scholarly journals Impact of Organisational Climate on Nurses’ Commitment at Public Hospitals in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
pp. 59-71
Author(s):  
Magdah Al Hassan ◽  
Nada Almowallad ◽  
Muneerah Al Motary ◽  
Mohammed Alshmemri ◽  
Maram Alghabbashi
Keyword(s):  
Demographic Data ◽  
Quality Of Healthcare ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
P Value ◽  
Organisational Commitment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Organisational Climate ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
The Impact

Background: Nurses represent most healthcare professionals. They work in different healthcare organisations and play a vital role in improving the quality of healthcare. Consequently, it is essential to study the factors that influence nurses' organisational commitments. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of organisational climate and nurses' commitment in Saudi Arabian public hospitals and to explore the correlation between hospital climate and nurses' commitment. Methods: a quantitative cross-sectional method conducted at the Al-Zulfi General Hospital, Riyadh; King Abdul-Aziz Hospital, Makkah; and King Fahd Central Hospital, Jazan. The Data was collected from 343 participants by using electronic questionnaire in English distributed for the period between 01/03/2021 to 01/04/2021. The questionnaire is composed of three parts: demographic data, a three-component model (TCM) of employee commitment, and an organisational climate questionnaire (OCQ). The sample size was calculated based on the Steven K. Thompson equation. The data were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-tests to identify the differences in organisational commitment and organisational climate among participants’ characteristics. Correlation analysis was used to identify the relationship between organisational commitment and organisational climate. Results: The results demonstrated a significant positive moderate correlation between nurses’ commitment and hospital climate, where r = 0.580 and P < 0.001. We found that organisational commitment was observed as significantly correlated with gender, nationalities and hospital; also, organisational climate was perceived as significantly correlated with gender, nationalities, marital status, years of experience and hospitals with a p-value < 0.05. It is evident that improving organisational climate leads to an increase in nurses’ commitment. Conclusion: Improving the organisational climate could help to promote nurse retention and enhance nursing commitment. The current study recommends that nurse managers pay careful attention to the organisational environment to increase organisational commitment, which can contribute to positive attitudes and appreciation for the organisation.

scholarly journals Amid COVID-19 pandemic, are non-COVID patients left in the lurch?

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laima Alam ◽  
Syed Kumail Hasan Kazmi ◽  
Mafaza Alam ◽  
Varqa Faraid
Keyword(s):  
Demographic Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: 1) To explore the possible impact of the pandemic on the health seeking behavior of the patients, 2) To explore the relation of socio-demographics on the utility of health-care facilities. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted by enrolling all patients ≥15 years of age presenting to the Out-Patient-Department of three main public-hospitals after obtaining ethical committee approval. A questionnaire with validated Urdu translation was filled by each participant that included socio-demographic data, pre-Covid and Covid-19 era health seeking behaviors and the impact of the pandemic on the utilization of healthcare facilities. Data was analyzed using SPSS V.19. Results: A total of 393 patients were enrolled with a male preponderance (72%) and a median age range of 31-45 years. Fifty-eight percent of the study population was unemployed and 47.3% were seeking follow up care. The frequency of ER and multiple (>4 times) OPD visits were significantly decreased in the Covid-19 times whereas, the laboratory and radiology services were largely unaffected. A significant number of patients were not satisfied with the current healthcare facilities that was seen irrespective of the socio-demographic status. Emergency Room and radiology services were largely unaffected whereas, elective procedures and laboratory facilities were reported to be severely affected or delayed in relation to socio-demographic variables. Conclusions: Healthcare inequalities have widened and depression has shown a sharp rise during this pandemic. The over-burdened healthcare facilities at the verge of collapse may miss out on the chronic non-Covid patients which would ultimately lead to increased morbidity and mortality. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.2.3536 How to cite this:Alam L, Kazmi SKH, Alam M, Faraid V. Amid COVID-19 pandemic, are non-COVID patients left in the lurch? Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(2):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.2.3536 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

COVID-19: Psychological Impact on Lockdown Population

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (01) ◽  
pp. 026-033
Author(s):  
Bhuvaneswari Rajachandrasekar ◽  
K. C. Muraleedharan ◽  
Neethu Raj ◽  
Sakthivel Vaiyapuri ◽  
Aneena MS
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emotional Disturbance ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
P Value ◽  
Psychological Resilience ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to surge throughout the entire world. Most of the impacted countries implemented preventive measures and lockdown to control the spread of the disease. This restriction developed psychological resilience in a wide range of the population. The objective of this study is to explore the impact on the mental health of the individuals caused by the unforeseen lockdown. Methods A cross-sectional online survey form had been designed leveraging the Google form. In the introduction section, the purpose of study and the details of the investigators were elaborately explained. The survey response was voluntary and ensured the confidentiality of the responder. The online survey consent procedures were well documented and shared with the participants. The Google forms were circulated through various social media platforms for data capturing, and the data were analysed using statistical software SPSS 23.0. A chi-squared test was performed to determine the association between demographic data and emotional data during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Result A total of 2,150 responses were received out of which two of them were discarded due to insufficient data so total 2,148 responses were taken for analysis. The prevalence rate of emotional disturbance is 56.8% and 43.2% in females and males respectively (p-value = 0.001). The participant age ranges between 18 and 98 years, the mean age of participants is 33.25 years and the standard deviation is 12.24. The emotional disturbance response data are significantly associated with marital status (p-value = 0.021), socioeconomic status (p-value < 0.001), occupation (p-value = 0.019), loved one who were affected with COVID-19 (p-value = 0.034), preventive medicines taken (p-value = 0.017), sleep disturbance (p-value < 0.001), need of psychological support (p-value = 0.001), difficulty in monthly bill settlement (p-value < 0.0001), anxiouness and worry all the time during COVID-19 (p-value < 0.0001). Conclusion The survey data discovered the significant association between lockdown during COVID-19 and the emotional disturbance of the general population. These findings required additional research to identify mental health further.

HUBUNGAN ANTARA UMUR DAN PENDIDIKAN IBU DENGAN KEJADIAN BBLR DI RUMAH SAKIT UMUM PUSAT DR. MOHAMMAD HOESIN PALEMBANG TAHUN 2010

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuhemy Zurizah Yuhemy Zurizah ◽  
Rini Mayasari Rini Mayasari
Keyword(s):  
General Hospital ◽  
Maternal Age ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Infant Mortality Rate ◽  
P Value ◽  
Check List ◽  
Test Statistic ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Live Births

ABSTRACT Low Birth Weight (LBW) was defined as infants born weighing less than 2.500 grams. WHO estimates that nearly all (98%) of the five million neonatal deaths in developing countries. According to City Health if Palembang Departement, infant mortality rate (IMR) in the year 2007 is 3 per 1000 live births, in 2008 four per 1000 live births, and in 2009 approximately 2 per 1000 live births. The cause of LBW is a disease, maternal age, social circumstances, maternal habits factors, fetal factors and environmental factors. LBW prognosis depending on the severity of the perinatal period such as stage of gestation (gestation getting younger or lower the baby's weight, the higher the mortality), asphyxia / ischemia brain, respiratory distress syndromesmetabolic disturbances. This study aims to determine the relationship between maternal age and educations mothers of pregnancy with the incidence of LBW in the General Hospital Dr Center. Mohammad Hoesin Palembang in 2010 This study uses the Analytical Ceoss Sectional Survey. The study population was all mothers who gave birth in public hospitals center Dr. Mohammad Hoesin Palembang in 2010 were 1.476 mothers gave birth with a large sample of 94 studies of maternal taken by systematic random sampling, ie research instument Check List. Data analysis was performed univariate and bivariate. The results of this study show from 94 mothers of LBW was found 45 people (47,9%) Which has a high risk age 26 LBW ( 27,7%) while the distance of low educations LBW (55,3%). From Chi-Square test statistic that compares the p value with significance level α = 0,05 showed a significant correlation between maternal age, where the p value = 0,002, of education mothers of pregnancy p value = 0,003 with LBW. In the general hospital center Dr. Mohammad Hoesin Palembang ini 2010. Expected to researches who will come to examine in more depth.   ABSTRAK Bayi Berat Lahir Rendah (BBLR) telah didefinisikan sebagai bayi lahir kurang dari 2.500 gram. WHO memperkirakan hampir semua (98%) dari 5 juta kematian neonatal di negara berkembang. Menurut Data Dinas Kesehatan Kota Palembang, Angka Kematian Bayi (AKB) pada tahun 2007 yaitu 3 per 1.000 kelahiran hidup, pada tahun 2008 4 per 1.000 kelahiran hidup, dan pada tahun 2009 sekitar 2 per 1.000 kelahiran hidup. Penyebab BBLR adalah penyakit, usia ibu, keadaan sosial, faktor kebiasaan ibu, dan faktor lingkungan. Prognosis BBLR tergantung dari berat ringannya masa perinatal misalnya masa gestasi (makin muda masa gestasi atau makin rendah berat bayi, makin tinggi angka kematian), asfiksia atau iskemia otak, sindrom gangguan pernafasan, gangguan metabolik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara umur dan pendidikan ibu dengan kejadian BBLR di Rumah Sakit Umum Pusat Dr. Mohammad Hoesin Palembang Tahun 2010. Penelitian ini menggunakan survey analitik Cross sectional. Populasi penelitian ini adalah semua ibu yang melahirkan di Rumah Sakit Umum Pusat Dr. Mohammad Hoesin Palembang tahun 2010 sebanyak 1.476 ibu melahirkan dengan besar sampel penelitian 94 ibu melahirkan yang diambil dengan tehnik acak sistematik, instrumen penelitian yaitu check list. Analisis data dilakukan secara univariat dan bivariat. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan dari 94 ibu didapatkan kejadian BBLR 45 orang (47,9%) yang memiliki umur resiko tinggi 26 kejadian BBLR (27,7%) sedangkan yang pendidikan rendah 52 kejadian BBLR (55,3%). Dari statistik uji Chi-square yang membandingkan p value dengan tingkat kemaknaan α = 0,05 menunjukkan bahwa ada hubungan yang bermakna antara umur ibu p value (0,002) , pendidikan p value (0,003) dengan kejadian BBLR di Rumah Sakit Umum Pusat Dr. Mohammad Hoesin Palembang Tahun 2010. Diharapkan bagi peneliti yang akan datang untuk meneliti lebih mendalam.

scholarly journals POS0548 OPTIMAL ASSESSMENT OF THE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS ANKLE AND HINDFOOT: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN CLINICAL EXAMINATION AND ULTRASONOGRAPHY

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 508.2-509
Author(s):  
K. Maatallah ◽  
H. Boussaa ◽  
H. Riahi ◽  
H. Ferjani ◽  
M. Habechi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Clinical Examination ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Power Doppler ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Therapeutic Decisions ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Foot Disease

Background:Foot disease is a common problem in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therapeutic decisions are often based on clinical examination (CE) alone, which can be adversely affected by factors such as deformity, obesity, and peripheral edema. Ultrasonography (US) has previously been shown to be more sensitive than CE for detecting synovitis and tenosynovitis in RA forefeet, but few data exist for the hindfoot and ankle.Objectives:The aim of this study was to compare CE and US for the detection of hindfoot and ankle synovitis and tenosynovitis in patients with established RA.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional study including patients with RA (ACR/EULAR 2010). Demographic data and disease parameters were collected. CE was performed by a rheumatologist for the presence or absence of tenderness, swelling, and mobility restriction of both ankles. The following tendons were examined for tenosynovitis: tibialis anterior (TA) and posterior (TP), fibularis longus (FL), and brevis (FB) (assessed together). In a second time, US examination of the tibiotalar, talonavicular, and subtalar joints and the same tendons as CE was performed by a blinded radiologist experienced in musculoskeletal imaging using a Philips HD11 device with a high-frequency linear transducer. The presence or absence of synovitis and tenosynovitis was recorded, and the composite synovitis score (power doppler / grayscale ultrasound (PDUS)) was measured for each joint. The US score of each patient was defined by the sum of the composite scores of the joints studied (0-30). A p-value <0.05 was considered significant.Results:Sixty-two feet were examined in 31 RA patients (25 women and six men) with a mean age of 54.8±10.8 years old [32-70]. The mean disease duration was 8.5±7.2 years [1-37]. Rheumatoid Factor (RF) and Anti-Citrullinated Peptides Antibodies (ACPA) were positive in 61.3% and 83.8% of cases. The mean DAS28 ESR was 3.8±1.5 [0.6-7].Clinical examination of ankles revealed tenderness in 57.4% of cases, swelling in 38.8% of cases, and restriction in the range of motion in 11.1% of cases. TA tenosynovitis was noted in 14.8% of cases, TP tenosynovitis in 22.2% of cases, and FL and FB tenosynovitis in 31.5% of cases.US showed tibiotalar synovitis in 59.3% of cases, talonavicular synovitis in 64.8% of cases, and subtalar synovitis in 46.3% of cases. TA tenosynovitis was noted in 5.6% of cases, TP tenosynovitis in 22.2% of cases, and FB and FL tenosynovitis in 25% and 11.1% of cases respectively.An association was found between clinical tenderness and US synovitis of the tibiotalar joint (p=0.013) and the talonavicular joint (p=0.027). No association was noted between clinical swelling and US synovitis in these joints.No association was noted between clinical and US tenosynovitis of TA (p=0.279), TP (p=0.436), FB (p=0.495) and FL (p=0.315).Conclusion:Clinical examination of RA ankles may be challenging and needs to be coupled with US, which is more sensitive and accurate in the detection of synovitis and tenosynovitis.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

scholarly journals Factors influence abroad or home post graduates training among medical students: experience from Sudan

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Mohamed Gismalla ◽  
Ahmed Abdallah ◽  
Mohammed Alnoor Mohammed ◽  
Sami Mahjoub Taha
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Push Factors ◽  
Postgraduate Study ◽  
Middle East Countries ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Common Causes ◽  
Site Training

Backgrounds: Commonly, doctors migrate for postgraduate study in African and Middle-east countries to western countries. In this study, we would like to know the percentage of graduates who intended to study abroad and determine the factors of their traveling.Material and methods: This is cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Medical students were asked about their future specialty preference, reasons, and site of training. Also, some demographic data were collected. The data was analyzed by SPSS. P value of < 0.05 was considered significant. Result and Discussion: 197 students responded to our survey and filled the questionnaire properly. Participants knew about future specialty from the teacher, the internet, senior college and advice from a family member with rate 83 (42.1%), 42 (22.8%), 41 (21.3%), and 27(13.7%) respectively. One hundred five (53.3%) of the responders preferred to get their specialty training outside Sudan while the remainder 92(46.7%) preferred local training.The commonest specialty selected among both group are medicine and surgery respectively. Obstetrics and gynecology are selected mainly among students who prefer local training 14 out of 15 totally, with statistically significant (p-value = 0.0001). Residency has significant related to the site of training with (P value 0.03). International recognition and advanced facilities are the commonest cause of traveling abroad among the students. While free hands on training and social reasons are the most common causes of home postgraduates training.Conclusion: More than fifty percent of the participant prefers abroad post-graduates training. The factors which influents site training can be defined as "Pull and Push" factors.

scholarly journals CORRELATION BETWEEN SMOKE-FREE AREAS AND SMOKING BEHAVIOR IN INDONESIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
Mohamad Anis Fahmi
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Computer Application ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
The Government ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
The Impact

Background: Low public awareness of the impact of smoking makes the implementation of smoke-free areas (KTR) difficult. Smoke-free areas aim to protect the public from the direct and indirect effects of smoking. Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the correlation between the application of smoke-free areas and the prevalence of active and ex-smokers in Indonesia. Method: This study implemented a cross-sectional design, using secondary data from the Riskesdas 2018 on active and ex-smokers. KTR application data were obtained from the Profile of Non-Communicable Diseases in 2016. A Pearson product-moment test was conducted by a computer application to determine the correlation coefficient (r). This coefficient was used to describe the level of correlation between the two variables; significance was determined as a p value of 5%. Results: This study showed that the average application of KTR throughout Indonesia was 50.83%, active smokers comprised 23.49% of the population, and ex-smokers comprised 4.94%. Most active smokers were in Java and Sumatra, while the majority of ex-smokers were in Java and Sulawesi and the majority of KTR was in Java. This study shows that there is a positive correlation between KTR application and the percentage of ex-smokers (r = 0.46; p value = 0.01). Conclusion: There is a positive correlation between the application of KTR and an increase in ex-smokers. The government needs to increase the application of KTR policies.

scholarly journals Factors associated with maternal near-miss at public hospitals of South-East Ethiopia: An institutional-based cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 174550652110606
Author(s):  
Ashenafi Mekonnen ◽  
Genet Fikadu ◽  
Kenbon Seyoum ◽  
Gemechu Ganfure ◽  
Sisay Degno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Mortality ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Near Miss ◽  
Early Marriage ◽  
Maternal Near Miss ◽  
P Value ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional

Introduction: Maternal near-miss precedes maternal mortality, and women are still alive indicating that the numbers of near-misses occur more often than maternal mortality. This study aims to assess the prevalence of maternal near-miss and associated factors at public hospitals of Bale zone, Southeast Ethiopia. Methods: Facility-based cross-sectional study design was carried out from 1 October 2018 to 28 February 2019, among 300 women admitted to maternity wards. A structured questionnaire and checklist were used to collect data. Epi-info for data entry and statistical package for social science for analysis were used. The descriptive findings were summarized using tables and text. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval and p-value < 0.05 were used to examine the association between the independent and dependent variables. Result: The prevalence of maternal near-miss in our study area was 28.7%. Age < 20 years, age at first marriage < 20 years, husbands with primary education, and being from rural areas are factors significantly associated with the prevalence of maternal near-miss. The zonal health department in collaboration with the education department and justice office has to mitigate early marriage by educating the community about the impacts of early marriage on health.

scholarly journals Tinnitus: The Sound of Stress?

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 264-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Ciminelli ◽  
Sergio Machado ◽  
Manoela Palmeira ◽  
Mauro Giovanni Carta ◽  
Sarah Cristina Beirith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Subjective Tinnitus ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
The Impact

Background: Emotional stress is frequently associated with otologic symptoms as tinnitus and dizziness. Stress can contribute to the beginning or worsening of tinnitus. Objective: The objective of the study is to evaluate the presence of stress symptoms in patients with chronic, subjective tinnitus, and correlate its presence to annoyance associated with tinnitus. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. One hundred and eighty patients with chronic, subjective tinnitus were included. Patients answered the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) to evaluate the impact of tinnitus in the quality of life and answered the Lipp's inventory symptoms of stress for adults (ISSL). The data obtained was organized using Excel® 2010, mean values, linear regression and p-value were calculated. Results: Of the 180 patients included in the study, 117 (65%) had stress symptoms, 52 of the 117 (44%) were in the resistance phase and 23 of the 117 (20%) in the exhaustion phase, the remaining was in the alert phase. There was a clear progressive increase in stress as THI raised, with more impact of tinnitus in quality of life. Conclusion: The presence of stress symptoms, measured by ISSL was observed in most of our patients with chronic subjective tinnitus, specially in the resistance and exhaustion phases and it is directly associated with tinnitus annoyance.

scholarly journals COVID-19 KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICES BETWEEN PAKISTANI MEDICAL AND NON-MEDICAL STUDENTS

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-176
Author(s):  
Bushra Suhail ◽  
Ayesha Masood ◽  
Javaria Baig ◽  
Sara Mukhtar ◽  
Sarah Aftab ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Conceptual Knowledge ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Contagious Nature ◽  
Positive Attitudes

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: This study investigated medical and non-medical students’ knowledge, attitude, and preparedness regarding COVID-19 pandemic, to groom volunteers and future healthcare providers in a better way. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study was completed from April to May 2020 during the first wave of COVID-19. An online questionnaire was distributed using internet and social media (SM). The questionnaire was composed of several parts concerning to demographic data, knowledge, attitude, and practices. RESULTS: This study included 1851 students [1041(56.54% medical, 810(43.46%) non-medical students)]. Medical students had significantly better knowledge about the contagious nature, spread and treatment of coronavirus. Non-medical students showed more risky behavior compared to medical students (p = 0.005). The use of masks and the frequency of handwashing was better among medical students as compared to non-medical students (p< 0.001; p< 0.014, respectively). The odds ratio indicates that students of the age group 21-25 years (45%) and medical students (75%) were more likely to have a positive attitude. CONCLUSION: This study revealed good knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices towards COVID-19 among medical students. Still, a minority of participants from both groups revealed misconceptions and relatively poor conceptual knowledge regarding the disease.

scholarly journals The Impact of Legalization of Access to Recreational Cannabis on Canadian Medical Users with Cancer.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippa Helen Hawley ◽  
Monica Gobbo ◽  
Narsis Afghari
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
P Value ◽  
Medical Cannabis ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Access System ◽  
Patterns Of Use ◽  
Barriers To Access ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Canada legalized cannabis use for medical purposes in 1999. Legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes in October 2018 offered the opportunity to assess the impact of recreational legalization on cancer patients’ patterns of use to identify learning points that could be helpful to other countries considering similar legislation.Method Two identical anonymous cross-sectional surveys were administered to cancer patients in British Columbia (2 months before and 3 months following legalization), with the same eligibility criteria. The prevalence of medical cannabis use, the distribution of symptoms leading to use, the most common types of cannabis products and sources, reasons for stopping using cannabis, and barriers to access were assessed.Results The overall response rate was 27%. Both cohorts were similar regarding age (median= 66yrs), gender (53% female), and education (approximately 85% of participants had an education level of high school graduation and higher). Respondents had multiple motives for taking cannabis, including to manage multiple symptoms, to treat cancer, and for recreational reasons. The majority of patients in both surveys did not use the legal medical access system. Comparison of the two cohorts showed that after legalization the prevalence of current cannabis use increased by 26% (23·1% to 29·1%, p-value 0·01), including an increased disclosure of recreational motive for use, from 32% to 40%. However, in the post-legalization cohort more Current Users reported problems getting cannabis (18%) than the pre-legalization cohort (8%), (p-value <0·01). The most common barrier cited was lack of available preferred products, including edibles, as these were only available from illegal dispensaries. Conclusions Results showed that legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes may have an impact on those who use medical cannabis. Impacts include an increase in prevalence of use; problems accessing preferred products legally; higher cost, and difficulties using a legal access system. The desired goal of regulation in reducing harms from use of illegal cannabis products are unlikely to be achieved if the legal process is less attractive to patients than use of illegal sources.

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