Mohammed Alotaibi

An intelligent mobile diabetes management and educational system for Saudi Arabia: System architecture

This paper presents an intelligent mobile diabetes management and educational system for patients in Saudi Arabia with type 2 diabetes (SAED). The SAED system consists of two main components: (1) the SAED mobile patient/healthcare provider component and (2) the SAED intelligent diabetes management component. The SAED mobile patient/healthcare provider component includes two units (i) the patients unit and (ii) the specialist diabetic unit, which communicate for data exchange. The SAED intelligent diabetes management component includes (i) a database module; (ii) an intelligent decision support module based on fuzzy logic concepts; (iii) a SAED SMS reminder module and (iv) a diabetes educational module. In general, SAED is a system capable of storing clinical data on diabetes management, such as daily blood glucose and blood pressure measurements and hypoglycaemia events. These stored records and the incorporated decision support system will allow the clinician to monitor patients remotely. Furthermore, the decision support system will provide the physician with recommendations for each patient using fuzzy logic theory.

A mobile diabetes management and educational system for type- 2 diabetics in Saudi Arabia (SAED)

BACKGROUND Diabetes is a chronic disease, with high prevalence across many nations, which is characterized by elevated level of blood glucose and risk of acute and chronic complication. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has one of the highest levels of diabetes prevalence globally. It is well-known that the treatment of diabetes is complex process and requires both lifestyle change and clear pharmacologic treatment plan. To avoid the complication from diabetes, the effective behavioural change and extensive education and self-management is one of the key approaches to alleviate such complications. However, this process is lengthy and expensive. The recent studies on the user of smart phone technologies for diabetes self-management have proven to be an effective tool in controlling hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels especially in type-2 diabetic (T2D) patients. However, to date no reported study addressed the effectiveness of this approach in the in Saudi patients. This study investigates the impact of using mobile health technologies for the self-management of diabetes in Saudi Arabia. METHODS In this study, an intelligent mobile diabetes management system (SAED), tailored for T2D patients in KSA was developed. A pilot study of the SAED system was conducted in Saudi Arabia with 20 diabetic patients for 6 months duration. The patients were randomly categorized into a control group who did not use the SAED system and an intervention group whom used the SAED system for their diabetes management during this period. At the end of the follow-up period, the HbA1c levels in the patients in both groups were measure together with a diabetes knowledge test was also conducted to test the diabetes awareness of the patients. RESULTS The results of SAED pilot study showed that the patients in the intervention group were able to significantly decrease their HbA1c levels compared to the control group. The SAED system also enhanced the diabetes awareness amongst the patients in the intervention group during the trial period. These outcomes confirm the global studies on the effectiveness of smart phone technologies in diabetes management. The significance of the study is that this was one of the first such studies conducted on Saudi patients and of their acceptance for such technology in their diabetes self-management treatment plans. CONCLUSIONS The pilot study of the SAED system showed that a mobile health technology can significantly improve the HbA1C levels among Saudi diabetic and improve their disease management plans. The SAED system can also be an effective and low-cost solution in improving the quality of life of diabetic patients in the Kingdom considering the high level of prevalence and the increasing economic burden of this disease.

Challenges associated with treating children with diabetes in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) patients among the children have been increasing rapidly in the recent years in Saudi Arabia, as a result there is a need for extensive research in this area. Various suggestions were kept forward including m-health technologies, telemedicine etc. However, very little research has been conducted in understanding the T1DM among the children, measures being taken to control, and the feasible policies and procedures that could be adopted for managing T1DM among child population. OBJECTIVE The primary aim of this study is to investigate and identify the challenges being faced in T1DM among the children in Saudi Arabia. METHODS A questionnaire based survey is conducted with the child participants including the parents of the children with T1DM. The questionnaire has a multiple choice answers which need to be selected according to the participants views. RESULTS Lack of initiatives taken by the health ministry in creating awareness about T1DM and its complications, and also in providing the effective infrastructure in healthcare centres; the role of schools in providing additional care for the children with T1DM is limited; the children are completely unaware of the T1DM self-management techniques, and feel nervous and embarrassed about the disease management process; and they are completely dependent on their parents for managing the disease. CONCLUSION Though there are few aspects where the care is delivered through parents, the need for self-management techniques is necessary and highlighted as the children spend most of their time in schools away from the parents.

An Analysis of Health Policies Designed to Control and Prevent Diabetes in Saudi Arabia

A trend analysis of the prevalence of diabetes in Saudi Arabia revealed a steep increase in diagnosis rates for the disease between the years 1989 and 2009. Between these years, the percentage of the population suffering from diabetes rose from 10.6% to 32.1% of the adult population, and the diagnosis rate is likely to increase in the future. The controlling and prevention of diabetes in the future, therefore, would potentially benefit from a scholarly review of current policies and programmes designed to contain the disease. The current study examines such policies and programmes, specifically those existing in Saudi Arabia and which are currently in operation in 2016. It employs the thematic-content-analysis technique to review key literature, and also uses Walt and Gibsons policy triangle framework to facilitate the analysis. Searches of PubMed and Medline databases were conducted to locate sources and sources were manually screened by the authors before inclusion in the study. The study concludes that prime obstacles to the successful implementation of diabetes programmes are: insufficient training of practitioners for the treatment of diabetes; lack of remuneration for the work of diabetes educators and no existing evaluation of their outputs; and a lack of training and appropriate modes of qualifying professionally for diabetes educators. The authors recommend that the Saudi government award a greater proportion of resources to programmes designed to treat diabetes sufferers, as well as educational programmes related to disease for the wider public.

A mobile Polycystic ovarian syndrome management and awareness system for Gulf countries: System architecture

The diagnosis and management of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is often a complicated process. Recent mobile health technologies are increasingly used in improving the self-management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension and several studies have proven its efficiency. Further, research has shown that increased awareness of the chronic disease helps the patients to effectively manage their disease and consequently reduce the complications arising due to chronic disease. In this paper, an innovative Mobile Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome management and educational system for women in Gulf Countries is presented. The presented system makes use of mobile health technologies. The aim of the system is to improve the Polycystic Ovarian Syndromes management and awareness with women and to empower them with relevant knowledge about diseases management and awareness in gulf countries. The proposed system presented in this paper will be tested and evaluated extensively in a randomized controlled trial in Saudi Arabia as case study.

A social hypertension awareness and management system (SHAMS) for gulf countries (SHAMS): System architecture

The examination and management of hypertension (blood Pressure) is regularly a complicated process. Recently, mobile health technologies and data mining techniques are increasingly being used in improving the self-management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Several studies have proven its efficiency. Further, research has shown that increased awareness of the disease helps the patients to effectively manage their chronic diseases and consequently reduce the complications arising due to chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. This paper presents an innovative social hypertension awareness and management system for hypertensive patients in gulf countries, Saudi Arabia is chosen as case study. The presented system makes use of data mining parallel with mobile health technologies. The aim of the system is to improve hypertension management and awareness to patients in gulf countries. It also aims to empower them with relevant knowledge about disease using technology. The proposed system presented in this paper will be tested and evaluated extensively in a random controlled trial in Saudi Arabia.

A mobile Diabetes educational system for fasting Type-2 diabetics in Saudi Arabia

The diagnosis and management of Diabetes is often a complicated process. The complications especially increases during the month of Ramadan wherein Muslim patients are obliged to observe fasting. Recent mobile health technologies are increasingly used in improving the self-management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and several studies have proven its efficiency. Further, research has shown that increased awareness of the disease helps the diabetics to effectively manage their disease and consequently reduce the complications arising due to diabetes. In this paper, an education program for fasting diabetes patients in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is presented. The education program makes use of an intelligent mobile diabetes management system named SAED, tailored for Type-2 diabetes patients in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to increase the awareness of the disease amongst the patients. The aim of the education program is to empower the diabetics with relevant knowledge about disease management during the fasting period in particular and improve their awareness about the disease in general. The proposed structure of the education program is presented in this paper which will be tested and evaluated extensively in a randomized controlled trial in Saudi Arabia.

A social robotics children diabetes management and educational system for Saudi Arabia: System architecture

The diagnosis and management of Diabetes type 1 (Children diabetes) is often a complicated process. Recent mobile health technologies are increasingly used in improving the self-management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and several studies have proven its efficiency. Further, research has shown that increased awareness of the disease helps the diabetics to effectively manage their disease and consequently reduce the complications arising due to diabetes. In this paper, an innovative social robotic children diabetes management and educational system for diabetic children in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is presented. The presented system makes use of Aisoy1 v5 robot in parallel with mobile health technologies. The aim of the system is to improve the diabetes type 1 management with children and to empower them with relevant knowledge about disease management to improve their awareness about the disease in Saudi Arabia. The proposed system presented in this paper will be tested and evaluated extensively in a randomized controlled trial in Saudi Arabia.