Background: Due to technological advancements, the demand for easily accessible and convenient healthcare services is rising globally. Thus, telehealth is gaining momentum that was previously unheard of. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) actively embraces digital innovation in the healthcare industry through its ambitious Vision 2030 initiative. This study aimed to assess the perceived usability of telehealth for personalized healthcare among the KSA adult population in the post-COVID-19 era. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a convenience sample of 975 adults from the general population in KSA. A digital survey was used for data collection through Survey Monkey software. It contained two sections: personal and health data and the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ). The data was collected over three months (July–September 2024) and investigated using the multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results: This study showed that 59.8% of the participants have initiated telehealth service use before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the most frequently used services are the issuance of sick leave (30.6%), tele-prescription (29.0%), virtual consultation (20.0%), tele-mental health services (19.4%), telemonitoring (18.6), and tele-referral (18.2%). A high total telehealth usability score was observed among 60.4% of the participants: 72.7% perceive telehealth as highly useful, 76.4% perceive it as easy to use, 60.1% have high satisfaction and intention for future use, 57.4% perceive high interface quality, and 51.8% perceive a high interaction quality. Conversely, 45.8% perceive low reliability of the telehealth system. Multinomial logistic regression showed that low education (AOR = 2.04; 95% CI = 1.16–4.85) and using virtual consultation (AOR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.38–0.99) were predictors of low telehealth usability. However, being female (AOR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.27–2.55), being in higher education (AOR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.02–2.34), and living in the central KSA region (AOR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.10–2.23) were predictors of high telehealth usability. Working status, income, and presence of chronic disease were not statistically significant predictors. Conclusions: Telehealth services have been highly usable in KSA even before the COVID-19 pandemic, with commonly used asynchronous services. Many social, technological, and system-related factors could affect the user experience and system reliability. Hence, telehealth developments are recommended to overcome such barriers, with future initiatives focusing on the flexibility and convenience of telehealth systems.

Background: Smoking is a major public health concern in Saudi Arabia, with significant gender differences influencing smoking behavior and cessation. Aim: This study aimed to investigate smoking abstinence self-efficacy (ASE), decisional balance (DB), quitting desire, and their predictors among adult male and female smokers in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sample of 375 male and 220 female adult smokers recruited via social media. Data were collected through an online survey assessing personal health, smoking behavior, desire to quit, ASE, and DB. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of earnest quitting desire, high ASE, and negative DB. Results: Males were more likely to smoke for 10 or more years (70.7% vs. 29.1%), maintain regular smoking patterns (86.9% vs. 54.1%), and exhibit high nicotine dependence (29.3% vs. 6.4%) compared to females. A higher proportion of females (76.8%) than males (66.9%) expressed a strong desire to quit. ASE was generally higher in males, with 49.6% showing average levels, while 46.4% of females had low ASE, particularly in social and positive mood contexts. Females displayed a higher prevalence of negative DB (73.6% vs. 58.1%), indicating greater awareness of smoking’s drawbacks. Both genders acknowledged the cons of smoking, though males perceived fewer pros. Conclusions: A complex interplay of factors influences smoking behavior and cessation among adult smokers. Gender differences also play a crucial role in smoking cessation factors among Saudi adults. Tailored cessation strategies addressing self-efficacy and motivation are recommended to enhance quitting success.

Introduction: Chronic disease is a considerable public health concern in Saudi Arabia, as it affects the healthcare system and requires innovative healthcare solutions. Virtual Home Health Care (VHHC) has emerged as a promising approach in managing chronic diseases. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of VHHC in managing chronic diseases from patients’ perspectives in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design and a convenience sample of 517 patients with chronic diseases from various regions of Saudi Arabia (Eastern, Western, Central, Southern, and Northern Regions) who are current or former VHHC users were participated. An online, self-administered questionnaire was employed to gather patients’ demographic information, chronic disease status, experiences with VHHC, and evaluations of VHHC’s effectiveness. Results: The study revealed that the age group of 25 to 35 years represents the largest segment (39.5%) of participants, with 70% being female. The majority of participants (60.9%) held a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, half of the participants (57.4%) have had a chronic illness for more than five years. Overall, respondents held a relatively positive opinion (weighted mean of 3.89 ± 0.710) of VHHC’s effectiveness. Also, the results showed that disease duration and education level are significant predictors of VHHC effectiveness, according to the regression analysis, with disease duration exerting the greatest influence (B = 0.134, p = 0.034). Conclusion: Virtual home healthcare is a convenient experience for most participants, who are mostly satisfied with such services. However, some areas still need more improvement, which requires tailored strategies and initiatives to enhance health literacy, which is a significant predictor of effectiveness in the current study among patients with chronic diseases among patients with chronic diseases.

BACKGROUND Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, uptake remains suboptimal in many settings, including Saudi Arabia, where cultural sensitivities, limited awareness, and vaccine hesitancy have been documented. Educational interventions grounded in behavioral theory, such as the Information Motivation Behavioral Skills (IMB) model, can help address informational and motivational barriers to HPV vaccination OBJECTIVE This study was to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention in improving HPV vaccination decision-making among women in Northern Saudi Arabia. METHODS A quasi-experimental design (pretest-posttest with a control group) was used among women attending primary healthcare centers in the Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia. Participants completed surveys at baseline (T1), one week post-intervention (T2), and three-month follow-up (T3), assessing HPV-related knowledge, health awareness, attitudes, and vaccination intentions. The educational intervention consisted of a culturally adapted, evidence-based, 45-minute interactive group session delivered in primary healthcare centers. RESULTS Study retention was excellent (97.7%; 380/389). At three month follow up, intervention participants demonstrated medium to large effect size improvements compared with controls: knowledge (adjusted β = 0.84, 95% CI 0.53–1.15, p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.61, medium effect), health awareness (β = 0.88, 95% CI 0.53–1.23, p < 0.001; d = 0.65, medium effect), attitudes (β = 0.70, 95% CI 0.42–0.98, p < 0.001; d = 0.52, medium effect), and vaccination intentions (β = 0.86, 95% CI 0.60–1.12, p < 0.001; d = 0.83, large effect). Exploratory subgroup analyses found no significant effect modification by age, education, or health literacy (all interaction p > 0.10), suggesting consistent intervention effects across demographic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS This culturally educational intervention was effective in improving HPV-related knowledge, attitudes, health awareness, and vaccination intentions among women in Northern Saudi Arabia. Given the well–documented intention–behavior gap in vaccination uptake, future research should incorporate verified vaccine initiation and completion outcomes, along with longer follow-up, to assess whether enhanced intentions translate into actual vaccine uptake

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, uptake remains suboptimal in many settings, including Saudi Arabia, where cultural sensitivities, limited awareness, and vaccine hesitancy have been documented. Educational interventions grounded in behavioral theory, such as the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model, can help address informational and motivational barriers to HPV vaccination. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention in improving HPV vaccination decision-making among women in Northern Saudi Arabia. Methods: A quasi-experimental design (pretest-posttest with a control group) was used among women attending primary health care centers in the Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia. A total of 380 participants, 190 in the control group and 190 in the intervention group, completed surveys at baseline (T1), 1-week post intervention (T2), and a 3-month follow-up (T3), assessing HPV-related knowledge, health awareness, attitudes, and vaccination intentions. The educational intervention consisted of a culturally adapted, evidence-based, 45-minute interactive group session delivered in primary health care centers. Results: Study retention was excellent (380/389, 97.7%). At the 3-month follow-up, intervention participants demonstrated medium to large effect size improvements compared with controls: knowledge (adjusted β=0.84, 95% CI 0.53-1.15; P<.001; Cohen d=0.45, medium effect), health awareness (β=0.88, 95% CI 0.53-1.23; P<.001; d=0.44, medium effect), attitude (β=0.70, 95% CI 0.42-0.98; P<.001; d=0.38, medium effect), and vaccination intentions (β=0.86, 95% CI 0.60-1.12; P<.001; d=0.82, large effect). Exploratory subgroup analyses found no significant effect modification by age, education, or health literacy (all interaction P>.10), suggesting consistent intervention effects across demographic characteristics. Conclusions: This culturally tailored educational intervention was effective in improving HPV-related knowledge, attitudes, health awareness, and vaccination intentions among women in Northern Saudi Arabia. Given the well-documented intention-behavior gap in vaccination uptake, future research should incorporate verified vaccine initiation and completion outcomes, along with longer follow-up, to assess whether enhanced intentions translate into actual vaccine uptake.

Purpose: This study aims to assess patients' experiences with a virtual clinic in Saudi Arabia and explore patient satisfaction levels with such a clinic. Design/methodology/approach: This study opted for a descriptive cross-sectional study used a self-report questionnaire. A convenience sample of 375 patients who met the inclusion criteria participated in the study. The inclusion criteria were adult participants aged >18 years who had at least one experience of using virtual clinics. Findings: About 41.87% of patients reported that their experience with virtual clinics was excellent, 56.53% reported that it was somewhat good and only 1.6% reported that it was poor. Regarding patient satisfaction, the results found that 94.7% of patients were satisfied with the services provided by the virtual clinic. Virtual clinics are a convenient experience for most participants, who are mostly satisfied with such services. Only the educational level contributed significantly to the impact on satisfaction. Research limitations/implications: The online survey had limited accessibility as it needed Internet coverage and a social media account; additionally, patients with low literacy, who were unable to read and write, were excluded. Practical implications: Findings had several implications for clinical practice in Saudi Arabia. The positive outcomes associated with telemedicine suggest that healthcare providers should consider integrating telemedicine options into disease management protocols. The potential of telemedicine to reduce routine in-person visits while facilitating earlier detection of complications suggests that a hybrid model of care, combining telemedicine with in-person visits, might be optimal for chronic disease management. Also, from a policy perspective, findings support the continued investment in telemedicine infrastructure and services in Saudi Arabia. Originality/value: The Saudi Vision 2030 framework aims to accelerate technological innovation and the evolution of the health system; therefore, this research will be a distinctive addition to the existing research by illuminating patients' perspectives on virtual clinics in Saudi Arabia, which can guide the design and implementation of more efficient virtual care techniques. The results may also be helpful for healthcare professionals and policymakers with a stake in enhancing healthcare access and quality in Saudi Arabia.