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Background and Objective: Patient safety is a major concern in health care. Research is an important tool to minimize preventable errors. Research performance and trends evaluation need to be identified for future guidance. Our objective was to evaluate the research performance in Arab World countries related to patient safety so that real picture is available to all stake holders for future application. Methods: This was a descriptive exploratory study carried at King Abdulaziz University Jeddah, using Bibliometric analyses on Web of Science extracted data, exploring the research publications related to Patient Safety from the Arab World in last two decades (2001-2020). Digital resources were used. Data collected was further explored to see the trends. Results: Only 2% of total worldwide publications on Patient Safety were from Arab World. A positive trend, however, has emerged since 2015. Out of 5940 documents identified, only 383 had single authorship. Egypt and Saudi Arab were the major contributors. Other countries had less or even zero publications. Researchers are coordinating with others in Western countries to enhance the research productivity. Cairo University with 734 publications had most affiliations. Publications on safety culture and medication safety were frequent. Hospital Acquired Infections and error reporting had limited research. Conclusion: Researches on patient safety in the Arab World are not sufficient. Countries other than Egypt and Saudi Arabia also need to contribute more frequently. Critical problems, like Hospital Acquired Infections, should have regular research from all countries to assist those treating patients and those making health related policies.

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BACKGROUND: Very few previous studies have involved school students or their parents in the evaluation of virtual learning environment (VLE). Thus, this survey was performed to evaluate the satisfaction of both school students and their parents with the VLE in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was distributed online for VLE evaluation. The questionnaire was based on previous studies and expert opinions from validated instruments for assessing distance education, integrative and literature reviews of VLE environment. A median value >3 indicated participant satisfaction in each of the 5 domains of the questionnaire as well as overall VLE satisfaction. The used questionnaire was checked after its implementation by all possible statistical means and it was found to be of acceptable validity and reliability. RESULTS: Six hundred and ninety-three participants including 571 Saudi citizens and 122 non-Saudi residents participated in this survey. The number of school students who agreed or strongly agreed were significantly lower than the number of students who disagreed or strongly disagreed with preferring the VLE over traditional education (p<0.001). The participants evaluated the VLE experience as unsatisfactory with a median value ≤3 for 4 out of 5 questionnaire domains with an overall satisfaction value of 2.8. Among the 117 participants who gave further written opinions/comments, 42(35.9%) participants supported the VLE as an alternative to traditional classrooms, if equipment and internet are made available and for the safety of their children. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of few available adequate population-based studies for exploring the VLE satisfaction of both Saudi citizens and non-Saudi residents school students and their parents. This study showed the participants' unsatisfactory VLE experience. The VLE is accepted as an alternative to traditional classrooms to keep up with learning and to maintain the safety of children and it can be a supplementary learning method but many measures are still needed to develop the VLE.

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INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in quarantine/lockdown measures in most countries. Quarantine may create intense psychological problems including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) especially for the vulnerable critically developing children/adolescents. Few studies evaluated PTSD associated with infectious disasters but no Saudi study investigated PTSD associated with COVID-19 in children/adolescents. This study was undertaken to screen for PTSD in children/adolescent in Saudi Arabia to identify its prevalence/risk factors during COVID-19 pandemic and its quarantine. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted after 2 months form start of quarantine for COVID-19 pandemic utilizing the original English version and an Arabic translated version for the University of California at Los Angeles Brief COVID-19 Screen for Child/Adolescent PTSD that can be parent-reported or self-completed by older children/adolescents. Participants (Saudi citizens/non-Saudi residents) were approached online via social media. RESULTS: Five hundred and thirty seven participants were enrolled. The participants were 262 boys and 275 girls with a mean age of 12.25±3.77 years. Symptoms of no, minimal, mild and potential PTSD were identified in 15.5%, 44.1%, 27.4% and 13.0% of children/adolescents, respectively. The age, gender, school grade, and residence were not predictive of PTSD symptoms. Univariate analysis of risk factors for PTSD revealed that work of a close relative around people who might be infected was significantly different between groups of PTSD symptoms, but this difference disappeared during multivariate analysis. Children/adolescents of Saudi citizens had significantly lower median total PTSD score than children/adolescents of expatriate families (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: PTSD associated with the COVID-19 and its resultant quarantine shouldn't be overlooked in different populations as it is expected in a considerable proportion of children/adolescents with variable prevalence, risk factors and severity. Parents/healthcare providers must be aware of PTSD associated with COVID-19 or similar disasters, so, they can provide children/adolescent with effective coping mechanisms.

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BACKGROUND: Delivery of medical ethics education is complex due to various reasons, compounded by the context-dependent nature of the content. The scarcity of relevant resources in the contexts of some developing countries adds a further layer of difficulty to ethics education in these contexts. We used a consultative approach with students, teachers and external experts to develop a practical approach to medical ethics education. This study aimed to develop and refine a contextually relevant approach to ethics education in the region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The study utilised an explorative qualitative methodology to seek views of students and faculty of Rabigh Faculty of Medicine, Saudi Arabia, and international experts in the field of ethics and education to review and enhance a new ethics learning strategy which included a workbook-based tool. Three focus groups with 12 students, in-depth interviews with four faculty members and qualitative feedback from eleven external experts enabled the study participants to objectively critique the WBEL and provide feedback to enhance its quality. Thematic content analysis of the data was done to draw inferences which were used to refine the educational strategy. RESULTS: The analysis generated twenty-one sub-themes within four main themes: design features, content, teaching methods and assessment. These findings helped to design the educational strategy to improve its effectiveness in the given context. CONCLUSION: The study drew on the views of students, faculty and external experts to systematically develop a novel approach to ethics education for countries like Saudi Arabia. It also demonstrated the use of the consultative approach for informing a culturally relevant educational strategy in the Middle East context.

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MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data was extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) platform and later bibliometric analysis performed using the "R-Bibliometrix" package. A wide range of indicators was explored to measure the quantity and quality of the publications related to diabetes from KSA. RESULTS: Saudi Arabia was 28th in rank with 2600 documents (0.83% of global share). Articles were the main document type (76%). The total number of authors was 9715 from 104 countries. Three authors showed >50 publications and >100 total citations while 2 authors showed an H-index of ≥20. The USA, UK, and Egypt were other leading contributive countries in terms of corresponding authors and total citations per country. King Saud University was the major contributing affiliation followed by King Abdulaziz University. Among 865 sources, Saudi Medical Journal was the leading and consistent source over the years. Diabetes, Diabetes Mellitus, and Type 2 Diabetes were the most frequently used keywords. CONCLUSION: This study provides a macroscopic overview of diabetes-related research output from KSA. Overall, similar identifications and trends of top authors were observed in terms of productivity, impact, international collaborations, and organizational affiliations. Generally, an increasing productivity trend was observed with the majority published in the last 5 to 10 years. Study findings can benefit relevant stakeholders to better understand the trends and performance of diabetes-related regional research.

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OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of existing literature regarding ethics in undergraduate medical education around the world, and to identify gaps in literature for recommending areas for future research. METHODS: The scoping review was conducted in March 2016. PubMed and Web of Science search engines were used to identify English language literature on ethics in undergraduate medical education published over the preceding 20 years. Google search was used for grey literature. Two reviewers independently screened eligible studies for final study selection and review. Descriptive analysis of data was performed with mutual consensus. RESULTS: Of the 199 items located, 56(28%) were included; 37(33%) of 112 studies, and 19(22%) of 87 pieces of grey literature. Papers covered almost all regions of the world, including North and South America, Europe, Africa, and different Asian regions like Middle East, central, south-east and far east. The analysis identified several curriculum designs and teaching methods used for ethics education. CONCLUSIONS: The review identified gaps in evidence that required further research. These areas include theoretical underpinning of ethics curriculum, role of educators, standardisation and validation of teaching and learning strategies, and relevance to cultural context in the development and delivery of ethics curriculum, especially in Asian regions.

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OBJECTIVE: To analyse students' perception regarding the use of portfolio-workbook in ethics course. METHODS: This mixed method study was conducted at the King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2014, and comprised fourth-year medical students. The "portfolio-workbook", developed on principles of cognitive load and guided learning theories, contained essential reading material. Learning sessions were also facilitated by teaching tools like role-plays, movie/video clips, vignettes, etc., followed by reflective writing exercises. Feedback questionnaire with open- and closed-ended questions was used to collect data. Quantitative data was analysed for frequencies and percentages. Content analysis was conducted for the open-ended responses. RESULTS: Of the 20 participants, 10(50%) considered using portfolio-workbook as difficult initially. However, on completion of module 16(80%) found it easy. Moreover, 17(85%) appreciated it as a learning tool. Besides, 19(95%) students found teaching videos and 13(65%) found open discussions as effective learning tools. Portfolio-workbook as an assessment tool was preferred by 19(95%) students. CONCLUSIONS: The use of portfolio-workbook in teaching ethics to undergraduates was found to be encouraging as it generated interest and interaction.

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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Every year 2-3 million Muslims gather for a few days around the Holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. Managing enormous health issues associated with such a mass gathering requires a very vibrant health delivery plan. Related research is part of the strategy. This study was done to assess the pattern of patients and illnesses encountered at one health facility at Arafat on the 2nd day of Hajj, when all the pilgrims move from Mina and stay in Arafat for a few hours. The objective of the study was to provide input so that recommendations can be given for future improvement of health care during this mass transit. METHODS: All patients reporting sick to the Nimra Hospital on the Day of Arafat were included and documented on a detailed Performa and analyzed. RESULTS: We received 211 patients, essentially all of those were in need of acute medical intervention. Acute severe asthma and injuries were the major problems encountered. There were two deaths both related to heat stroke. Patients received were predominantly Arabic speaking. CONCLUSIONS: Only those needing acute intervention seek medical advice during transit. Well equipped and staffed health facilities are, however, needed to cater these and for any mass casualties. Pre Hajj training and mandatory Flu vaccination can help.

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Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is a congenital vascular disorder of unknown cause, characterized by port wine stain (capillary malformations), venous malformation and limb hypertrophy. We present a case of this rare syndrome in a young girl.

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