Usability of telehealth among healthcare providers during COVID-19 pandemic in Nineveh Governorate, Iraq

المجلة: Public Health in Practice

سنة النشر: 2023

تاريخ النشر: 2023-02-10

Objectives: To identify the usability of telehealth services and barriers during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic among healthcare providers in Nineveh Governorate-Iraq. Study design: This was a multicenter cross-sectional survey. Methods: We collected the required data from April to July 2022 using self-administered open-ended questionnaires. The healthcare providers were physicians, pharmacists, and nurses with at least six months of services at hospitals. A modified form of the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ) was used to assess the usability of telehealth services. Results: There were 460 healthcare providers, of which 269/460 (58.5%) were users of telehealth services. These were mostly physicians (n = 167/269, 62.1%), nurses (52/269, 19.3%), and pharmacists (n = 50/269, 18.6%), with a p-value of 0.001. During the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians (n = 100/167, 60.0%) and pharmacists (n = 28/50, 56.0%) increased their provision of telehealth services. Approximately 60% of physicians and nurses preferred to provide telehealth services in a synchronized manner. The participants mostly used smartphones to provide telehealth services through Messenger/Facebook and WhatsApp applications, specifically utilizing voice and/or video messages. There was some agreement among the participants (n = 269) regarding the usability of telehealth services. The overall mean score (±SD) was 4.8 (±0.88). The most reported barriers to telehealth services were poor Internet services, the presence of specific diseases, lack of technical comprehension, and insufficient time allocated to the service. Conclusion: Healthcare providers demonstrated a tendency towards the usability of telehealth services. Despite the available barriers, triage collaborations among patients, healthcare providers, and healthcare institutions are needed to achieve more successful adoption of these services.

Prevalence of potential drug interactions among outpatients’ prescriptions of community pharmacies in Nineveh Governorate, Ira

المجلة: Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacognosy Re

سنة النشر: 2023

تاريخ النشر: 2023-04-10

Abstract Context: Management of chronic diseases requires the use of various drugs and dietary supplements. Their use is a potential source of drug interactions that interfere with therapeutic responses. Aims: To determine the prevalence of potential drug interactions, severity levels, and related risk factors in outpatient prescriptions submitted to community pharmacies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling. From August to December 2021, outpatient prescription data were collected from 16 community pharmacies within the Nineveh Governorate-Iraq. Recorded data included age (≥18 years), gender, and prescribed drugs and/or dietary supplements. Two online software programs were used for assessing drug interactions: Medscape.com and Drugs.com. Potential drug interactions were classified as minor, moderate/significant, or major/serious. Results: Among the 1000 prescriptions, the total interactions were 1373. More than half of the prescriptions (57.6%, 576/1000) had potential drug interactions. These interactions were mainly observed among the drugs (89.9%, 518/576). The severity of the interactions was mostly (50%) moderate/significant. A significant association (p≤0.001) was reported for numerous prescribed items with the occurrence of potential interactions. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs/aspirin (44%), and calcium/magnesium-containing products (approximately 20%) contributed to the most frequent potential drug interactions. Conclusions: A high prevalence of potential drug interactions, mostly of moderate severity, was reported among outpatient prescriptions. These interactions are significantly associated with the number of prescribed items. The vital role of pharmacists in adopting strategies for monitoring potential drug interactions is essential for ensuring safe therapeutic regimens for patients.