The evidence-based practice of primary care physicians is essential because they are the first line of contact with the local community, and they cater to most of their communities’ health needs. In the current study, in which we used a cross-sectional survey in northern Saudi Arabia, we assessed primary care physicians’ knowledge, attitude, practice, and barriers regarding evidence-based medicine (EBM). Of the 300 physicians who participated, less than half had high knowledge (43.7%) and attitude (47.7%) toward EBM. The chi-square test revealed that the knowledge categories were significantly associated with the age group (p = 0.002) and EBM training received in the past five years (p < 0.001), and the attitude categories were significantly associated with nationality (p = 0.008). Of the respondents, 155 (51.7%) used EBM in their daily clinical practice. Through logistic regression analysis, we found that the identified predictors of including EBM in clinical practice were the 31–45-year-old age group (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.65–2.73) and EBM training received during last 5 years (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.35–2.94). We recommend enhancing primary care physicians’ knowledge of EBM and its importance in clinical practice through appropriate training programs. A multi-centric mixed-method survey is warranted in other provinces of the KSA to recognize region-specific training demand.

Background: Health care workers (HCWs) involved in day-to-day care and other healthcare activities play a significant role in biomedical waste (BMW) management. The World Health Organization stated some of the causes for the failure of BMW management, namely, lack of awareness of the health hazards related to BMW and inadequate trained HCWs in BMW management. The present study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards BMW management among the HCWs in northern Saudi Arabia. Methodology: The present study assessed KAP through a self-administered and validated questionnaire. Using a multistage probability sampling method, 384 HCWs from different healthcare facilities participated in this survey. We performed binomial logistic regression analysis to find association between KAP subscales and sociodemographic characteristics. Spearman’s correlation test was performed to find the strength and direction of correlation (rho) between KAP scores. Results: Of the population studied, high knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were found in 47.1%, 65.1%, and 49.5% of the HCWs, respectively. The present study found that knowledge score was significantly higher among the age group from 30 to 39 years (ref: age less than 30 years: AOR = 2.25, 95% CI [1.05–4.85], p = 0.04) and non- Saudi nationals (ref: Saudi: AOR = 2.84, 95% CI [1.63–4.94], p < 0.001) The attitude score towards BMW management was significantly lower among the HCWs working in tertiary care settings (ref: PHC: AOR = 0.38, 95% CI [0.12–0.69], p = 0.01). Regarding the practice score, the male categories had a significantly higher score (ref: female: AOR = 1.82, 95% CI [1.19 –2.99], p = 0.02), while pharmacist (ref: physicians: AOR = 0.39, 95% CI [0.18–0.58], p = 0.02) and lab technicians (ref: physicians: AOR = 0.31, 95% CI [0.11–0.53], p = 0.02) had a significant lower practice score. The test results revealed a weak positive correlation of knowledge with the attitude scores (rho = 0.249, p = 0.001), and a moderately strong positive correlation was found between attitude and practice scores (rho = 0.432, p = 0.001). Conclusion: This study suggests that a regular training program for the HCWs on BMW management is necessary through symposiums, role play, interactive lectures, and other feasible training methods. Furthermore, a multicentric prospective exploratory study is to be conducted in other regions of the KSA to understand the region-specific training needs of HCWs.

Oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) is an essential indicator of people’s overall health and health‐related quality of life. Poor oral health and OHRQoL among young adults lead to numerous negative consequences and an increased burden on the healthcare system. The present study is aimed at assessing the OHRQoL among the young adults of Saudi Arabia, identifying self‐rated oral health, and determining the relationship between sociodemographic and lifestyle factors with the OHRQoL. The present analytical cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 1152 health and non‐health‐related college university students from three randomly selected universities. The OHRQoL was evaluated using the validated Arabic version of the oral health impact profile‐14 questionnaire (OHIP‐14). Of the population studied, one‐fourth of the participants (24.9%) reported poor or fair oral health, and the highest OHIP‐14 score was found in the domains of physical pain (4.14), followed by psychological discomfort (4.07). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the poor oral health category was significantly associated with male gender (ref: female: adjusted OR (AOR) = 1.89, 95%CI = 1.23–2.94, p = 0.004), daily smokers (ref: nonsmokers: AOR = 3.47, 95%CI = 1.97–4.82, p < 0.001), chocolate and candies intake more than once a day (ref: never; AOR = 1.54, 95%CI = 1.10–2.19, p = 0.034), and did not seek periodical dental care (ref: periodic dental care received: AOR = 2.23, 95%CI = 1.53‐2.86, p = 0.002). The present study revealed the factors associated with poor OHRQoL. The concerned authorities should consider the implementation of periodic dental checkups for university students, especially for the high‐risk group. Furthermore, it is recommended to have regular health education programs that will help to change the student’s lifestyle and poor oral health behaviors.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries. This analytical cross-sectional study assessed knowledge, attitude towards breast cancer, and barriers to mammogram screening among 414 randomly selected female healthcare workers from multiple healthcare facilities in northern Saudi Arabia. Of the studied population, 48.6% had low knowledge, and 16.1% had a low attitude towards breast cancer risk factors and symptoms. The common barriers to mammogram screening were fear to discover cancer (57.2%) and apprehension regarding radiation exposure (57%). Logistic regression analysis found that lack of awareness regarding mammogram was significantly associated with age (p = 0.030) and healthcare workers category (ref: physicians: p = 0.016). In addition, we found a significant negative correlation between knowledge and barrier scores (Spearman’s rho: −0.315, p < 0.001). It is recommended to develop target-oriented educational programs for the healthcare workers, which would empower them to educate the community regarding the risk factors and the importance of mammogram screening. Furthermore, a prospective study is warranted in other regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to understand the region-specific training needs for the healthcare workers.

Successful implementation of virtual healthcare depends immensely on patients’ perceptions and satisfaction. This cross-sectional study assessed patients’ perceptions of, and factors associated with, poor and average satisfaction with the outpatient telemedicine clinics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 720 patients who attended outpatient telemedicine clinics from different regions of the KSA. Of the sample studied, 54.7% of the participants had high satisfaction and the most common disadvantage perceived by patients was technical issues (53.1%), followed by fewer personal interactions (30.4%). Around 75% of the participants desired to use telemedicine services even after the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regression analysis revealed that age group more than 40 years (OR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.04–2.44, p = 0.031), education less than university level (OR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.07–2.15, p = 0.025), and first-time participants (OR = 3.28; 95% CI = 2.32–4.65, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with poor and average satisfaction ratings. The concerned authorities must make targeted action plans to circumvent the disadvantages perceived by patients accessing telemedicine. Furthermore, a multicenter, exploratory study that compares the virtual clinic with other telemedicine services in the KSA is warranted.

Medication adherence by patients with diabetes is critical, as it plays a crucial role in individuals’ long-term health and well-being. We evaluated the medication adherence, illness perception, diabetes knowledge, and associated factors among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) attending primary health centers (PHCs) in the eastern province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) using a validated Arabic version of a data collection form. In order to identify the variables that are associated with medication adherence, we applied a logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, we performed the Spearman test to find the correlation between medication adherence, illness perception, and diabetes knowledge. Of the 390 studied patients, 21.5% had low medication adherence, and it was significantly associated with gender (adjusted OR (AOR) = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.27–2.73, p = 0.003) and duration of diabetes (AOR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.67–0.95, p = 0.017). Furthermore, we found a significant positive correlation between medication adherence and illness perception (rho = 0.217, p = 0.007) and knowledge of diabetes and medication adherence (rho = 0.425, p < 0.001). We recommend improving T2DM patients’ knowledge about the importance of adherence to their medication regimen in several health education sessions at the PHCs. In addition, we recommend mixed-method medication adherence assessment surveys in different parts of the KSA.