Background/Objectives: Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping healthcare, offering transformative potential for diagnostics, treatment, and patient management. Despite its growing significance, there is limited integration of AI education in medical curricula, raising concerns about the readiness of future healthcare professionals to utilize AI technologies. This study aims to evaluate the readiness of medical students in Saudi Arabia to embrace AI and to assess the current state of AI education, AI Application use, and future perspectives for medical students. Methods: a cross-sectional design was employed. It involved medical students from various regions of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using an anonymous, online, structured, and validated tool from previous studies. The survey included sociodemographic information, details on AI education, the usage of AI applications, intended specialties, and a Medical Artificial Intelligence Readiness Scale for Medical Students (MAIRS-MS). The data were extracted and revised in an Excel sheet. Statistical analysis was conducted using the IBM SPSS computer program with appropriate statistical tests. Results: This study enrolled 572 medical students, with a mean age of 21.93 years. Most students were Saudi (99.0%), and 43.7% lived in the western region of Saudi Arabia. Most students attended a government medical college (97.41%), and 64.3% of students were in their clinical years. Only 14.5% of the students had received formal AI education, while 34.3% had participated in extracurricular AI training. The mean (SD) MAIRS-MS score was 68.39 (18.3), with higher scores associated with female students, those from the central region, and those with advanced English and computer technology skills (p < 0.001). Conclusions: there is limited AI education and moderate AI readiness among medical students in Saudi colleges, with significant variability in terms of gender, region, and educational background. These findings underscore the need to integrate AI education into medical curricula to better prepare future physicians for AI-enabled healthcare systems.

This study aimed to assess the willingness to receive the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and seasonal influenza vaccines and vaccine uptake during the early stage of the national vaccination campaign in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among adult Saudis between 20 January and 20 March 2021. The questionnaire addressed vaccine hesitancy, perceived risk, willingness, and vaccine uptake. Approximately 39% of the participants expressed vaccine hesitancy, and 29.8% and 24% felt highly vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, respectively. The majority (59.5%) were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, although only 31.7% were willing to receive the flu vaccine. Adjusted analysis showed that vaccine hesitancy (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.27–0.43) and the perception of being at high risk (OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.68–4.60) independently affected the intention to be vaccinated. Vaccine hesitancy was similar among those who were willing to be vaccinated (29.8%) and those who had already been vaccinated (33.1%). The perceived risk was significantly higher among those who had been vaccinated (48.1%) than among those who were willing to be vaccinated but had not yet been vaccinated (29.1%). In conclusion, the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia is high. Saudis who received the vaccine had a similar level of vaccine hesitancy and a higher level of perceived risk.

Context: Patient satisfaction is of increasing importance and recognized as an important indicator for quality of care. It is influenced by the patients, physicians and practice's characteristics. The literature on diabetes has increasingly focused on the quality of care and its measurement. The relationship between the quality of diabetes care and patient satisfaction is poorly understood and it requires further elaboration. Aims: The aim of this study is to Identify the underlying factors influencing patient's satisfaction with the diabetes care, to assess whether comprehensive diabetes management that provided in diabetic clinic improves satisfaction and glycemic control. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional study Family Medicine and Diabetic Clinics at King Abdul-Aziz Medical City. Materials and Methods: A total of 230 type two diabetic patients attending their follow-up were requested to fill the questionnaire. The questionnaire identified patients, doctors and practice related factors. Statistical Analysis Used: SPSS 16 with appropriate statistical test. Results: The response rate was 85%. Mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level was 0.087 ± 0.020. Around half of the patients were having high satisfaction rate of (>60%). Doctor's communication ranked the highest satisfaction level among other factors. However, no association between satisfaction with other patient's characteristics and HbA1c. Conclusions: Physicians play a major role in promoting higher level of satisfaction by good communication with their patients. More efforts are needed to improve certain aspects of diabetic care such as: Patient's education and periodic physical examination. Although the present study did not show any association between satisfaction and important outcome like HbA1c, more studies are needed to explore such complex relationship. To obtain more significant results a bigger sample size might be needed.

Context: World Health Organization recommending initiation of breastfeeding within hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. In Saudi Arabia, there is a paucity of studies on the factors associated with early cessation of exclusive breastfeeding. Aims: We aimed to assess the exclusive breastfeeding rates and to identify the risk factors for early breastfeeding cessation at maternal and institutional levels. Settings and Design: A prospective observational study carried out at King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods and Materials: It included all postpartum women who had given birth to full term, singleton, healthy newborns, and were breastfeeding before discharge. Data were collected before discharge, 2 weeks, and 8 weeks postpartum using an adapted instrument. Statistical Analysis: Using JMP14 software with appropriate statistical tests. Results: The study included 136 mothers, of whom 37.5% were exclusively breastfeeding in the first 2 weeks; this rate dropped to 19% with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.0001). Early breastfeeding cessation was significantly associated with maternal age, health status, mother’s knowledge, and attitude, in addition to other modifiable factors that was encountered during hospital stay such as latching difficulties and introduction of formula feeding. Conclusions: This study reported low exclusive breastfeeding rates in the first 2 months postpartum among Saudi mothers. Multiple factors were associated with breastfeeding, and some are modifiable. Breastfeeding promotion and support for is a critical role required from healthcare workers in all settings, including primary health care. Healthcare professionals play a major role in promoting, protecting, and supporting exclusive breastfeeding.

Background: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is a core competence in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical curricula. However, its integration into curricula varies widely. Our study will help medical colleges develop, implement and evaluate their EBM courses. We assessed the effectiveness of workshops in improving critical appraisal skills among medical students.Methods: A before-and-after study design without a control group was used. A 5-week short EBM module including lectures, workshops, and online search sessions was conducted with 52 fourth-year medical students during their primary healthcare course at the College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software (version 20, SPSS Inc., Chicago, US). Parametric tests as well as Student’s paired t-test for pre- and post-test comparisons were used.Results: Forty-nine (49) participants completed the pre- and post-training Fresno tests, and 44.9% of the participants had a GPA of 4.0 or higher. The mean Fresno test score increased from 45.63 (SD 21.89) on the pre-test to 64.49 (SD 33.31) on the post-test, with significant improvements in the following items: search strategies, relevance, internal validity, magnitude and significance of results, statistical values of diagnosis studies (sensitivity, specificity, and LR), statistical values of therapy studies (ARR, RRR, and NNT), and best study design for diagnosis and prognosis (P < 0.05).Conclusion: This study supports that a short course in EBM that is incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum, especially in the clinical years, might be effective in improving medical students’ knowledge and skills in EBM. However, prospective studies are necessary to assess the long-term impact of these interventions and ultimately their effectiveness for clinical decision making.

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common nerve entrapments in the upper limb. In Saudi Arabia, few studies have investigated CTS in the general population. This study aimed to determine the association between personal factors and CTS. Methods: A case-control study involved adults aged 18 and above. Cases were recruited from electrophysiology lab records as consecutive case series, while controls were individuals who were free of CTS symptoms according to the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ). The electronic medical records of participants were reviewed to obtain age, height, weight, medical conditions, and mobile numbers. Cases and controls were contacted via phone to complete a questionnaire that was designed based on previous literature. We used multivariate binary logistic regression to identify the personal factors significantly associated with CTS. Results: A total of 95 cases and 190 controls were included. Most of the participants were female (84.2%) and Saudi (93%). Most of cases were above 45 years of age (73.7%), while 84.7% were 45 year – old or younger among the control group. Stratified logistic regression showed that performance of household chores was significantly associated with CTS. While physical exercise associated with decreased odds of CTS. Conclusions: This study adds to the body of evidence on personal factors associated with CTS. However, the degree of differences in the age structure of the cases compared with the controls suggest that there is a considerable potential for residual confounding affecting the results. Trial registration number: Not applicable.