 62.8%) followed by television (155/344, 45.1%), family (113/344, 32.8%), newspapers (100/344, 29.1%), and the Internet (96/344, 27.9%). Primary topics participants searched for were therapeutic diet for diabetes (55/96, 57%) and symptoms of diabetes (52/96, 54%) followed by diabetes treatment (50/96, 52%). Long history of diabetes, familial history of the disease, unemployment, and not seeking diabetes education were the most common barriers for online health-related information–seeking behavior. Younger age, female, marital status, higher education, higher income, and longer duration of Internet usage were associated with more online health-related information–seeking behaviors. Most (89/96, 93%) online health-related information seekers reported positive change in their behaviors after seeking online health information. Overall odds ratio (OR 1.56, 95% CI 0.63-3.28) for all self-care responses demonstrated that there was no statistically significant difference between those seeking health-related information online and non–health-related information seekers. However, health-related information seekers were better in testing their blood glucose regularly, taking proper action for hyperglycemia, and adopting nonpharmacological management. ConclusionsPhysicians and television are still the primary sources of health-related information for adult diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia whether they seek health-related information online or not. This study demonstrates that participants seeking online health-related information are more conscious about their diabetes self-care compared to non–health-related information seekers in some aspects more than the others.

Posthumanism stands as a complex and interdisciplinary intellectual movement that challenges and broadens conventional notions of human identity and existence, particularly in light of advancements in science and technology. It emerged in response to the swift evolution of technology and its profound impact on our understanding of what it means to be human. Embarking on a posthumanist inquiry, this research delves into the rich fabric of Charles Stross' Singularity Sky (2003), meticulously unraveling the complexities of human transcendence amidst advanced technology. The article's objective is to unveil the nuanced layers of the author's exploration of posthumanist ideas. The analysis explores the dynamic interplay among characters and their technological surroundings, emphasizing moments where the amalgamation of humanity and cutting-edge technology acts as a catalyst for transcendence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the frequency of surgical site wound infection and factors responsible for it following emergency Caesarean section performed in, PNS Shifa Hospital Karachi. Study Design: Cross Sectional study. Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, PNS Shifa Hospital Karachi. Period: 4th July 2021 to 4th January 2022. Methods: Three hundred eleven women with term pregnancy undergoing emergency Caesarean section for maternal or foetal indications were included in this study. Wound inspection for signs of infection was done every day. Factors responsible of causing wound infection were noted from the discharge card. All the information was recorded on a preformed questionnaire. Results: 62(19.94%) of 311 women experienced surgical site wound infections in which prolonged duration of rupture of membranes was the commonest factors i.e. 51.6% (32/62), prolong duration of labor before operation 29%(18/62) and excessive volume of intra operative blood loss 29% (18/62). Conclusion: It is concluded there is a need to adopt specific preventative measures to decrease the frequency of identified factors so that the frequency of wound infection after the emergency caesarean section can be controlled with decreasing maternal morbidity and reduce hospital stays and thus, reducing the cost of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the perspectives of India and China's interaction are examined. Throughout the last fifteen years, the intricate character of India and China's ties has been clear: from promises of unending kinship to a border conflict. Throughout modern history, the dual character of ties between China and India has often amazed. India and China relations are a complicated web of interests, ranging from firm stances on border issues to recognition of Tibet as a part of China, from order to gain market share for energy assets to broadening corresponding trade, from the appearance of encompassing to increased participation in multilateral forums. The focus of the article is on the major issues surrounding the dispute over boundaries, territorial geopolitics, and financial ties. The triangle relationship between India, China, and US is beyond the scope of the article, despite the fact that it acknowledges the significant function performed by America in Asia and its impact on China-India ties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extending health insurance coverage to informal sector populations remains a major challenge toward achieving universal health coverage. This study aimed to fill the gap in the literature by examining barriers to enrollment in National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) among informal sector workers in Nigeria. Data were drawn from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. The study population comprised of men (n = 10,163) and women (n = 22,216) working in the informal sector. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine barriers to enrollment in NHIS. Results show that the majority of men (98.9%) and women (98.6%) were not enrolled in NHIS. Age, gender of household head, educational level, socioeconomic status, geopolitical zone, distance to a health facility, frequency of reading newspapers or magazines, and watching television were significantly associated with non‐enrollment in NHIS. Findings suggest that enrollment in NHIS in Nigeria is very low. Additionally, there are significant barriers to enrollment. There is a need for governments and policymakers to address these barriers. The use of voluntary prepayments from informal sector workers as a strategy to extend health insurance coverage has not been effective. Key Points: This study examined barriers to enrollment in National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) among informal sector workers in Nigeria.Findings indicate that the majority of men (98.9%) and women (98.6%) were not enrolled in NHIS.Authors also found that age, gender of household head, educational level, socioeconomic status, geopolitical zone, distance to a health facility, frequency of reading newspapers or magazines, and watching television were significantly associated with non‐enrollment in NHIS.The use of voluntary prepayments from informal sector workers as a strategy to extend health insurance coverage has not been effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the clinical performance and side effects of Implant (jadelle) and intrauterine contraceptive device (Cu-T). Study Design: Prospective Analytic study. Setting: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, PNS Shifa Hospital, Bahria University of Health Sciences, Karachi. Period: 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021. Material & Methods: A total of 162 married females of childbearing age participated in our study, n=81 in each group. Group A consisted of those females who had subdermal implant jadelle inserted and Group B included those ladies who were using intrauterine devices (IUDs) for contraception. Patient with pre-existing medical disrorders and those using levonorgestrel Intrauterine system (Mirena) were excluded. They were interviewed using a structured questionnaire at 6-months post insertion. The outcome were success/failure rate and side effects. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. Results: A total of 162 women were part of this study. Most, 30(37.03%) were between 26-30 years in age in Group A (Implant) vs. 36 (44.4%) in Group B Intrauterine devices. 56 (61.7%) in Group A vs. 68 (83.9%) in Group B had regular menstruation prior to use of LARC; p-value 0.05 which is statistically significant. 45 (55.5%) in Group A vs. 33 (40.7%) in Group B had at least secondary level of education. Among the two study groups, 12(14.8) of Group A vs. 24 (29.6%) of Group B reported mild increase in menstrual bleeding, p-value 0. 000. Other side effects noticed were headache, nausea, and weight gain. Conclusion: Progesterone only subdermal implant showed same efficacy as Copper T IUD (intrauterine devices) with significantly fewer side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]