Background: Premarital screening and genetic counseling (PMSGC) is compulsory in Saudi Arabia and aims to identify and decrease the prevalence of some genetic and sexually transmitted infectious diseases. However, there are little data on community awareness about PMSGC. This study assessed knowledge levels, attitudes, and behaviors associated with PMSGC in the general Saudi Arabian population and their associations with sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, population-based study of 6263 participants randomly selected from all 20 health regions in Saudi Arabia, stratified according to age and fulfilling predefined selection criteria. Trained data collectors used a comprehensive pretested questionnaire to collect data. Data were collected in March and April 2019. Univariable and multivariable associations between sociodemographic characteristics and knowledge levels, attitudes, and behaviors were examined. Results: While all 6263 study participants had heard about PMSGC, only 575 (9.2%) participants had satisfactory knowledge, while 3283 (52.4%) participants had fair knowledge. Predictors of high knowledge scores were university or higher education level (aOR=2.06; 95% CI: 1.80– 2.36), positive medical history of PMSGC-screened disease (aOR=2.02; 95% CI: 1.51– 2.69), family income ≥ 3000 SR/month (aOR=1.70; 95% CI: 1.50– 1.93), being married/previously married (aOR=1.46; 95% CI: 1.25– 1.70), female gender (aOR=1.25; 95% CI: 1.12– 1.40), and age > 18 years (aOR=1.25; 95% CI: 1.06– 1.48). The majority of participants (5246, 83.8%) had positive attitudes towards the importance of PMSGC, the burden of screened genetic and infectious diseases on the family, and that marrying was inadvisable with incompatible results. Of the 3986 engaged or married participants, 2911 (73.0%) had undertaken premarital screening, of whom 360 (12.4%) had incompatible results; 98 (37.1%) married despite this information. Conclusion: Despite advances in public healthcare measures in Saudi Arabia, gaps remain in the knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors associated with PMSGC. Culturally specific community health education programs for PMSGC must be devised that emphasize the risks associated with consanguineous marriage.

The impact of COVID-19 on healthcare services has been profound. One major impact has been underutilization of traditional healthcare services by patients. In 2020, the Saudi Ministry of Health (MoH) started offering general COVID-19 enquiries, education, and medical and psychological consultations around the clock via their 937-Call Center. Given this major change, there was a need to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Call Center services, specifically medical consultations, to suggest future recommendations for patient care optimization. This descriptive study analyzed routinely collected data on the 937-Call Center service between March 2020 and September 2020. Data were reviewed, coded, verified, and analyzed using SPSS v22. There was a 296% increase in the number of calls received by the 937-Call Center in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. The majority of calls received in 2020 were general medical enquiries (98.41%), but about three million COVID-19-specific enquiries were also received in 2020. The increased number of calls was managed by accepting volunteers to handle calls: an average of 236 volunteers per month, handling about 20% of the total call volume. The majority of volunteers were physicians but with the presence of pharmacists, psychologists, and specialized healthcare workers such as nutritionists. Utilization of the 937-Call Center increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that it has been an effective strategy for combatting the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Further research is recommended to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on public awareness of the 937-Call Center and other health-related mobile apps.

Telehealth involves delivering healthcare remotely through digital platforms such as telephone and video calls. Use of telehealth surged during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the need for contactless healthcare. The Saudi Ministry of Health established the "937 telephone medical consultation call center" almost 10 years ago. The aim of this study was to examine public awareness of, utilization of, and satisfaction with the 937 call center service, and to assess associated factors. This national community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted through multistage sampling with proportional allocation from 20 health directorates. Participants were selected from the general population in public places and were interviewed with a validated questionnaire. Of 7951 approached individuals, 7692 agreed to participate (response rate 96.7%). Seventy-eight percent of participants were aware of the 937 service, and 56.4% had previously used the service. Most (86%) users were satisfied with the service. Long waiting times were the most frequent reason (46.6%) for dissatisfaction. In multivariable analysis, service awareness and utilization were both significantly associated with having higher education (aOR 4.03, 95%CI: 3.17-5.12 and aOR 3.42, 95%CI: 2.64-4.42, respectively). Positive impressions of telephone medical consultation services, Saudi nationality, having children, having medical insurance, and having a history of chronic disease were significantly associated with awareness of, utilization of, and satisfaction with the service. The study revealed high awareness of, utilization of, and satisfaction with the 937 telephone medical consultation call center, thus suggesting increased public acceptance of the service. Moreover, the study identified socio-demographic factors influencing public awareness of, utilization of, and satisfaction with telehealth. Further studies are required to increase understanding of the facilitators of, and barriers to, the use of service among various population groups.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly impacted mental health worldwide, exacerbating anxiety and depression, and influencing adherence to public health measures. To measure the frequency and demographic determinants of anxiety, depression, and emotional contagion among Egyptians during the pandemic from May to August 2020. The study employed a cross-sectional web-based survey that specifically targeted 666 Egyptians from four different regions. A validated Arabic questionnaire was used to assess anxiety using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale, depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and emotional contagion using the Emotional Contagion Scale (ECS), along with demographic variables. Anxiety (GAD ≥ 5) was observed in 66.7% (95%CI, 63.1%:70.1%) of participants, with severe anxiety (14.8%). Depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 5) affected 88.2% (95%CI, 85.7%:90.7%) of the participants, with severe depression affecting 17%. Females experienced higher rates of anxiety (74.3%, 95%CI = 70.0%:78.5%) and depression (91.1%, 95%CI = 88.3%:93.9%) than males (54.7%, 95%CI = 48.5%:60.8% and 83.6%, 95%CI = 79.0%:88.2%, respectively). Younger participants (< 35 years) and unemployed/students also showed significantly higher rates of anxiety (71.4%) and depression (92.7%). The ECS had a mean score of 44.2 (SD = 7.5), with the highest scores for happiness (9.8), love (9.6), and fear (8.3). ECS was significantly higher among females, urban residents, unmarried individuals, and university graduates. The high prevalence of anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among women, youth, unmarried individuals, and those facing socioeconomic vulnerabilities, underscores an urgent need for culturally sensitive and targeted public mental health interventions in Egypt. Strengthening accessible support systems, integrating mental health into primary care, and addressing social determinants of distress could mitigate the long-term psychological impact of the pandemic on vulnerable groups.

Introduction: One of the telehealth tools is the telephone, which has been used to deliver healthcare in many settings in response to increase demand and pressures on existing health services. This study aimed to explore the impact of telephone medical consultation service (937) on users’ outcomes in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in Saudi Arabia. Telephone interviews were used to collect data. Study participants were selected randomly from the list of medical consultation users in December 2021. Users’ outcome was defined as service accessibility, utilization, user compliance, satisfaction, and enablement. Trained data collectors conducted the interviews between February and September 2022. All ethical issues were considered during the research, and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) v.25 program was used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 2,534 telephone interviews were completed and analyzed from 5,052 trials with a response rate of 50.2%. Most participants were Saudis (92.7%, 2,348), and (54.4%, 1,379) were females. Study participants used the call either for personal help or to help another family member, and more than one-third (38.8%, 983) had inquiries about COVID-19. Most (91%, 2,306) participants were satisfied with the provided service. Users who had answers to their inquiries and those who followed the provided advice were more likely to be satisfied. However, a positive medical history increases the likelihood of dissatisfaction (p value = 0.027). Users had better enablement after calling the 937 telephone medical consultation center. Conclusion: Most 937 telephone consultation calls were handled without needing face-to-face visits. Most 937 telehealth service users were satisfied and complied with the health advice.

Introduction: COVID-19-recovered cases’ compliance with precautionary measures employed by the health authorities is critical for prevention of virus spread and to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess the following amid COVID-19-recovered cases: (1) precautions’ compliance during and after the infection, (2) sources of information regarding precautions, and (3) Saudi MoH communication protocol with the infected cases. Methods: A descriptive phone-based cross-sectional survey was conducted on a national sample of COVID-19-recovered cases. Study participants were selected randomly from the National Saudi Health Electronic Surveillance Network (HESN) database. The study questionnaire included (1) sociodemographic, (2) questions that assessed compliance and source of knowledge about COVID-19 precautionary measures, (3) questions about the MoH communication protocol. Results: Of the 484 participants, there were 363 (75%) males and 89.7% were Saudis. Most respondents (85.3%) went for COVID-19 testing because they had symptoms either with or without confirmed case contact. About 70% of respondents adhered to quarantine from being tested positive for COVID-19. Cases commitment to precautionary measures did not change after recovery among 44.8%, while nearly 40% their commitment was increased compared to time before infection. The MoH communication protocol was conducted with satisfactory levels in relation to time of first contact, frequency, asking about list of contacts, and advising to download Tetamman application and its regular update. Females had lower levels of commitment to the precautionary measures after recovery and lower use of the MoH 937 call centre services during infection compared to males with p values of 0.036–0.014, respectively. Conclusion: A high level of compliance with COVID-19 precautionary measures was exhibited by COVID-19-recovered cases during and after recovery with moderate use of the MoH 937 call centre services and low-level awareness about MoH online guide.