Introduction: Saudi Arabia has one of the highest numbers of health organizations accredited by the Joint Commission International. This study aimed to measure this process’s effectiveness in improving quality at King Fahd Hospital of the University in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the study investigated health providers’ perceptions of this process. Materials and Methods: This research utilized a convergent parallel mixed method. For the quantitative analysis, an interrupted time series was conducted to assess the changes in a total of 12 quality outcomes pre- and post-accreditation. Thematic analysis was utilized to collect and analyze qualitative data from hospital employees and health providers. Results: The quantitative results indicated that pursuing accreditation positively impacted nine out of 12 outcomes. The improved outcomes included: the average length of stay, the percentage of hand hygiene compliance, the rate of nosocomial infections, the percentage of radiology reporting outliers, the rate of pressure ulcers, the percentage of the correct identification of patients, the percentage of critical lab reporting, and the bed occupancy rate. The outcomes that did not improve were the rate of patients leaving the ER without being seen, the percentage of OR cancelations, and the rate of patient falls. The qualitative analysis suggested that the accreditation process was perceived positively by participants. Nevertheless, participants also highlighted some of the drawbacks of this process, including: the potential bias in observation-based key performance indicators, the focus on improving process without enhancing the hospital structure, and the increased workload. Conclusion: International accreditation had a positive impact on quality and was received positively by providers. However, several issues need to be addressed by hospital administrators in future accreditation cycles. According to participants, the most notable issue during the first two accreditation cycles was the increased workload and paperwork, which can potentially distract from patient care.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of anxiety and factors associated with it during the peak of the outbreak in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional research screened the general public using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 to detect anxiety levels. The questionnaire was distributed online during May 2020, while lockdowns were enforced. A total of 3017 respondents from all five main regions of Saudi Arabia completed the survey. The prevalence of anxiety was measured. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were executed to determine associated factors with anxiety during peak lockdown. Results: About 19.6% of the respondents possessed a moderate to severe level of anxiety during the pandemic. Western, Northern, and Eastern regions of Saudi Arabia were found to be the most anxious. Female participants had 5.3% higher levels of anxiety compared to male counterparts. The youngest age group (18 to 19 years), most of them were students, reported the highest frequency of anxiety (28.7%). Divorced and single participants had a higher level of anxiety compared to married ones. After adjusted with other variables, living with a family member with risk of the COVID-19 was the best predictor assessing anxiety amid peak lockdown (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.4– 2.2). Conclusion: Notable anxiety prevailed during the initial phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in Saudi Arabia. The presence of vulnerable subjects in the family augments this psychological disorder considerably. Our findings promulgate a need to inculcate nation-wide strategies to enforce public health emergency preparedness plans to mitigate the adverse psychological effects of outbreaks.

(1) Introduction: The objective of this study was to evaluate the patient experience with the Mawid application during the COVID-19 pandemic in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia. (2) Methodology: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was designed to evaluate the patient experience with the Mawid app during the COVID-19 pandemic in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia. A total of 146 respondents completed the questionnaire. (3) Results: More than half of the participants (65.8%) opined that application was easy to use. Furthermore, 65.1% of the participants considered it to be very easy and easy to search for the required information; and 63.7% of the respondents reflected that it was easy to book an appointment. There was a statistically significant difference between the ease of searching for the required information (p-value = 0.006); the ease of undoing an unwanted move and gender (p-value = 0.049); the ease of searching for the required information and educational level (p-value = 0.048); the ease of booking an appointment and educational level (p = 0.049); and the ease of searching for the required information and the labor sector of the respondents (p value= 0.049) among the genders. No significant differences were identified among the age groups. (4) Conclusions: Overall, most participants suggested that the Mawid app was easy to use and had a potentially useful set of features to help mitigate and manage the COVID-19 pandemic in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a common condition among women of reproductive age, yet many cases remain undiagnosed. While several studies have assessed awareness in Saudi Arabia, data from the Eastern Province are limited. Objectives: To measure the prevalence of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome among women aged 18–45 in the Eastern Province, evaluate their knowledge of the condition, and examine demographic factors associated with prevalence and knowledge levels. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 408 women recruited. The questionnaire collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge levels, and symptom-based indicators related to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Symptom-based prevalence was 19.9 per cent, and 16.7 per cent reported a formal diagnosis. Awareness was high (83.1 percent), and 61.5 percent showed good knowledge. Demographic factors were not significantly associated with prevalence. Knowledge was significantly associated with age, medical or health-related background, and income ( p > 0.05). Conclusion: Although awareness is relatively high, knowledge gaps remain, especially among women without health-related backgrounds. Tailored educational and early detection efforts are needed to improve understanding and support timely diagnosis and management.

Background In Saudi Arabia, the gap between the demand for and availability of organs persists, with a total of 13,731 patients on the waiting list in 2019. Family refusal is a major obstacle limiting donation since their consent must be obtained prior to the retrieval of organs. The cause of family refusal is mainly due to their lack of knowledge of their loved ones’ wish to become a donor. This paper aimed to compare three systems of obtaining consent in terms of effectiveness, respect for autonomy, and the cultural role of families in Saudi Arabia to ensure feasibility and effectiveness in increasing the number of donors. Policy alternatives and implications The consent systems include informed consent, presumed consent, and mandated choice. The mandated choice policy might be the optimal solution since it is the most likely to balance the respect for individual autonomy and the cultural role of families in Saudi Arabia. Conclusions and recommendations Mandated choice could be an option that ensures respect for personal autonomy. Nevertheless, more research should be conducted to support adopting this policy in the Saudi context. Additionally, a recommendation to decision makers is to utilize the Tawakkalna app to send alerts to the next of kin when a user registers as a donor with the user’s consent.

Background: In Saudi Arabia, the gap between the demand and availability of organs persists, with a total of 13,731 patients who remain on the waiting list in 2019. Family refusal is a major obstacle limiting donation since their consent must be obtained prior to the retrieval of organs. The cause of family refusal is mainly due to the unknown wishes of their loved one to become a donor. This analysis aimed to compare three systems of obtaining consent in terms of effectiveness, respect for personal autonomy, and the cultural role of families in Saudi Arabia to ensure feasibility and effectiveness in increasing the number of donors. Policy alternatives and implications: The consent systems include opt-in (explicit consent), opt-out (presumed consent), and mandated choice systems. The mandated choice policy might be the optimal solution to investigate since it could balance the respect for individual autonomy and the cultural role of families in Saudi Arabia. Conclusions and recommendations: Mandated choice could be an option that ensures the respect of personal autonomy while influencing the next of kin's decision to donate the organs. Nevertheless, more research should be conducted to support adopting this policy in the Saudi context. Additionally, a recommendation to decision makers is to utilize the Tawakkalna app to send alerts to the next of kin when a user registers as a donor with the user's consent.