Fatimah Alali - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
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Papers by Fatimah Alali
Science, Technology and Society
COVID-19 forced many nations, including the largest country in the Arabian Gulf region, Saudi Ara... more COVID-19 forced many nations, including the largest country in the Arabian Gulf region, Saudi Arabia, to fast-track the adoption of new technologies and work practices to cope with the pandemic. We find the Saudi Ministry of Health (SMoH), in less than a year, introduced several innovations to transform healthcare planning, management and delivery. We reflect on these changes in the Saudi Arabian context and suggest what needs to be done next to retain the developmental momentum generated in the innovation system beyond the pandemic for sustainable and positive impact on the healthcare system. To do so, the Ministry should regularly assess the appetite for change, prioritise problems and areas of intervention, collect evidence of need and impact, build confidence by educating the public and healthcare professionals about the importance of adapting to new ways and methods of healthcare delivery, collaborate with the private sector to efficiently sustain these advancements and gain th...
Cancer Management and Research
Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in Saudi Arabia. The best thera... more Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in Saudi Arabia. The best therapeutic regimen for colorectal cancer is a matter of ongoing debate and data on its treatment in Saudi Arabia are limited. Purpose: The objective of this study was to explore the predictors of survival and to compare the risk of mortality among colorectal cancer patients treated with different therapeutic modalities. Patients and Methods: The study utilized data from the electronic colorectal cancer registry of a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate the survival rates over 36 months of follow-up across rectal and colon cancer patients as well as different sociodemographic and medical characteristics. Bivariate and multiple Cox proportional-hazards regressions were conducted to estimate the risk of mortality among rectal and colon cancer patients undergoing different treatments. Results: The number of patients in the registry who were followed up for 36 months was 143 patients. The majority of patients had colon cancer (74.13%). Rectal cancer patients had generally better survival estimates compared to their colon cancer counterparts. Colon cancer patients treated with chemotherapy had a significantly lower risk of mortality controlling for the use of surgery, radiotherapy, and other variables including age, gender, stage of cancer, and family history of colorectal cancer (HR=0.33; P=0.03). Additionally, colon cancer patients with a family history of colorectal cancer had significantly higher risk of mortality (HR=3.40; P=0.02). Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the value of chemotherapy in managing colon cancer patients.
Science, Technology and Society
COVID-19 forced many nations, including the largest country in the Arabian Gulf region, Saudi Ara... more COVID-19 forced many nations, including the largest country in the Arabian Gulf region, Saudi Arabia, to fast-track the adoption of new technologies and work practices to cope with the pandemic. We find the Saudi Ministry of Health (SMoH), in less than a year, introduced several innovations to transform healthcare planning, management and delivery. We reflect on these changes in the Saudi Arabian context and suggest what needs to be done next to retain the developmental momentum generated in the innovation system beyond the pandemic for sustainable and positive impact on the healthcare system. To do so, the Ministry should regularly assess the appetite for change, prioritise problems and areas of intervention, collect evidence of need and impact, build confidence by educating the public and healthcare professionals about the importance of adapting to new ways and methods of healthcare delivery, collaborate with the private sector to efficiently sustain these advancements and gain th...
Cancer Management and Research
Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in Saudi Arabia. The best thera... more Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in Saudi Arabia. The best therapeutic regimen for colorectal cancer is a matter of ongoing debate and data on its treatment in Saudi Arabia are limited. Purpose: The objective of this study was to explore the predictors of survival and to compare the risk of mortality among colorectal cancer patients treated with different therapeutic modalities. Patients and Methods: The study utilized data from the electronic colorectal cancer registry of a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate the survival rates over 36 months of follow-up across rectal and colon cancer patients as well as different sociodemographic and medical characteristics. Bivariate and multiple Cox proportional-hazards regressions were conducted to estimate the risk of mortality among rectal and colon cancer patients undergoing different treatments. Results: The number of patients in the registry who were followed up for 36 months was 143 patients. The majority of patients had colon cancer (74.13%). Rectal cancer patients had generally better survival estimates compared to their colon cancer counterparts. Colon cancer patients treated with chemotherapy had a significantly lower risk of mortality controlling for the use of surgery, radiotherapy, and other variables including age, gender, stage of cancer, and family history of colorectal cancer (HR=0.33; P=0.03). Additionally, colon cancer patients with a family history of colorectal cancer had significantly higher risk of mortality (HR=3.40; P=0.02). Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the value of chemotherapy in managing colon cancer patients.