Social media plays a crucial role in modern healthcare by promoting patient engagement, facilitating communication among professionals, and serving as a platform for health education and outreach. Its significance in healthcare delivery continues to grow as digital communication becomes increasingly integral to the industry's efforts to improve healthcare outcomes. Nonetheless, existing studies have not adequately and empirically explored its impact in less digitalized economies. Thus, this study seeks to investigate the impact of social media on healthcare delivery systems in a less digitalized economic context. Leveraging the social media engagement theory, the study employs a partial least squares (PLS-SEM) approach to explore the impact of social media in Ghana's healthcare system. Based on a purposely selected sample of 457 healthcare professionals from Ghana, the study found that using social media for crisis management, patient-doctor relationships, and information dissemination positively impacts healthcare systems. On the contrary, social media use for public relations activities did not have any significant impact on healthcare delivery. This study contributes to the growing literature on the affordances of social media in the circular economy towards improved healthcare delivery in emerging economies. The study offers a strategy for optimizing the use of social media within healthcare settings to foster enhanced healthcare outcomes, particularly a less digitalized economies. 

Reassessing the impact of social media on healthcare delivery: insights from a less digitalized economy

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterised by hyperglycaemia, impaired lipid metabolism, and insulin resistance. In addition to the traditional risk factors, recent studies have suggested that adipose tissue-derived hormones such as Leptin play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of T2DM and its related complications. However, the exact mechanism underlying the relationship between serum leptin levels and these comorbidities remains unclear. Methods and Materials: The study included 222 individuals, with 74 having T2DM and obesity, and 74 having T2DM without obesity and 74 control group. Serum levels of leptin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and HbA1c were measured, and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was used as a measure of renal function. Results: Serum leptin levels were significantly higher in individuals with T2DM and obesity compared to those without obesity (p<0.05). Additionally, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL were significantly higher in individuals with T2DM and obesity compared to those without obesity (p<0.05). Serum leptin levels were positively correlated with total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL (p<0.05) and negatively correlated with HDL (p<0.01). The GFR was not significant when both groups were compared. Conclusion: Obesity has a negative impact on lipid profile and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients and highlights the significance of considering the effect of obesity on the relationship between leptin and lipid profile in diabetic patients. These findings suggest that targeting obesity and leptin levels may be an effective strategy for improving lipid profile and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes.

/pdf/relationship-between-serum-leptin-lipid-metabolism-hba1c-and-88r3pbdd.pdf

Relationship between Serum Leptin, Lipid Metabolism, HbA1c, and Renal Function in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity and in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus without Obesity

One of the measurements of obesity is using the Body Mass Index (BMI). The increase in obesity is in line with the increase in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Type 2 DM causes disturbances in lipid metabolism in the body, especially hypertriglyceridemia, decreased HDL, and increased small dense LDL. This situation causes patients to have a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, researchers want to further investigate the relationship between BMI, LDL, and triglyceride levels. The method used was correlational analysis with a cross-sectional approach using the medical records of Type 2 DM patients at the Indonesian Christian University Hospital for the 2018-2021 period. The study's results obtained a sample of 60 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It was more common in patients of the female sex, ages between 65-74 years, with excess BMI, housewife work, excess LDL levels, and triglyceride levels, which is normal. The correlation test between BMI and LDL was p = 0.588, with a chance ratio of 0.912. Between BMI and triglycerides was p = 0.704 with an odds ratio of 0.702. Spearman rank correlation analysis between BMI and LDL showed a p = 0.895 with r = -0.017. BMI and triglycerides showed a value of p = 0.523 and r = -0.084.

/pdf/relationship-between-body-mass-index-and-low-density-f754tbiz.pdf

Relationship between Body Mass Index and Low-Density Lipoprotein and Triglycerides in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Healthcare professionals and patients are familiar with social media that is freely available and widely used for communication and monitoring in healthcare in recent years. Overall medical care has been delivered remotely through these telemedicine apps that have the best access to care for some populations, such as those in isolation, with limited access to specialist care and in rural areas. Further, monitoring patients in their homes and rural areas without easy access to healthcare services can improve the healthcare services of such individuals and communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique opportunity to use and access such services. Telepharmacy service has been created and operated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This application has allowed patients to ask questions related to their health or medications, have online consultations, and allow patients to keep in touch with their pharmacists. Most healthcare professionals have identified social media as an excellent mode to offer and disseminate scientific and technological information among professionals in improving their knowledge and skills in healthcare. Even though social media has been identified as an excellent tool in patient education and management, still it has not gained the full trust of healthcare professionals or patients. Some healthcare professionals are hesitant to interact with patients due to the issues with ethical and professional dilemmas related to the privacy of patients and the possibility of publishing inappropriate information in addition to the cost, availability, technical requirements, patient, and healthcare professional acceptability. Even though the use of social media in telemedicine is well supported by evidence, the patient perspective on the transition from traditional healthcare delivery to telemedicine via social media has largely been ignored or less studied. Ignoring the patient-related factors can have a negative impact and may lead to reduced patient compliance and satisfaction, unless the use of technology in healthcare delivery is aligned with patient preferences and wishes as well as being accessible and intuitive to use. A well-established system with preset guidelines and procedures will minimize the complications associated with telemedicine. It is important to explain the procedure, its strengths, advantages, and limitations to the patients prior to the commencement of the teleconsultation. Some countries have included appropriate regulations and policies for the use of telemedicine as a healthcare delivery method and due attention has been given to social media as well. Maintenance of patient privacy is to be considered a top priority. Further research is required to investigate the optimal method to integrate social media-delivered telemedicine into the healthcare delivery systems. Properly planned educational programs targeting the patients and potential users of social media as a modality in telemedicine will help in reducing these misconceptions and will allow better use of it as an alternative. It will be beneficial to use the full potential of social media as a tool in telemedicine till a universally acceptable, cost-effective, user-friendly telemedicine application is developed. 

Role of social media in telemedicine

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), heart failure (HF), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and obesity are associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Nonetheless, their prevalence among patients with T2DM in Saudi Arabia (SA) remains unknown. As current guidelines recommend, these comorbidities require adding certain antidiabetic agents with cardiorenal benefits. However, the prescribers' adherence to these recommendations remains unclear. A two-center retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted including adult patients (≥18 years) with T2DM admitted to hospital or seen at outpatient clinics between January and December 2020. Patients were classified into two groups based on the presence or absence of ASCVD. Patients with no prior ASCVD history were further classified based on the 10-year ASCVD risk estimation. Endpoints of interest included the prevalence of ASCVD, HF, CKD, and obesity in patients with T2DM. We also evaluated the characteristics of the utilized antidiabetic agents, statin, and aspirin therapies.. Of the 1,218 included patients with T2DM, the majority were female (57.0 %), and aged 45–64 years (53.0 %) with a mean age of 59.3 ± 13.1 years. Hypertension and dyslipidemia were the most prevalent comorbidities (67.7 % and 69.0 %, respectively). Among all patients, 18.6 % had an established ASCVD and the prevalence of HF, CKD, and obesity were 5.1 %, 8.7 %, and 58.3 %, respectively. The most common types of ASCVD witnessed were revascularization (42.3 %), myocardial infarction (36.6 %), and stroke (33.9 %); with an increased prevalence of ASCVD as the age increases (52.8 % at age ≥ 65 years). In the non‐ASCVD group, the 10-year ASCVD risk was intermediate or high in 62.7 % of these patients. The rates of utilization of guidelines-recommended therapies were 83.6 % for metformin, 9.4 % for GLP-1 RA, 10.8 % for SGLT2i, 35.2 % for aspirin alone or in combination with clopidogrel, and 79.7 % for statin therapy. ASCVD, HF, CKD, and obesity are common complications in patients with T2DM in SA, with low overall utilization of the recommended guidelines-recommended medical therapies. Multimodal strategies should be utilized to assess T2DM and its complications, and to improve prescribers' adherence to guidelines-recommended therapies. 

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and obesity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and the description of concurrent treatments: A two-center retrospective cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia

Background: The prevalence of obesity has grown significantly worldwide. It is considered a major cardiovascular risk factor among type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Objectives: The main objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of obesity in patients with T2DM at King Fahd University Hospital (KFUH), Al-Khobar, and to assess the relationship between T2DM and cardiovascular risk factors with body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (WHR). Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study, included T2DM patients from the Internal Medicine department at KFHU. The investigators recorded patient demographics (age and gender), weight (kg), height (cm), body mass index (Kg/m2), waist and hip circumference (cm), smoking status, physical activity, blood pressure measurements (mmHg) and laboratory results of fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and lipid profile. Results: Among 346 patients, the prevalence of obesity and overweight was 62.4% and 27.2%, respectively. The relationship between BMI and demographic data including age and gender was statistically significant (P<0.05). The correlation between the BMI with cardiovascular risk factors including smoking, physical activity and WHR found to be statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Our study showed that obesity and overweight affect 89.6% of patients with T2DM. Therefore, it is important to take into consideration weight control strategies to effectively manage diabetic patients.

/pdf/prevalence-of-obesity-and-cardiovascular-risk-factors-among-30yn29iv.pdf

Prevalence of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia

Introduction: The widespread use of social media (SM) and medical applications (Apps) have improved the healthcare delivery and continued medical education in many forms, especially during COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore the perspective and practice of medical interns on the role of SM and medical Apps in delivering healthcare. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used to collect data via both semi-structured interviews and an online self-administered questionnaire. A total of 24 medical interns were interviewed (6 focus group discussions and 5 key informants’ interviews), while 889 interns completed the online questionnaire. Interviews and their transcripts were analyzed and presented as themes and subthemes and frequencies were obtained from the self-administered questionnaire using SPSS v. 28. Results: Our studied interns believed that SM and medical Apps in healthcare delivery should be activated and deployed more since they will be using it increasingly in the future. They considered medical Apps such as UpToDate and Medscape as reliable and valid sources of medical information. Participants agreed that official Saudi Ministry of Health medical Apps, Mawid and Seha (Sehhaty), made radical change in healthcare delivery during COVID-19 pandemic. Interns’ attitude toward using SM platforms in healthcare context changed during the pandemic as SM facilitated health promotion, sharing knowledge, and public health education. Nevertheless, interns discussed difficulties when health educating the public, and uncertainty regarding ethical and privacy aspects of communication with patients and colleagues via SM and medical Apps. Discussion/Conclusion: Medical interns’ use of SM and medical Apps for medical education and patient care is increasing. Overall, interns have a positive attitude toward the role SM and medical Apps can play in healthcare delivery; nevertheless, they were uncertain about related ethical and privacy issues.

https://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/521635

Social Media and Medical Applications in the Healthcare Context: Adoption by Medical Interns

Background The establishment of patient trust in physicians is becoming increasingly valuable. Trust can be fundamental to successful patient care, favorable patient outcomes and improved financial savings for healthcare organizations. This study aims to explore patients’ perceptions of trust in physicians, determine factors that play a role in this relationship, and to identify ways to improve patient trust. Methods The study was conducted via a mixed-method design using semi-structured in-depth interviews until data saturation was reached (n=24), followed by a cross sectional survey of consecutive sampling until the number of participants (n=256) exceeded the required sample size. Adult patients with diabetes, aged 18–65, attending internal medicine (IM) or family medicine (FM) clinics of King Fahd Hospital of the University, Saudi Arabia were included in the interviews and surveys. Patients’ interview transcripts were analyzed into trust dimensions resulting in a 51-item scale. Quality function deployment (QFD) was used to define the highest priority patient requirements. Overall satisfaction was calculated as a satisfaction percent, and factors related to satisfaction were tested using independent samples t-test and ANOVA. Results Significant domains for establishing patient trust in physicians were the perceived physician’s competency level, comprehensiveness of care, morals, personal traits, and establishing continuity of care. The trust score ranged from 42.0% to 100% with an average of 90.4%. There was no difference between the FM and IM setting, nor between the sociodemographic factors and the patients’ satisfaction level. No statistically significant results were found between diabetes type, years of diagnoses, achieving the target HbA1c with patients’ satisfaction level and trust. Patients reporting hypo or hyperglycemic symptoms had lower levels of satisfaction than those who did not. Conclusion Persons with diabetes were more trustful of primary care physicians if they displayed satisfactory communication skills, experience, and a caring attitude.

https://www.dovepress.com/getfile.php?fileID=86070

Patient Trust in Primary Care Physicians: A Mixed Methods Study of Persons with Diabetes at University- Based Clinics in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

Background: Fetomaternal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FMAIT) is a rare disease that occurs when the mother’s immune system produces antibodies against foreign platelet antigens, which are inherited from the father, in the foetus. These antibodies can cross the placental barrier and opsonized fetal platelets, causing fetal thrombocytopenia and increasing the risk of bleeding. Case Presentation: In this study, the case of a 32-year-old female was presented with an affected first pregnancy with FMAIT followed by surviving and healthy subsequent pregnancies. After the diagnosis of alloimmune thrombocytopenia was established in the first pregnancy, the management plan for the subsequent pregnancies was maternal administration of IVIG 1 g/kg/week, with the addition of hydrocortisone 0.5 mg/kg/ week from 20 weeks age of gestation until the fetal delivery. Conclusion: FMAIT is one of the most common causes of antenatal fetal bleeding. Timely management is the best way to preserve pregnancy. Effective prophylaxis in antenatal care with IVIG infusion and corticosteroids has been reported. However, no mainstay mode of delivery has been agreed upon until now. anti-human platelet antigen, IVIG.

Approach to alloimmune thrombocytopenia: case report CASE

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine involves the use of electronic communication and technology to remotely deliver clinical services to patients. With the increase in the adoption of telemedicine in healthcare delivery, “webside healthcare” is becoming the virtual analog of bedside care. The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has recently established the use of telemedicine, including social media (SM) and medical applications (Apps) to enhance the quality and accessibility of healthcare services to patients and healthcare providers. In the present study, we evaluated medical interns' perception of the use of telemedicine, SM, and medical Apps in patient care, their awareness of related guidelines to find out if targeted training is needed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative study recruited and interviewed, through semi-structured key informant (KI) interviews and focus group discussions (FGD), a total of 24 male and female medical interns. The Interns were purposefully sampled from all Saudi Arabia's 5 main geographical regions until data saturation was observed. The transcripts of five KI interviews and 6 FGDs done were thematically analyzed and are presented as themes and subthemes. RESULTS: Medical interns discussed the advantages and disadvantages related to telemedicine, SM, and medical Apps in healthcare services. Overall, interviewees appreciated the role telemedicine, SM, and medical Apps play in the healthcare and for such particular specialties as family medicine and (tele-) psychiatry. However, the interns believed that training on the technical operational aspects of different telemedicine modalities with an emphasis on targeted education for related ethical and legal regulating guidelines was vital. CONCLUSION: Most interviewed medical interns had a positive perception of telemedicine and were willing to use it in their daily clinical practice. However, there were some challenges to its successful implementation such as prompt training on its proper use and clear ethical and legal guidance.

“Webside” healthcare from medical interns' perspective: Telemedicine implementation and need for training

Handle everyday research tasks with reliable, citation-backed results

Your personal Research Agent to handle research tasks with citation-backed results

Popular Tasks used by Researchers

How can I help with your research?

Meet SciSpace

Get more enhanced response by uploading the PDFs you want me to reference.

No relevant PDFs in your library

SciSpace is the AI research assistant for academics. Run systematic literature reviews on 280M+ papers, and write papers with cited sources. Trusted by 1M+ students, PhDs & researchers.

SciSpace | AI for Research

Analyze PDFs

Code & Manuscripts

Funding & Grants

Literature & Patents

Medical & Clinical Data

Systematic Review

Visualize & Present

Web & Data

Build a Google Scholar-like website for your research.

Build a website

Create charts and images for your research

Create a Chart

Write a paper for submission to a journal

Draft a manuscript

Patent Search

Design eye-catching scientific posters in minutes.

Scientific Poster Generation

Systematic Literature Review

One task is running at the moment. Your messages will be shown right after.

Drag and drop or click here to browse

Loved by <highlight>1 million+</highlight> researchers

Extract a list of specific topics and their sources from unstructured text

Topics

Compare and analyze relevant papers that matches with your search

Papers

Get insights from PDFs and bookmarked papers from your library

My library

Recent searches

Try searching for:

Catch AI-generated content in scholarly and non-scholarly content

{ai} Detector

Ai Writer

Get PDF Summaries, highlighted text explanations 

Chat with PDF

Effortlessly create in-text citations and bibliographies in APA and 2,500 other formats

Citation generator

Get explanations, summaries, and answers on academic papers

Ease up your research workflow with {scispace}'s cohort of exciting AI tools

Elevate your academic writing skills and convey your ideas the way you want

Paraphraser

Explore our range of reading and writing tools

Your file is being prepared and should be ready in a few minutes. If it's a large file, it might take a bit longer. You can close this window, and we'll email you the file when it's done.

You have reached a maximum limit of <strong>{limit}</strong> columns in the table. Remove at least <strong>1</strong> column to add or create another one.

Razan Z. AlShammari

Author Tools

Chat about Author