MyMedR

Displaying all 3 publications

Abstract:

Sort:

Fulltext Demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with access to public clinics

Makmor T., Khaled, T., Ahmad Farid O., Nurul Huda M.S.

JUMMEC, 2018;21(1):28-33.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Providing adequate and equal access to healthcare is a key goal towards achieving universal health coverage. However, social and demographic inequalities in accessing health care services exist in both developed and developing countries. This study examined the demographic and socio-economic factors associated with the lack of access to public clinics in the Greater Kuala Lumpur area.
Materials and Methods: The study employed a survey involving 1032 participants. Data were collected using self- administered questionnaires distributed between October and December 2015 in the Greater Kuala Lumpur area.
Results: Of the 1032 participants, 535 were public clinic users. A quarter (25.8%) of the users stated that they did not have access to public clinics in their residential area. A multiple logistic analysis showed that the elderly, the women, those from ethnic minority groups, those of lower family income, and the private sector workers were more likely not to have access to public clinics than their counterparts.
Conclusions: The existing level of accessibility to public clinics could be improved by increasing the number of clinics. Clinics should be established to focus more on reaching the elderly, the women, the ethnic minority groups, the poorer families, and the private sector employees.
Fulltext Brain death and organ donation: a comparison of three influential groups of Muslim professionals

Makmor, T., Roza Hazli, Z., Khaled, T., NurulHuda, M.S., Nawi, A., Wan Ahmad Hafiz, W.M.A., et al.

JUMMEC, 2015;18(1):1-7.
MyJurnal

Organ transplantation is a new treatment for end-stage organ failure. However, the total number of transplants performed in Malaysia in 2012 was only 94. Rates of deceased and living donors in Malaysia for 2012 were chronically low (0.55 and 1.87 per million population, respectively). A sample of 350 respondents in mosques, hospitals, and universities in various places in the Klang Valley, Kelantan and Pahang were collected between October and December 2013 to investigate the level of knowledge of health care professionals (HCPs), religious leaders (RLs), and academics (ACAs) and their stand on two issues on brain death. The result on the first issue (procuring organs from brain dead donors for transplantation) revealed that 52.8%, 23.7%, and 23.4% of HCPs, RLs, and ACAs, respectively, were in support of it; 30.2%, 31.8%, and 45.2% were uncertain about it; and 17%, 44.5%, and 31.5% were against it. On the second issue (terminating the life support machine of a brain dead person), 60.4%, 35.7%, and 25% of HCPs, RLs, and ACAs, respectively, were in support of it; 26.4%, 36.4%, and 38.7% were uncertain about it; and 13.2%, 27.7%, and 36.3% were against it. The lack of knowledge on Islam brain death-related issues should be addressed by educational efforts targeting these three groups of professionals. Special emphasis should be paid to educating RLs as they can channel their knowledge and perception to the other groups and to the Muslim public.
Fulltext Mental health, risk perception, and coping strategies among healthcare workers in Egypt during the COVID-19 pandemic

Elsayed MEG, El-Abasiri RA, Marzo RR, Dardeer KT, Kamal MA, Abdelaziz H, et al.

PLoS One, 2023;18(2):e0282264.
PMID: 36848375 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282264

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease-19 emerged in December 2019. Healthcare workers were exposed to this highly infectious virus during the pandemic and suffered several social and psychological consequences, such as anxiety, psychological distress, and burnout.
OBJECTIVES: To assess the psychological distress, anxiety, depression, coping strategies, risk perception, and attitude toward interprofessional teamwork among Egyptian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey which consisted of five sections. The primary outcomes were anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), risk perception towards COVID-19, interprofessional teamwork attitude, and coping strategies during the Coronavirus disease-19 pandemic. The web-based questionnaire was distributed to Egyptian healthcare workers from the 20th of April 2020 to the 20th of May 2020. A snowball sampling method was used. Regression analysis was conducted to test the relationship between the socioeconomic characteristics and the previously mentioned outcomes.
RESULTS: A total of 403 participants responded to the online questionnaire. The majority were females (70.5%) and within the age group of 26-40 years (77.7%), with 2-5 years of work experience (43.2%). Most participants were pharmacists (33%) and physicians (22.1%). Eighty-two participants (21%) reported moderate to severe anxiety, and 79 participants reported (19.4%) moderate to severe depressive symptoms. In the univariate model, the marital status was associated with depression (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.28-0.78), anxiety (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.32-0.85), and an attitude toward interprofessional teamwork (β = -1.96 95% CI -2.72 to -1.2). Providing direct care to the patients was associated with lower anxiety symptoms (AOR 0.256, 95% CI 0.094-0.697). More severe anxiety and depressive symptoms were associated with difficulties in everyday life and the professional work environment (AOR 4.246 and 3.3, P = 0.003 and 0.01, respectively). Availability of mental health facilities at the workplace was associated with a lower risk perception towards COVID-19 (β = -0.79, 95% CI -1.24 to -0.34) and a more positive attitude towards teamwork (β = 2.77 95% CI 1.38-4.15).
CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with mild anxiety and depression among healthcare workers in Egypt, especially pharmacists and physicians. We recommend more research targeting the mental health of healthcare workers in Egypt. If proven cost-effective and needed, wide-scale mental health screening and public health campaigns can facilitate effective prevention and treatment strategies. In addition, the availability of mental health facilities at the workplace could alleviate some of the risk perception associated with health emergencies and improve interprofessional teamwork.

Filters

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links