Acceptability and Willingness of UAE Residents to Use OTC Vending Machines to Deliver Self-Testing Kits for COVID-19 and the Implications
Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun,1,2 Sabaa Saleh Al hemyari,1,3 Naseem Mohammed Abdulla,2 Moyad Shahwan,4,5 Farah Hashim Jaber Bilal,6,7 Saleh Karamah AL-Tamimi,8 Maimona Jairoun,4 Samer H Zyoud,9 Amanj Kurdi,10– 13 Brian Godman5,10,13 1School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Dove Medical Press
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.dovepress.com/acceptability-and-willingness-of-uae-residents-to-use-otc-vending-mach-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JMDH |
| _version_ | 1818513619226198016 |
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| author | Jairoun AA Al hemyari SS Abdulla NM Shahwan M Hashim Jaber Bilal F AL-Tamimi SK Jairoun M Zyoud SH Kurdi A Godman B |
| author_facet | Jairoun AA Al hemyari SS Abdulla NM Shahwan M Hashim Jaber Bilal F AL-Tamimi SK Jairoun M Zyoud SH Kurdi A Godman B |
| author_sort | Jairoun AA |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun,1,2 Sabaa Saleh Al hemyari,1,3 Naseem Mohammed Abdulla,2 Moyad Shahwan,4,5 Farah Hashim Jaber Bilal,6,7 Saleh Karamah AL-Tamimi,8 Maimona Jairoun,4 Samer H Zyoud,9 Amanj Kurdi,10– 13 Brian Godman5,10,13 1School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Gelugor, 11800, Malaysia; 2Health and Safety Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 3Pharmacy Department, Emirates Health Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 4College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, 346, United Arab Emirates; 5Centre of Medical and Bio-allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; 6Anesthesiology Department, Saint Georges Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon; 7Valiant Hospital, Anesthesiology Department, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 8Faculty of Pharmacy, Aden University, Aden, Yemen; 9Nonlinear Dynamics Research Center (NDRC), Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; 10Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science (SIPBS), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK; 11Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region Government, Iraq; 12Center of Research and Strategic Studies, Lebanese French University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region Government, Iraq; 13Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South AfricaCorrespondence: Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun, Moyad Shahwan, Tel +971558099957; +97106 705 6249, Email Dr_ammar_91_@hotmail.com; m.shahwan@ajman.ac.aePurpose: Self-testing kits for SARS-CoV-2 appear effective, practical, safe and reliable as well as helping patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms to be successfully managed at home without going to hospital. As a result, ease pressures on hospitals. OTC vending machines offer the potential for SARS-CoV-2 self-testing kits alongside making available OTC treatments to alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19. As a result, providing confidentiality alongside ease of use in case people do not want their status broad casted. Consequently, there was a need to assess the acceptability and willingness regarding the availability of OTC vending machines to dispense self-testing kits for SARS-CoV-2 among UAE residents to provide future direction.Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a designed questionnaire was based on previous research and expert input and pilot tested. All items in the final questionnaire were seen as acceptable with a satisfactory content validity. A purposive sampling strategy was used in the principal study by primarily sending a link to the questionnaire to UAE universities via Facebook and WhatsApp.Results: A total of 876 respondents participated in the study and completed the whole questionnaire. Most participants were female (63%), Arabic origin (42%) and holding a bachelor’s degree (84.5%). There was high acceptability and willingness to use self-testing kits (87.2%), with 88.6% of respondents believing OTC vending machines would be beneficial for patients with actual or suspected SARS-CoV-2. Gender, nationality, educational level, employment status, having relatives infected with SARS-CoV-2 and being vaccinated were significantly associated with attitudes towards the self-testing kits. Recognised barriers include their potential costs, ease of access and help for those who cannot read the instructions.Conclusion: Overall, there was high acceptability and willingness to use OTC vending machines to deliver self-testing kits for SARS-CoV-2 among the surveyed participants. Key barriers will need to be addressed to enhance their use.Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, self-testing kits, attitudes, public acceptability and willingness, UAE |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T00:03:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40b8146065044ec391a12664aa91e4b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1178-2390 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T00:03:56Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-40b8146065044ec391a12664aa91e4b52022-12-22T01:28:23ZengDove Medical PressJournal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare1178-23902022-08-01Volume 151759177077585Acceptability and Willingness of UAE Residents to Use OTC Vending Machines to Deliver Self-Testing Kits for COVID-19 and the ImplicationsJairoun AAAl hemyari SSAbdulla NMShahwan MHashim Jaber Bilal FAL-Tamimi SKJairoun MZyoud SHKurdi AGodman BAmmar Abdulrahman Jairoun,1,2 Sabaa Saleh Al hemyari,1,3 Naseem Mohammed Abdulla,2 Moyad Shahwan,4,5 Farah Hashim Jaber Bilal,6,7 Saleh Karamah AL-Tamimi,8 Maimona Jairoun,4 Samer H Zyoud,9 Amanj Kurdi,10– 13 Brian Godman5,10,13 1School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Gelugor, 11800, Malaysia; 2Health and Safety Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 3Pharmacy Department, Emirates Health Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 4College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, 346, United Arab Emirates; 5Centre of Medical and Bio-allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; 6Anesthesiology Department, Saint Georges Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon; 7Valiant Hospital, Anesthesiology Department, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 8Faculty of Pharmacy, Aden University, Aden, Yemen; 9Nonlinear Dynamics Research Center (NDRC), Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; 10Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science (SIPBS), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK; 11Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region Government, Iraq; 12Center of Research and Strategic Studies, Lebanese French University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region Government, Iraq; 13Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South AfricaCorrespondence: Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun, Moyad Shahwan, Tel +971558099957; +97106 705 6249, Email Dr_ammar_91_@hotmail.com; m.shahwan@ajman.ac.aePurpose: Self-testing kits for SARS-CoV-2 appear effective, practical, safe and reliable as well as helping patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms to be successfully managed at home without going to hospital. As a result, ease pressures on hospitals. OTC vending machines offer the potential for SARS-CoV-2 self-testing kits alongside making available OTC treatments to alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19. As a result, providing confidentiality alongside ease of use in case people do not want their status broad casted. Consequently, there was a need to assess the acceptability and willingness regarding the availability of OTC vending machines to dispense self-testing kits for SARS-CoV-2 among UAE residents to provide future direction.Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a designed questionnaire was based on previous research and expert input and pilot tested. All items in the final questionnaire were seen as acceptable with a satisfactory content validity. A purposive sampling strategy was used in the principal study by primarily sending a link to the questionnaire to UAE universities via Facebook and WhatsApp.Results: A total of 876 respondents participated in the study and completed the whole questionnaire. Most participants were female (63%), Arabic origin (42%) and holding a bachelor’s degree (84.5%). There was high acceptability and willingness to use self-testing kits (87.2%), with 88.6% of respondents believing OTC vending machines would be beneficial for patients with actual or suspected SARS-CoV-2. Gender, nationality, educational level, employment status, having relatives infected with SARS-CoV-2 and being vaccinated were significantly associated with attitudes towards the self-testing kits. Recognised barriers include their potential costs, ease of access and help for those who cannot read the instructions.Conclusion: Overall, there was high acceptability and willingness to use OTC vending machines to deliver self-testing kits for SARS-CoV-2 among the surveyed participants. Key barriers will need to be addressed to enhance their use.Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, self-testing kits, attitudes, public acceptability and willingness, UAEhttps://www.dovepress.com/acceptability-and-willingness-of-uae-residents-to-use-otc-vending-mach-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JMDHsars-cov-2self-testing kitsattitudespublic acceptability and willingnessuae |
| spellingShingle | Jairoun AA Al hemyari SS Abdulla NM Shahwan M Hashim Jaber Bilal F AL-Tamimi SK Jairoun M Zyoud SH Kurdi A Godman B Acceptability and Willingness of UAE Residents to Use OTC Vending Machines to Deliver Self-Testing Kits for COVID-19 and the Implications Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare sars-cov-2 self-testing kits attitudes public acceptability and willingness uae |
| title | Acceptability and Willingness of UAE Residents to Use OTC Vending Machines to Deliver Self-Testing Kits for COVID-19 and the Implications |
| title_full | Acceptability and Willingness of UAE Residents to Use OTC Vending Machines to Deliver Self-Testing Kits for COVID-19 and the Implications |
| title_fullStr | Acceptability and Willingness of UAE Residents to Use OTC Vending Machines to Deliver Self-Testing Kits for COVID-19 and the Implications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Acceptability and Willingness of UAE Residents to Use OTC Vending Machines to Deliver Self-Testing Kits for COVID-19 and the Implications |
| title_short | Acceptability and Willingness of UAE Residents to Use OTC Vending Machines to Deliver Self-Testing Kits for COVID-19 and the Implications |
| title_sort | acceptability and willingness of uae residents to use otc vending machines to deliver self testing kits for covid 19 and the implications |
| topic | sars-cov-2 self-testing kits attitudes public acceptability and willingness uae |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/acceptability-and-willingness-of-uae-residents-to-use-otc-vending-mach-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JMDH |
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