Health Informatics

Background: Patient education includes multiple interventions teaching patients about their health to
improve their outcomes. The term has evolved to the more active terms (patient engagement and
empowerment). Patients, who are diagnosed with chronic diseases that cost patients a lifelong treatment

and dangerous complications (e.g. Diabetes Mellitus) need to be responsible for their health by self-
management. With more computers and mobile devices owners globally, telehealth offers promising

healthcare technology interventions to improve patient’s health literacy.
Methods: This study involves a structured questionnaire administered online to examine the level of
acceptance to use mobile technology (a form of telehealth approaches) to deliver health-related education.
We collected data through a survey targeting a sample of 56 Egyptian patients aged between 25 and 65
years old in 2014.
Results: The results showed a promising acceptance rate (54%) among respondents; mostly those aged

between 25-35 years agreed to use mobile technology like Short Message Service (SMS) to deliver health-
related educational information to improve their self-managing experience and health outcomes.

Conclusion: We conclude that accompanying the rise in mobile phones subscription and willingness to
receive health-related SMS, mobile health presents an opportunity for health education programs,
especially when targeting younger adults.
Implications: These findings emphasize the potential to introduce more individualized, innovative and
engaging approaches to educate and leverage patients with their own health using technology in a
developing country. We recommend further studies to evaluate the effect of mobile-based patient
education on a sample of chronically diseased patients (e.g. diabetics patients) to measure the desired
outcomes such as lifestyle and self-care behaviours (medication adherence, improved knowledge,
satisfaction and quality of life).

Good health and well-being are essential for a stronger society and a fundamental human right. Ill health is evidently associated with poverty. Egypt targets improving health services, despite the scarcity of financial resources, a growing population, and the need for better governance. The Ministry of Health has identified strategic objectives to be achieved by 2030, which primarily targets improving the health of citizens by providing and enhancing primary healthcare via awareness and preventive measures; and achieving comprehensive healthcare coverage for all citizens.

Recently, Egypt has a new success story in managing hepatitis C virus (HCV). Egypt was among the top countries with a highly prevalent HCV. Eliminating HCV faced several obstacles including shortage in global funding for treatment, late diagnosis, insufficient data, and poor screening. Treating HCV in Egypt has been nationally prioritized with the rise of the highly effective direct-acting antivirals. Egypt implemented a pattern of care, which could aid other similar countries in combating HCV.

Moreover, In December 2017 followed by May 2018, the universal health insurance law and its executive regulations were issued successively in Egypt. Under the new law, health care will be accessible for all citizens and expanded to the estimated 30% of the Egyptians who cannot afford it. Enrollment in the scheme will be mandatory, with fees rated according to income with supplementary funding resources including taxes on polluting industries. The system will be initially adopted in five governorates and will be gradually implemented between 2018 and 2032.

Antibiotic misuse and bacterial resistance is a significant public health concern worldwide. Egypt lacks policies and regulations concerning medication prescriptions. The study explores the knowledge and attitudes regarding antibiotic use and resistance among adults attending a primary healthcare centre in an urban area of Alexandria. The researcher conducted a single point, descriptive cross-sectional study on 87 adults aged ≥18 years attending a primary healthcare center in an urban area of Alexandria in January 2019 using a semi-structured questionnaire to gather data about the knowledge and attitudes of using antibiotics and resistance through the face-to-face interviewing method. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics to explore the respondents’ level of knowledge with respect to the use of antibiotics and resistance. High level of knowledge was assigned as > 66.7% of the total score. About 52.8% of the respondents (63.2% of them were females) lack adequate knowledge about the use and resistance of antibiotics. Almost 65.6% of males had less restrictive knowledge about the use of antibiotics and resistance than 45.5% of the females. Simultaneously, 47.1% of the respondents erroneously believed that antibiotics work on both bacterial and viral infections and 14.9% thought it just fights viruses. Approximately, 66.7% of them were unaware of the meaning of antibiotic resistance. Moreover, 33.3% stated they have no role to play against bacterial resistance. 83.9% of respondents knew that vaccination can prevent bacterial resistance. The findings display poor knowledge and attitudes of proper antibiotic use and resistance among respondents. Healthcare providers should utilize these findings to educate the public on how to rationally use antibiotics and the health hazards of bacterial resistance.

Background/aim:
In Egypt, irrational medication use is a community concern. This study examines patients’ attitudes regarding medication use to promote rational medication use.
Materials and methods:
In April 2019, A cross-sectional study involved a total of 72 patients attending a primary health care centre in Alexandria who responded to a face-to-face questionnaire.
Results:
The respondents’ mean age was 44.94 years and 56.94% of them were females. 77.78% of the respondents stated that when they get sick, they seek medications from the pharmacy without consulting a physician. Moreover, 52.78% of the respondents reported that their relatives recommend medications for them while 48.61% of them recommended medications themselves for their sick relatives. Additionally, 66.67% of the respondents stated that they stopped their medications prior to their physicians’ recommended time and 61.11% of them admitted keeping unused medications at home. 73.61% of the respondents reported reading medication’s prospectus and 75% of them checked the medications’ expiry date before using them. The attitudes of patients’ regarding medication use demonstrated non-significant differences with respect to gender.
Conclusion:
According to this study, patients’ attitudes concerning medication use were found far from rational. Most study respondents practised self-prescription where they acquired medicines based on previous experience, recommending them to others or getting advice from non-professionals. Furthermore, most of the participants stopped taking their medicines when they felt better while keeping them for future use. Eventually, convinced attitudes can add to health hazards, needless consumption or spending. Therefore, Community awareness of rational medication use can minimize the found irrational use.

Similar to all fields of study, growth occurs with breakthrough or developmental research spanning to the progress and intimate utility of technology. Dilemmas of various sectors have been favorably resolved by adopting artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. Applying Precision Medicine profoundly depends on AI algorithms to work Precision Medicine queries like; predicting or detecting, diagnosing the disease properly, and optimizing therapy, hence, the selection of the algorithm is affected by its capacity and practicality. Nevertheless, it is yet in its initial step and fronts some hurdles crucial to the flourishing deployment of precision medicine like research, adoption values, and authority controls. Notwithstanding, Precision Medicine also pretends some difficulties like; modifying the health discipline and profession to the fact that automata and algorithms could displace most of the healthcare professional tasks they act now. Ultimately, effective employment of precision medicine would rescue countless lives and improve the health profession. This review examines the present state of AI applications in precision medicine and future opportunities. It discusses major AI systems like IBM Watson, examining moral accountability and legal obligations when applying it in clinical decision-making, advantages and boundaries of employing Watson and different AI clinical decision support techniques, and considerations before consulting AI systems.

For improving accomplished attempts to stop smoking, it is necessary to learn about the qualities of individuals who can willingly stop smoking. This study seeks to discover the willingness degree and associated determinants to stop smoking between adult visitors of a primary healthcare centre in an urban area of Alexandria in Egypt. In this single point and descriptive cross-sectional study, a semi-structured questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 53 adults aged ≥18 years in May 2019. Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate the determinants influencing the willingness to stop smoking. Of the 53 respondents (with a mean age of 38.7 years old), 41.5% of them were males. Almost 18.9% of the respondents were ongoing smokers (36.4% of males and 6.5% of females), though 83.7% of those smokers were willing to stop smoking. The number of male smokers was significantly greater than female smokers (Pearson Chi-Square = 7.52, p-value = 0.006). Determinants, which can favourably influence the willingness to stop smoking, were believing that smoking is a health risk to them (100%) and the others around (94.3%). A bulk of participants (56.6%) doubted the need for nicotine supplements to help in smoking cessation. Smoker respondents were willing to stop smoking. Understanding that smoking is a health hazard for both smokers and the others around can motivate smoking cessation. Relying on nicotine supplements alone might not add favourably to a strong smoking cessation decision. Tailoring campaigns to raise awareness about smoking health hazards’ would support and sustain smoking cessation.

Progress in computational sciences for cleaning, sorting, combining, digging, visualizing and managing data along with technological advancements in medical devices have urged needs for further extensive and consistent approaches to discuss the common key issues in medicine and health. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly obtained grounds in everyday living in the era of information technology and it has now landed in healthcare. AI studies' in healthcare are evolving swiftly. However, it could only be the start of observing how it will influence patient care. AI tries to simulate human cognitive capacities. It is carrying a transformation pattern to healthcare, strengthened by the escalating availability of clinical data and sped up advancement in analytics systems. Nonetheless, there is a similar doubt, including some pressing warning at these elevated anticipations. This review examines the present state of AI applications in health, major developments in health AI, and the disparate consequences of health AI and offers some directions for institutions and caregivers utilizing AI techniques.

Climate Change affects almost all life forms on earth during the evolutionary age of Anthropocene, the current age in which we live. Microorganisms form the basis of ancestral life forms and are crucial in our studies related to the cause and impacts of climate change on a global scale. ‘Microorganisms’ are ascribed as any microscopic organism or virus not visible to the naked eye (smaller than 50 μm) that can exist in a unicellular, multicellular (for example, differentiating species), aggregate (for example, biofilm) or viral form. In addition to microscopic bacteria, archaea, eukaryotes, and viruses, we discuss certain macroscopic unicellular eukaryotes (for example, larger marine phytoplankton) and wood decomposing fungi.

A crucial element of cancer controlling programs for the expanding burden in Egypt is public awareness of preventable risk factors. The study explores the knowledge of some preventable risk factors and beliefs about cancer among adults attending a primary health care center in an urban area of Alexandria. The researcher conducted a single point, a descriptive cross-sectional study of 85 adults aged ≥18 years in February 2019 using a semi-structured questionnaire to gather data through the face-to-face interviewing method. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Good levels of both cancer knowledge and beliefs were assigned as ≥75% of the total score. Respondent's mean age was 43.6 years and around 64.7% were females. Nearly 74.1% of respondents had a poor knowledge score of cancer preventable risk factors, especially low vegetables and fruit consumption (55.3%) excessive exposure to sun radiations (52.9%), physical inactivity (44.7%), overweight and obesity (44.7%) and pollution (43.5%) respectively. Furthermore, almost 38.8% of respondents had some false beliefs about cancer. Almost 44.7% of respondents disagreed with the presence of signs and symptoms to cancer while around 24.7% of them reported that cancer could not be prevented. Moreover, nearly 25.9% of them disapproved that cancer patients need psychological support. The Study population had poor knowledge of lifestyle-related cancer preventable risk factors and some false beliefs need correction. Therefore, we need to improve public knowledge of these factors that may lead to adopting health-protective behaviors reducing cancer risk.

The world needs to decrease emissions from agriculture, and fossil fuels to halt global warming adequately. Animal-based meals are nourishing and very vital to livings and nutrition in developing nations, though they are a similarly incompetent source. Producing beef is growing further dynamic, yet forests are still being cut down. People state they desire to consume more plants, although eating beef is yet increasing. Consuming meat is among the main factors for global warming. Provided that the globally growing market for meat, and the severe effect of manufacturing meat on the planet, cutting down animal protein regarded as public health and food security concern. A future with sustainable food would need a variety of approaches from the farmer to the consumer. This review explores the relation between producing beef and the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and the debate of consuming more or fewer resources. It also displays the beneficial impact of cutting down beef consumption. Finally, it suggests some methods to produce beef sustainably.

Derived from the roots of the plant Curcuma longa, curcumin (1, 7-bis (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1, 6-heptadiene-3, 5-dione) is a natural, low molecular weight, polyphenolic compound. It is a yellow-orange colored polyphenol non-toxic and bioactive agent found in turmeric. It has been in use for centuries as a household medication for several maladies. However, due to its low solubility, curcumin is unable to deliver in a proper manner and to be utilized for its medicinal resources. The present review illustrates the electrospinning of bioactive nanoparticles of curcumin on/within the electrospun nanofibers based on the type of biopolymers used. The encapsulation of bioactive nanoparticle curcumin is applied via the electrospinning process. Electrospinning consists of three major components, a power supply high-voltage, a spinneret, and a grounded collector. This technique has attracted much more attention for producing nanofibers with a diameter ranging from a few nanometers to several micrometers compared to other techniques used like nano-formulation, and emulsion process. Its high specific surface area and porosity enhances the dispersion and bioavailability of curcumin. The morphology of curcumin encapsulated as nano-formulates (nanoparticles, nanocapsules, nanorods, nanofibers) has been characterized using various techniques such as FE-SEM, TEM, X-ray Diffraction, FTIR, TGA/DTA respectively. While it’s antimicrobial activity against different pathogenic microbes has been determined for wound healing, burn infection, and antimicrobial resistance. The major worldwide health problem is bacterial resistance towards multidrug resistance pathogenic species. Hence, there is a constant need to develop new antibacterial/antifungal with novel mechanisms of action to overcome the problem of resistance. Many experimental data have reported the methoxy and hydroxyl groups found in curcumin structure are directly associated with antimicrobial activity/decrease in ergosterol of fungal cell membrane, signifying the electrospun nanofibers showing potential application as antibacterial/antifungal nonwoven mats and preventing fungal colonization on food products.

The area of bioinformatics emerged as a method to promote biological research more than two decades ago. Bioinformatics is a multidisciplinary field of study composed of biology, mathematics, and computer science. It has emerged as a smoothing biological science instrument and saves findings as far as possible. Every day, enormous biological data are accessible to the science community by producing high throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies. Bioinformatics and algorithm approaches are now being used to evaluate such significant results. More scientifically, bioinformatics can be used to retrieve, mine, interpret and sort information with cross-linking references, which are accessible to help grasp biological complexities in this comprehensive natural archive and offer new insight.

Worldwide water demand has been rising at a rate of 1% every year and expected to increase toward 30% by 2050. This, apart from the unsustainable pressures on freshwater which is just 2.5% of the total earth's surface, water is under continuous degradation due to polluting discharges as a result of industrialization, urbanization, and chemical-based agriculture. Moreover, the brunt of climate change has made it a commodity scarcely available, with over two billion people experiencing high water stress in some countries. In such challenging times, with the Agenda – 2030 of the sustainable development goals on the one hand, and the extraordinary research on the other, has made a breakthrough means to the problem. The “means” is the “state of the art” technology on the “green synthesis” of nanoparticles (NPs) to degrade the organic as well as other toxic pollutants from the industrial wastewater. The “Green Synthesis” connotes high yielding biosynthesis of NPs using microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants. These are reliable, sustainable, eco-friendly, and with increased global average benefit-cost. These biogenic NPs with well-defined shape, size, and composition are developed by the method of a bottom-up approach. They undergo the systematic reactions of reduction or oxidation, producing microbial bio-enzymes or the phytochemicals of plants which are responsible for the reduction of metal salts and organic pollutants. They are biocompatible and are identified as hyper-accumulators of the pollutants with greater efficiency for detoxification. This chapter has reported various methods of development of these NPs and assessed their potentials in bioremediation to achieve the International goals.

In December 2019, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was discovered in China, causing many cases and deaths. Several studies have explored the role of environmental factors in the spread of COVID-19, emphasizing the effect of two weather parameters, humidity and temperature. Those parameters are evidently vital affecting outbreaks of infectious respiratory diseases, like influenza, yet such an effect on COVID-19 remains controversial. This review explores the relation between the change in weather-related factors and the transmission of the COVID-19. With seasonal variation from winter to summer and in the absence of adopting thorough public health measures, elevated temperature and humidity might not limit the COVID-19 cases. Hence, we need multidisciplinary strategies and interventions to limit the burden of this pandemic over the healthcare systems.

There's a growing concern in the influence of climate change with temperatures worldwide affecting public health and well-being. Over 50 years of aggregated research data show that human activities mainly led to global warming caused via the greenhouse effect of the high carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air. Such impact rises in the ambient temperature and creates massive climatic disruptions like eroding land from raised sea levels because of the melting of the Antarctic and Arctic ice, droughts, spike the extent of storms and hurricanes, and floods in several regions. Universally, such unfavorable outcomes have ongoing damaging influences on almost all nations, however higher on low-middle-income countries, with adverse effects on sustainability and development, including the health and well-being of millions of individuals. Lately, the effect of climate change on waterborne infectious diseases has become clearer. Intense climatic events like storms might contaminate the recreational coastline waters, raising the danger of diarrhea and other waterborne infectious diseases. Polluting drinking water is an obvious reason for transmitting waterborne infectious diseases in intense water-associated climatic conditions. The plant system for treating water might become diminished because of massive rains. Climatic events affect insect vectors’ life cycle by influencing the reproduction and survival rates, habitat, prosperity, and transmission; similarly, it affects the proliferating and survival rates of the infectious agent inside the vector. This chapter explores climate change, effects on public health, and well-being, involving an expected rise of waterborne infectious diseases.