Background There is increasing literature on the usefulness of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), but far fewer studies to determine their use by orthopedic surgeons and the barriers they face in applying PROMs in their daily clinical activity. Methods Cross-sectional study using a questionnaire that was distributed in both soft and hard copy formats to a sample of 262 orthopedic surgeons. Participants included orthopedic surgeons who are employed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Riyadh and the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was distributed through on-site visitations to orthopedic departments in MOH hospitals as well as through online correspondence by email, WhatsApp, and social media. Results The study sample included 262 orthopedic surgeons (13.7% females and 86.3% males). Surgeons aged < 34, 35–44, and 45–54 years old represented 28.66%, 38.9%, and 20.2% of the study sample, respectively. The majority of the included surgeons did not use PROMs (69.1%), and some (17.2%) used it for research purposes. Only 5% used it regularly in daily clinical work. Conclusion The clinical use of PROMs among orthopedic surgeons was negligible, even though an overwhelming majority were interested in using PROMs. The reasons provided included a lack of knowledge on how to use PROMs and the perception that it is too time-consuming to add to regular clinical routine. There should be more efforts towards training surgeons on how to use PROMs, whereas increasing compatibility with existing software tools used by MOH hospitals may help offset time-related reservations.

An online survey was conducted among 800 readers of Arab electronic newspapers resident in different parts of the world. The aim of the survey was to obtain baseline data about the readership for such newspapers, readers’ opinions about these publications, and antecedents of overall satisfaction with the services provided by these publications. Most readers of Arab online newspapers were male, students, professionals or business persons resident overseas, and were established, regular users of the Internet. For most, the Internet was regarded as an important news source and more than half the respondents claimed to read Arab online newspapers every day. Internet news was valued because it was readily available all the time, free of charge and provided a substitute for printed newspapers not available to them in their current location. The main problems were technical, linked to difficulty downloading or browsing content. The great majority (72 per cent) were satisfied with online newspapers. Frequency of reading electronic newspapers and overall satisfaction with online newspapers were predicted.

IntroductionFor optical, cosmetic, or therapeutic purposes, contact lenses (CLs) are temporary prostheses positioned on the eye. CLs do not only improve the quality of life by correcting, but also providing a better appearance and less activity restriction. Patients' failure to comply with the hygienic practices prescribed in using CLs is often considered an important risk factor for eye complications and it is not often clarified to CLs consumers at the time of dispensation. AimThe objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and practices towards the use of CLs in a sample of the Saudi population in Riyadh. MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire among adult residents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from April to May of 2020. The statistical analysis was performed using R v 3.6.2 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). Ordinal (Likert-scale) variables were summarized using mean ± standard deviation, or median and interquartile range (IQR) as needed. ResultsThe majority of current users of CLs had no sight problem (P < 0.001). Using CLs was thought to be harmful in non-users (12.4%) versus CL users (2.93%) (P < 0.001). The main reason for using CLs in all groups was the emulation of others. Dryness was a well-known complication in current users (P < 0.05) and evening discomfort was a well-known one in previous users (P < 0.05). Social circle was the main source of information in 40% of users. High monthly income has a significant association with knowledge regarding the complications of CLs compared with low income (B = 0.94, P < 0.05). Education has a major effect on the users' knowledge regarding the increase of refractive error and infection by CLs (P < 0.05). ConclusionsKnowledge and practice were less than desired among CLs users. Many use CLs without prescription and solely for cosmetic purposes. More education is needed to lessen eye complications among CLs users.

Background There is increasing literature on the usefulness of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), but far fewer studies to determine their use by orthopedic surgeons and the barriers they face in applying PROMs in their daily clinical activity.Methods Cross-sectional study using a questionnaire that was distributed in both soft and hard copy formats to a sample of 262 orthopedic surgeons. Participants included orthopedic surgeons who are employed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Riyadh and the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was distributed through onsite visitations to orthopedic departments in MOH hospitals as well as through online correspondence by email, WhatsApp, and social media.Results The study sample included 262 orthopedic surgeons (13.7% females and 86.3% males). Surgeons aged < 34, 35 – 44, and 45 - 54 years old represented 28.66%, 38.9%, and 20.2% of the study sample, respectively. The majority of the included surgeons did not use PROMs (69.1%) and some (17.2%) used it for research purposes. Only 5% used it regularly in daily clinical work.Conclusion The clinical use of PROMs among orthopedic surgeons was negligible, even though an overwhelming majority were interested in using PROMs. The reasons provided included a lack of knowledge on how to use PROMs and the perception that it is too time-consuming to add to regular clinical routine. There should be more effort towards training surgeons on how to use PROMs, whereas increasing compatibility with existing software tools used by MOH hospitals may help offset time-related reservations.