Search

Abstract Background and Aims Children and neonates are more susceptible to diseases and are a vulnerable group in medication administration (MA). Nurses interact directly with patients, ensuring safety and preventing unintended outcomes. Health Information Technology (HIT) has transformed health care, aiding nurses in decision‐making and treatment responses. Despite its benefits, technology presents challenges that must be overcome to facilitate the nursing practice. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the barriers to HIT use in the process of MA in children and neonates in a developing country. Methods Semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with 22 health care professionals across seven pediatric and neonatal settings. Also, observations were made of these settings for 3 weeks. A qualitative analysis was performed using the conventional content analysis method, recommended by Colaizzi's seven‐step approach. Results The results showed that the most significant barriers to adopting technology in MA process could be classified into two main categories: “inappropriate management approaches” with two sub‐categories (“Managers' reluctance to adopt new technology”, “lack of adequate budget for hardware resources”), and “resistance to change” with two sub‐categories (“A desire to use conventional (traditional) approaches in care”, “cultural issues and impracticality of providing some specialized technology services”). Conclusion The findings revealed MA process complexities, which have been insufficiently examined in the current literature. We have highlighted the need for improved “effectiveness of HIT systems in administering medication processes, budget for hardware resources, and managers” interest in using new technology. The present findings can guide the development of more effective and user‐friendly HIT systems in pediatric and neonatal care settings.

Abstract Background Analysis of tongue movement would benefit from a reference showcasing healthy tongue capability. We aimed to develop a reference of tongue capability and evaluated the role of visual feedback on the expression of movement. Methods Using a wireless tracking intraoral wearable device, we composed probability distributions of the tongue tip as subjects were asked to explore the entire sensing surface area. Half of the 32 subjects received live visual feedback of the location of the center of the tongue tip contact. Results We observed that the visual feedback group was 51.0% more consistent with each other in the position domain, explored 21.5% more sensing surface area, and was 50.7% more uniformly distributed. We found less consistent results when we evaluated velocity and acceleration. Conclusion Visual feedback best established a healthy capability reference which can be used for designing new interfaces, quantifying tongue ability, developing new diagnostic and rehabilitation techniques, and studying underlying mechanisms of tongue motor control.

Introduction: Every year, a large number of medical images such as MRIs, CT scans, and radiographs are prepared in hospitals, and a lot of money is spent on their preparation. Picture archiving and communication system (PACS) is an integrated image management system for maintaining and storing digital images. The objective of this study was to determine the storage duration of digital images in PACS. Methods: This was a scoping review study in which we searched the PubMed and Embase databases using a combination of terms related to radiography, storage, and duration. The reference lists of included articles were checked to identify other relevant articles. Moreover, we searched Google to retrieve relevant gray literature and other information sources including guidelines. The selection process was carried out in three stages and was reported based on the PRISMA flowchart and the data were extracted using the data collection form. Results: Based on the database search 2867 articles were identified, of which 13 articles were eligible for inclusion. Searching for gray literature identified 7 relevant sources. The results showed that based on the institutions’ plans and regulations, different countries have different storage policies. In general, to store images between 6 and 240 months for short-term storage and between 0 and 240 months for long-term storage were considered. Conclusion: Due to financial constraints and storage space requirements, healthcare organizations can provide a solution by drafting guidelines on the appropriate storage duration for medical images. The findings of this study can assist healthcare authorities and healthcare centers in employing PACS systems to manage and minimize storage space for medical images, thereby reducing storage costs.

Abstract Background Patient safety is a central healthcare policy worldwide. Adverse drug events (ADE) are among the main threats to patient safety. Children are at a higher risk of ADE in each stage of medication management process. ADE rate is high in the administration stage, as the final stage of preventing medication errors in pediatrics and neonates. The most effective way to reduce ADE rate is using medication administration clinical decision support systems (MACDSSs). The present study reviewed the literature on MACDSS for neonates and pediatrics. It identified and classified the data elements that mapped onto the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard and the functionalities of these systems to guide future research. Methods PubMed/ MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and ProQuest databases were searched from 1995 to June 31, 2021. Studies that addressed developing or applying medication administration software for neonates and pediatrics were included. Two authors reviewed the titles, abstracts, and full texts. The quality of eligible studies was assessed based on the level of evidence. The extracted data elements were mapped onto the FHIR standard. Results In the initial search, 4,856 papers were identified. After removing duplicates, 3,761 titles, and abstracts were screened. Finally, 56 full-text papers remained for evaluation. The full-text review of papers led to the retention of 10 papers which met the eligibility criteria. In addition, two papers from the reference lists were included. A total number of 12 papers were included for analysis. Six papers were categorized as high-level evidence. Only three papers evaluated their systems in a real environment. A variety of data elements and functionalities could be observed. Overall, 84 unique data elements were extracted from the included papers. The analysis of reported functionalities showed that 18 functionalities were implemented in these systems. Conclusion Identifying the data elements and functionalities as a roadmap by developers can significantly improve MACDSS performance. Though many CDSSs have been developed for different medication processes in neonates and pediatrics, few have actually evaluated MACDSSs in reality. Therefore, further research is needed on the application and evaluation of MACDSSs in the real environment. Protocol Registration (dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bwbwpape).

Abstract Background Extracting information from free texts using natural language processing (NLP) can save time and reduce the hassle of manually extracting large quantities of data from incredibly complex clinical notes of cancer patients. This study aimed to systematically review studies that used NLP methods to identify cancer concepts from clinical notes automatically. Methods PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase were searched for English language papers using a combination of the terms concerning “Cancer”, “NLP”, “Coding”, and “Registries” until June 29, 2021. Two reviewers independently assessed the eligibility of papers for inclusion in the review. Results Most of the software programs used for concept extraction reported were developed by the researchers (n = 7). Rule-based algorithms were the most frequently used algorithms for developing these programs. In most articles, the criteria of accuracy (n = 14) and sensitivity (n = 12) were used to evaluate the algorithms. In addition, Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT) and Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) were the most commonly used terminologies to identify concepts. Most studies focused on breast cancer (n = 4, 19%) and lung cancer (n = 4, 19%). Conclusion The use of NLP for extracting the concepts and symptoms of cancer has increased in recent years. The rule-based algorithms are well-liked algorithms by developers. Due to these algorithms' high accuracy and sensitivity in identifying and extracting cancer concepts, we suggested that future studies use these algorithms to extract the concepts of other diseases as well.

Abstract Introduction People need health information to maintain their health. Despite the variety of sources and tools for providing health information, there is little evidence about Iranian people's preferences in using these sources and tools. The objective of this study was to identify the preferred health information sources, tools, and methods for presenting health information in these tools. Methods This national survey was conducted among a sample of 4000 Iranian people between April and September 2021. The data was collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire (α = 0.86) consisting of four sections: participants' demographic information, current sources of obtaining health information, preferred information technology (IT) tools for accessing health information, and the method of presenting this information. Linear regression was used to investigate the relationship between demographic factors and other questions. Results The participants received health information mostly from the "Internet" (3.62), "family or friends" (3.43), "social networks" (3.41), "specific websites" (3.41), and "mobile apps" (3.27). "Social networks" (3.67), Internet "websites" (3.56), and "mobile apps" (3.50) were the most suitable tools for receiving health information. The participants preferred the presentation of health information in the form of "Images" (3.85), "educational videos" (3.69), and "texts" (3.53). Age, education, and marital status had a significant relationship with most of the preferred information sources, tools, and information presentation methods (p

Background: A summary of clinical findings and laboratory data is collected in patient summary sheets. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of laboratory data reported in the summary sheets based on the classification of diagnoses in ICD-10. Methods: A descriptive-cross sectional study was performed on summary sheets of patients admitted to the pediatric ward from March 2015 to February 2016.The laboratory data of these sheets were extracted using a data collection form. Because of high number of data in each sheet and given that, depending on the diagnosis, the reported laboratory data were different, to simplify the presentation of the results the data were categorized based on patients’ diagnoses which were coded by ICD-10. Results: A total of 10224 laboratory data were extracted, which included 47 unique data elements. The highest number of laboratory data was related to hematology (N = 14) and the lowest number was related to urine and stool analysis (N = 6). Conclusions: Laboratory data are recorded in summary sheets in accordance with patient's diagnosis. Therefore, it is possible to process the existing summary sheets and extract the registration rules, then implement these rules in hospital information systems to generate electronic summary sheets.

Background: Liver cancer is the third most common cause of cancer mortality. Artificial intelligence, as a diagnostic tool, can reduce physicians’ working load. However, the main fear is that due to the existence of many causes and factors, liver diseases are not easily diagnosed. This study analyzes liver disease intelligently. Various decision tree models were used in this research. Methods: The records of 583 patients in the North East of Andhra Pradesh, India, registered at the University of California in 2012, were collected. Decision tree models were compared by three measures of sensitivity, accuracy, and area under the ROC curve. Results: In this study, Decision-Stump showed better results than other models. Accuracy, sensitivity, and ROC curve of Decision-Stump were 71.3058, 1, and 0.646, respectively. Conclusion: The superior model with the highest precision is the Decision-Stump model. Therefore, the Decision-Stump model is recommended for liver disease diagnosis. This paper is invaluable for the allocation of health resources for risky people.

Abstract Background and Aims Obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relatively common disorder that, due to its debilitating nature, significantly affects personal abilities, job performance, social adjustment, and interpersonal relationships. There are significant barriers to accessing evidence‐based cognitive‐behavioral therapy as a first‐line treatment for obsessive‐compulsive disorder. Mobile health applications (Apps) offer a promising way to improve access to evidence‐based therapies while overcoming these barriers. The present study was to design and evaluate a prototype of a self‐help application for people with OCD (the most common pattern of OCD) based on the exposure and response prevention (ERP) technique. Methods This work was developed in four different phases. (1) Needs assessment: a thorough literature review, reviewing existing related programs and apps, and interviewing patients and psychiatrists; (2) Creating a paper prototype: considering the functional features identified in the previous phase using wireframe sketcher software. (3) Creating a digital prototype: developing an actual prototype using Axure RP software based on the information obtained from an expert panel's evaluation of the paper prototype. (4) Prototype usability evaluation: through a heuristic evaluation with experts and usability testing with patients using the SUS questionnaire. Results After requirement analysis, requirements were defined in the areas of information and educational elements, and functional capabilities. Prototypes designed based on identified requirements include capabilities such as in‐app online self‐help groups, assessing the severity of the symptoms of the disorder, psychological training, supportive treatment strategies, setting personalized treatment plans, tracking treatment progress through weekly reports provided, anxiety assessment, and setting reminders. Conclusion The results of the heuristic evaluation with experts made it possible to identify how to provide information and implement the capabilities in a way that is more appropriate and easier for the user.

Abstract Introduction Using information technology (IT) for purposes such as patient education and disease prevention and management is effective when patients are ready to use it. The objective of this study was to determine the readiness of patients with renal failure to use health IT. Methods This study was performed on all dialysis patients in South Khorasan province (n = 263) using a 28-item questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of (1) demographic information of participants and (2) questions concerning eight main factors including the need for information, desire to receive information, ability to use computers and the Internet, computers and the Internet anxiety, communication with physicians, using mobile phones and concerns about security and confidentiality of information. Descriptive statistics and Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis statistical tests were used to analyze the data. Results About 15% of the participants stated that they do not want to receive information from the Internet. Anxiety and concern about Internet security and confidentiality were higher in women, married people, people over 60, villagers, and illiterate people (p

Abstract Background To optimize appointment systems, it is necessary to assess their users’ perspectives. This study aims to determine the use of various appointment systems among patients in academic outpatient centers and to investigate their perspectives and satisfaction. Methods This survey study was conducted on 332 patients or those accompanying patients in academic outpatient centers. A five-part questionnaire consisting of (1) demographic information, (2) willingness to use systems, (3) problems when using these systems, (4) problems after reserving the appointment, (5) recommendations and critics was used. The relationship between the system of interest and the available tools was examined by the Chi-square test, and the relationship between demographic characteristics and satisfaction was assessed using multiple regression. Results The participants’ overall satisfaction towards appointment systems, regardless of the type of system, was 49.12 ± 16.04 (out of 100). Satisfaction with the appointment system using Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) was significantly higher than the other two systems (p = 0.03). Web-based application and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) were the most frequently used systems with 61% and 48%, respectively. More than half of those who had access to a telephone (56%) preferred the IVR appointment system, and most of those who had Internet access (71%) preferred the web-based application (p

Abstract Background Despite the use of health information technology (HIT) for controlling and managing lupus, its effectiveness has not been well studied. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of HIT in controlling and managing lupus. Methods We searched Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase, using "self-management", "self-care" and "Systemic Lupus Erythematosus" keywords. Two researchers selected relevant papers and extracted data using a data collection form. Disagreements were resolved in consultation with the third and fourth researchers. After extraction, the data were analyzed. Results Totally, 23 papers met the inclusion criteria. About 75% of the studies used web and telephone-based technologies. Most services provided with health technologies were ‘Training’ and ‘consulting’. The ‘lifestyle" and ‘Consultation and education’ axes were the most widely used HIT services to control and manage lupus. While, ‘Better management and control of the disease’, ‘Increasing knowledge and awareness of people about lupus’ and ‘Improving behaviors and attitudes toward self-management and self-care’ were also the most important outcomes. ‘Collectiing patient data and information’, 'Providing education and consultation services to patients', 'Measuring patient-reported outcomes', and 'Increasing patients' knowledge and awareness of their disease' were the most important advantages of various technologies. 'Slow internet speed' and 'Challenges and problems related to appearance and usability' and 'Patient concerns about privacy and misuse of their data' were three disadvantages of technologies. Conclusion The findings showed that HIT can improve the management and control of lupus and facilitate self-efficacy, self-care, and self-management in patients. The axes and data elements identified in this study can be the basis for developing and implementing efficient HIT-based systems to improve, control, and manage lupus.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate HIV/AIDS mobile applications using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) and rate the features of these applications using the new tool called the Feature-based Application Rating Method (FARM). Methods In this study, all available HIV/AIDS apps in Iran from Cafe Bazaar and Google Play Store due to inclusion criteria were studied. The evaluation of the quality of applications was done using the MARS tool and the FARM tool. The FARM, which was developed in this study, was applied to rank the features of the applications. Results In this study, 79 applications were included. The mean score of all apps using both tools was 3.58 (SD = 0.95) out of 5. The overall mean quality score based on the MARS was 3.14 (SD = 0.84), and the mean score of features based on FARM was 3.81 (SD = 1.23). This study showed a higher than moderate correlation between the scores assigned to apps based on the MARS and FARM tools (r > 0.4). Conclusions The HIV/AIDS mobile applications available in Iran had the "acceptable" ranking. Also, our study results showed that to evaluate mobile apps, using a single tool may not provide good insight to evaluators about the assessed apps. However, using more than one tool may provide more details about the evaluated apps. To improve the quality of mobile health apps and help users select the most desirable app, we suggested using tools like FARM for ranking apps based on the features of each app in the app stores.

Introduction: Discharge summaries (DSs) are among the most important tools for transferring information from hospital physicians to other physicians and play an important role in the continuity of care. Low quality and lack of information are the main problems of DSs, and evaluation of their quality from the physicians' perspective in Iran has rarely been done. This study aimed to evaluate the DSs' quality of content and completeness. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on the DSs of Shafa Hospital in Kerman. A valid and reliable researcher-made questionnaire (α=0.97) was used. This questionnaire had three sections, including questions related to demographic information, evaluation of the quality of DSs (8 questions), and the degree of completeness of the DSs (8 questions). Results: Out of 110 physicians, 98 (89%) filled out questionnaires. Completeness, awareness, continuity of care, legibility, relevancy, length, consistency, organization, and physicians’ satisfaction were below the average (50%) throughout the hospital. The highest level of physicians' satisfaction with the quality of the content (79.27%) and completeness (77.73%) was attributed to electronic discharge summaries of the neurology department. Organization, legibility, and consistency, respectively, were identified as the best predictors of physicians' satisfaction with the quality of the DSs’ content. Conclusion: Policymakers should increase the quality of DSs by creating instructions, holding documentation training courses, increasing the supervision of senior physicians on interns and residents, and finally developing electronic automated DSs.

Considering the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to use electronic health (e-health) to prevent, diagnose, and treat this disease. According to reports on the use of e-health technology in past and present crises, this technology can have the potential to improve the quality and the quantity of provided services and control and manage diseases in epidemic conditions. The important issue is how to implement this technology fairly and facilitate the use of this technology by health care providers and the general public. Moreover, the concerns about the physician-patient relationship, patient privacy and health costs should be addressed. Therefore, it is necessary for health policymakers and planners to develop laws and guidelines to address legal and ethical barriers to the use of this technology, focusing on vulnerable populations, to manage the crisis and also determine the role of insurers in this area.

Abstract Background and Aim Iranian hospitals are provided with hospital information systems (HISs) from different vendors, which make it hardly possible to summarize laboratory data in an consistent manner. Therefore, there is a need to design a minimum data set of laboratory data that will define standard criteria and reduce potential medical errors. The purpose of this study was to design a minimum data set (MDS) of laboratory data for an electronic summary sheet to be used in the pediatric ward of Iranian hospitals. Methods This study consists of three phases. In the first phase, out of 3997 medical records from the pediatric ward, 604 summary sheets were chosen as sample. The laboratory data of these sheets were examined and the recorded tests were categorized. In the second phase, based on the types of diagnosis we developed a list of tests. Then we asked the physicians of the ward to select which ones should be documented for each patient's diagnosis. In the third phase, the tests that were reported in 21%–80% of the records, and were verified by the same percentage of physicians, were evaluated by the experts' panel. Results In the first phase, 10,224 laboratory data were extracted. Of these, 144 data elements reported in more than 80% of the records, and more than 80% of experts approved them to be included in the MDS for patients' summary sheet. After data elements were investigated in the experts' panel, 292 items were chosen for the final list of the data set. Conclusions This MDS was designed such that, if implemented in hospital information systems, it could automatically enable registering data in the summary sheet when patient's diagnosis is registered.

Abstract Background Recently, the application of bulk-fill composite resins has increased significantly. Attrition wear and the consequently increased surface roughness of composite resins are among the causes of restoration failure in the posterior teeth. This study aimed to compare the attrition wear and surface roughness of four types of bulk-fill composite resins compared to a conventional composite resin. Methods EverX-Posterior, X-tra fil, SonicFill 2, and Filtek Bulk-Fill composites (bulk-fill) and Z250 composite (conventional resin composite) were evaluated. Thirty cylindrical specimens (n = 6) were weighed and monitored for 24 h until their weight was stabilized. The primary surface roughness of the specimens was measured by a profilometer. The specimens were then subjected to attrition wear in a chewing simulator. Next, the specimens were weighed, and the surface roughness was measured again. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc test at P 0.05). Tukey’s post-hoc test showed that the weight loss of bulk-fill composites was not significantly different from that of Z250 conventional composite after the attrition wear (P > 0.05). Conclusion Within the limitations of this study, it appears that the tested bulk-fill composite resins are comparable to the conventional composite regarding their attrition wear, increased surface roughness, and weight loss.

Abstract Background Lack of attention to end-users' requirements and preferences may lead to the failure of health information technology (IT) interventions. Identifying users’ needs for designing a mobile application can lead to the development of an acceptable intervention. This study aimed to determine the requirements for designing a mobile application to educate and provide needed information to contact lens (CL) wearers. Methods A qualitative study was conducted on 24 CL wearers and nine eye care practitioners from the three CL clinics in Iran. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the conventional content analysis proposed by Lundman and Graneheim. Lincoln and Guba's criteria were used to ensure the trustworthiness of the data. Results The three main categories that emerged from the interviews were mobile application content, mobile application functionalities, and mobile application features. Ten subcategories and 57 sub-subcategories were also identified. It was determined that mobile content should focus on advice and information for optimizing the CL wearing experience and training regarding the use of CLs. Entering information required for self-care, computational capability, interactivity, updates, and reminders were determined as needed functionalities. The participants recommended features for the structure and user interface of the mobile application and information presentation methods. Conclusion This study identified the information needed to develop a mobile application for CL wearers. This also provides insights regarding required functionalities when applying IT interventions. These findings can be used by CL clinics, developers of health information systems, policymakers, and health planners to design better CL-related care and compliance interventions.

Background To facilitate disease management, understanding the attitude of healthcare professionals regarding the use of this tool can help mobile health (mHealth) program developers develop appropriate interventions. Aims To assess the perspective of healthcare professionals regarding the contribution of mobile-based interventions in the prevention, diagnosis, self-care, and treatment (PDST) of COVID-19. Methods This is a survey study conducted in 2020 in Iran with 81 questions. In this study mHealth functionalities were categorized into four dimensions including innovative, monitoring and screening, remote services, and education and decision-making. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and the Kruskal–Wallis test to compare the attitudes of the different job groups. Results In total, 123 providers participated, and 87.4% of them reported that mHealth technology is moderate to most helpful for the management of COVID-19. Healthcare professionals believed that mHealth technology could be most helpful in self-care and least helpful in the diagnosis of COVID-19. Regarding the functionalities of the mobile application, the results showed that the use of patient decision aids can be most helpful in self-care and the use of computer games can be least helpful in treatment. The participants believed that mHealth is more effective in monitoring and screening dimensions and less effective in providing remote services. Conclusions This study showed that healthcare professionals believed that mHealth technology could have a better contribution to self-care for patients with COVID-19. Therefore, it is better to plan and invest more in the field of self-care to help patients to combat COVID-19. The results of this study revealed which mhealth functionalities work better in four domains of prevention, treatment, self-care, and diagnosis of COVID-19. This can help healthcare authorities to implement appropriate IT-based interventions to combat COVID-19.

Introduction: Various training methods such as web-based training tools have been developed to achieve the potential benefits of classification systems developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Given that users of these tools have different levels of capability, usability problems could reduce the speed and accuracy of learning among users interacting with these tools. This study aims to identify usability problems of web-based training tools under the WHO family of international classifications (WHO-FIC). Methods: In this descriptive and cross-sectional study, ten trained evaluators independently examined WHO-FIC training tools using the heuristic evaluation method. The identified problems were classified into 10 Nielsen’s usability heuristics. Then, their average severity was calculated. Results: In total, 40 usability problems were identified after merging and eliminating the duplicates. The highest number of problems was related to ICD-10 training tool (n=20). The highest number of problems was related to heuristics of aesthetic and minimalist design (25.0%), and user control and freedom (17.5%). Heuristics of flexibility and efficiency of use and helping users recognize, diagnose and recover from errors had the highest average severity of problems. Conclusion: Violating heuristics of aesthetic and minimalist design, user control and freedom and recognition rather than recall were among the most common problems of WHO-FIC training tools. Evaluators reported that half of the user interface problems of WHO-FIC training tools were of major and catastrophe type. Solving the usability problems of these tools could lead to ease of work, increased speed of learning and acceptance of these systems among users.

Abstract Background and Aims Many people around the world, especially at the time of the Covid‐19 outbreak, are concerned about their e‐health data. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of patients with Covid‐19 toward sharing their health data for research and their concerns about security and privacy. Methods This survey is a cross‐sectional study conducted through an electronic researcher‐made questionnaire from February to May 2021. Convenience sampling was applied to select the participants and all 475 patients were referred to two to Afzalipour and Shahid Bahonar hospitals were invited to the study. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 204 patients were included in the study and completed the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, and standard deviation) were used to analyze the questionnaire data. SPSS 23.0 was used for data analysis. Results Participants tended to share information about “comments provided by individuals on websites” (68.6%), “fitness tracker data” (64.19%), and “online shopping history” (63.21%) before death. Participants also tended to share information about “electronic medical records data” (36.75%), “genetic data” (24.99%), and “Instagram data” (24.99%) after death. “Fraud or misuse of personal information” (4.48 [±1.27]) was the most common concern of participants regarding the virtual world. “Unauthorized access to the account” (4.38 [±0.73]), “violation of the privacy of personal information” (4.26 [±0.85]), and “violation of the patient privacy and personal information confidentially” (4.26 [±0.85]) were the most of the unauthorized security incidents that occurred online for participants. Conclusion Patients with Covid‐19 were concerned about releasing information they shared on websites and social networks. Therefore, people should be made aware of the reliability of websites and social media so that their security and privacy are not affected.

Abstract Background Despite the rapid expansion of electronic health records, the use of computer mouse and keyboard, challenges the data entry into these systems. Speech recognition software is one of the substitutes for the mouse and keyboard. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of online and offline speech recognition software on spelling errors in nursing reports and to compare them with errors in handwritten reports. Methods For this study, online and offline speech recognition software were selected and customized based on unrecognized terms by these softwares. Two groups of 35 nurses provided the admission notes of hospitalized patients upon their arrival using three data entry methods (using the handwritten method or two types of speech recognition software). After at least a month, they created the same reports using the other methods. The number of spelling errors in each method was determined. These errors were compared between the paper method and the two electronic methods before and after the correction of errors. Results The lowest accuracy was related to online software with 96.4% and accuracy. On the average per report, the online method 6.76, and the offline method 4.56 generated more errors than the paper method. After correcting the errors by the participants, the number of errors in the online reports decreased by 94.75% and the number of errors in the offline reports decreased by 97.20%. The highest number of reports with errors was related to reports created by online software. Conclusion Although two software had relatively high accuracy, they created more errors than the paper method that can be lowered by optimizing and upgrading these softwares. The results showed that error correction by users significantly reduced the documentation errors caused by the software.

Abstract Background Lack of proper and timely patients' access to speech pathologists can affect the treatment and follow-up process; therefore, patients do not achieve the expected therapeutic goals. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of tele-rehabilitation on the stuttering patients using the goal attainment scaling (GAS). Methods This interventional study was carried out on patients who visited the rehabilitation centers affiliated to the Jahrom Welfare Office. They underwent remote speech therapy using Skype. To evaluate the treatment outcomes of the stuttering patients, GAS was used. Results The participants' speech and lingual skills improved using videoconferencing. The mean score of total GAS for patients was 53.08. Of 112 health goals, patients reached the expected or higher than expected levels in 78 goals. Conclusions Rehabilitation through video conferencing was effective for patients with stuttering, improved their speech, and decreased their stuttering. Since, application of remote rehabilitation services can provide regular access to healthcare services, it can lead to improving patient treatment provide more frequent and faster treatment follow-up.

Abstract Background Designing educational interventions tailored to the needs of Contact Lens Wearers (CLWs) are important and necessary. The present study aimed to determine the information needs of CLWs to educate and provide information to them to increase their knowledge and reduce complications and non-compliance behaviors. Methods A qualitative approach was applied and semi-structured interviews were conducted in three contact lenses (CL) clinics in Iran among all their practitioners and 24 purposively selected patients. Data were analyzed using the Lundman and Graneheim conventional content analysis. Results The qualitative analysis revealed knowledge and skill themes as two main categories. The knowledge category includes five subcategories of basic information for the CLWs, acquaintance with the CL, caring for CL, hygiene and vigilance of CL, and challenges of using CL. The skill category consists of two subcategories, including handling/insertion and removal of the CL, and stabilization of learned information. Moreover, 36 sub-subcategories emerged from these seven subcategories that reflected the information needs of CLWs. Conclusions A clear understanding of CLWs’ information needs can help to design and develop appropriate educational approaches to overcome training barriers such as physicians’ time constraints and high workload. Moreover, it can help deal with CLWs’ insufficient knowledge and provide the required information simply and practically with the possibility of enough repetition.

Abstract Background and Aims Geography plays an important role in the incidence of respiratory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology and geographical distribution of death due to noninfectious lower respiratory diseases (NILRDs). Methods Data related to all death due to NILRD in Kerman Province between 2012 and 2018 were extracted from the National Mortality Registry. The underlying causes of death were extracted from the registry based on the assigned codes from ICD‐10 (International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision) classification. The existence of spatial clusters and outliers was evaluated using local indicators of spatial association statistics. Results The frequency of death due to NILRD was 8005 persons during the 7 years of the study. The main cause of death was chronic lower respiratory disease (54.2%). Other causes of death were, respectively, lung diseases due to external agents (1.09%), other respiratory diseases mainly affecting the interstitium (1.16%), other diseases of pleura (0.57%), and other diseases of the respiratory system (42.13%). The age‐ and sex‐adjusted mortality rates due to NILRD in the north and center of the province increased significantly from 2012 to 2018. Also, the results of cluster analysis identified northern regions as the clustered areas of NILRD. Conclusions Our findings showed a significant increase in mortality due to NILRD in Kerman Province during the 7 years of the study. To reduce this type of death, health policymakers should have environmental health plans and basic solutions, such as a warning system to reduce the commuting on highly air‐polluted days and to control pollutants, especially in the industrial areas of the north of this province.

Abstract Background Injuries are a major health issue worldwide and their prevention requires access to accurate statistics in this regard. This can be achieved by classifying the collected data using the international classification systems. This study aimed at investigating the content coverage rate of the International Classification of External Causes of Injury (ICECI) regarding the external causes of injury in a hospital. Methods This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was performed on 322 injured individuals visiting the emergency unit of a hospital which is the biggest truma center in the southeast of Iran. The required data were collected via a designed questionnaire by the researcher visiting the Emergency ward. The collected data were encoded based on the ICECI textbook by two encoders. Their agreement rate was calculated using the Kappa estimate of agreement. The content coverage of the classification system and the degree of completeness of the required data for encoding in the patients’ records were measured. Data were analyzed by the SPSS software, ver 19. Results The findings showed that 70% of the external causes of injury were covered by ICECI. Among the 322 cases, 138 (43%) had been referred due to a car crash. The injured were mostly drivers of land transport vehicles who had been unintentionally involved in a car crash. The least mechanism for injury was bite injury with 5 (2%). ICECI was capable of classifying 92% of the data related to the external causes of the injuries. The most un-covered data has belonged to the "activity when injured" axis (n = 18). Lack of precise data recording in the medical records resulted in missing data about at least one of the axis of the external causes in most records. Conclusion The findings of the present study showed that ICECI has good content coverage for encoding the external causes of injuries. Before implementing ICECI for encoding the external causes of injuries, it is required to train clinicians regarding how to document all aspects of an injury incidence.

Background and purpose: Glycopeptide resistance genes can be transmitted to clinical strains from gram-positive environmental bacteria and the normal flora. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of vancomycin and teicoplanin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolates in hospital environment and fecal samples of healthy individuals. Materials and methods: Human stool and hospital environment samples were collected and inoculated on selective M-enterococcus agar medium. Then, E. faecalis and E. faecium were identified using phenotypic and molecular methods. Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the isolates against teicoplanin and vancomycin was determined by micro-broth dilution method. Data were analyzed in SPSS applying Chi-square test. Results: From 145 isolates, E. faecalis and E. faecium were detected in 84 (54.93%) and 61 (42.07%) isolates, respectively. One (1.19%) E. faecalis isolate and 4 (6.56%) E. faecium isolates were resistant to vancomycin, while 4 (6.56%) E. faecium isolates were found to be resistant to teicoplanin. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of 50 (MIC50) and 90 (MIC90) for vancomycin and teicoplanin in E. faecalis and E. faecium were 4 and 16 μg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: The MIC results of vancomycin and teicoplanin showed that most of enterococci isolates studied were sensitive to these two antibiotics. Therefore, their use should be closely monitored to prevent resistance.

Abstract Background Despite the increasing number of mobile health applications, the validity of their content is understudied. The objective of this study was to rate the content of HIV/AIDS-related mobile applications and to determine the extent to which evidence-based medicine is being incorporated into their content using a new tool called the Evidence-based content rating tool of mobile health applications (EBCRT-mHealth). Methods All available HIV/AIDS-related applications in Iran from Cafe Bazaar and Google Play Store were evaluated. This study was first conducted in 2018, then after almost two years in 2021 was done again. In this study, researchers developed the EBCRT-mHealth tool to rate the content of applications based on the evidence-based medicine pyramid. Its reliability was calculated (α = 0.78), and five specialists confirmed its validity. Two reviewers independently reviewed all HIV/AIDS applications directly downloaded and installed from the Google Play Store and Cafe Bazaar. Results Out of 980 retrieved applications, in 2018, 85, and in 2021, 78 applications were included in the study. Only in 17 (28%) out of the 60 in 2018, and 25 (51%) in 2021 Google Play store applications the source of content information was mentioned. All Cafe Bazaar mobile applications mentioned the source of information. The mean rating of all application content in 2018 was 2.38 (SD = 0.74), and in 2021 was 2.90 (SD = 1.35) out of 5. The mean rating of the content of Cafe Bazaar applications in 2018 was 2.10 (SD = 0.49), and in 2021 was 1.94 (SD = 0.29). The mean content rating of Google Play store applications in 2018 was 2.50 (SD = 0.80) and in 2021 was 3.86 (SD = 1.18). Conclusion After two years, the rating of the content of HIV/AIDS-related applications available in Iran that existed in Cafe Bazaar decreased from "poor" to "inappropriate". Also, the content score of the Google Play Store applications increased from "poor" to "good". It is critical to ensure the credibility of the sources used in developing their content and removing applications with inappropriate and unreliable content from the App Stores. Also, mobile health application developers should use the highest quality information in their applications.

Abstract Background Information literacy competency is one of the requirements to implement Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in nursing. It is necessary to pay attention to curricular development and use new educational methods such as virtual education to strengthen information literacy competency in nursing students. Given the scarcity of the studies on the effectiveness of virtual education in nursing, particularly in Iran, and the positive university atmosphere regarding the use of virtual education, this study investigated the effect of virtual education on the undergraduate nursing students’ information literacy competency for EBP. Methods This interventional study was performed with two groups of intervention and control and a pretest and posttest design. Seventy-nine nursing students were selected and assigned to the intervention or control groups by random sampling. Virtual education of the information literacy was uploaded on a website in the form of six modules delivered in four weeks. Questionnaires of demographic information and information literacy for EBP were used to collect data before and one month after the virtual education. Results The results showed no significant difference between the control and intervention groups in all dimensions of information literacy competency in the pre-test stage. In the post-test, the virtual education improved dimensions of information seeking skills (t = 3.14, p = 0.002) and knowledge about search operators (t = 39.84, p = 0.001) in the intervention groups compared with the control group. The virtual education did not have any significant effect on the use of different information resources and development of search strategy with assessing the frequency of selecting the most appropriate search statement in the intervention group. Conclusion Virtual education had a significant effect on information seeking skills and knowledge about search operators in nursing students. Nurse educators can benefit from our experiences in designing this method for the use of virtual education programs in nursing schools. Given the lack of effectiveness of this program in using different information resources and development of search strategy, nurse educators are recommended to train information literacy for EBP by integrating several approaches such as virtual (online and offline) and face-to-face education.

Background and purpose: Nowadays, widespread use of automated teller machines (ATMs), has increased the possibility of contamination of hands due to contact with the surfaces of these devices. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of bacterial contamination and antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolated bacteria from the keyboard of these devices in Sari, north of Iran. Materials and methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, the keyboards of 200 ATMs were sampled by sterile swab and transferred to the laboratory. The samples were inoculated in TSB medium and, after 24 hours of incubation at 37 ° C, were cultured on specific solid media and incubated. Then, the isolated bacteria were identified and their antibiotic resistance pattern was examined by disk agar diffusion method. Results: Bacterial contamination was observed in 97% of the samples. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most frequent identified bacteria (36.08%), while Bacillus cereus was the least frequent bacteria (1.54%). K. pneumoniae showed a high resistance rate against Tetracycline (91.42%) and a low resistance rate towards Imipenem (2.85%). Conclusion: Regular disinfection of ATM keyboards has a significant role in reducing and controlling bacterial contamination. Also, due to increased antibiotic resistance of isolated bacteria, it is possible to combat this problem by precise monitoring on the performance of antimicrobial stewardship programs.

Abstract Background The most common gender-specific malignancies are cancers of the breast and the prostate. In developing countries, cancer screening of all at risk is impractical because of healthcare resource limitations. Thus, determining high-risk areas might be an important first screening step. This study explores incidence patterns of potential high-risk clusters of breast and prostate cancers in southern Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the province of Kerman, South Iran. Patient data were aggregated at the county and district levels calculating the incidence rate per 100,000 people both for cancers of the breast and the prostate. We used the natural-break classification with five classes to produce descriptive maps. A spatial clustering analysis (Anselin Local Moran’s I) was used to identify potential clusters and outliers in the pattern of these cancers from 2014 to 2017. Results There were 1350 breast cancer patients (including, 42 male cases) and 478 prostate cancer patients in the province of Kerman, Iran during the study period. After 45 years of age, the number of men with diagnosed prostate cancer increased similarly to that of breast cancer for women after 25 years of age. The age-standardised incidence rate of breast cancer for women showed an increase from 29.93 to 32.27 cases per 100,000 people and that of prostate cancer from 13.93 to 15.47 cases per 100,000 during 2014–2017. Cluster analysis at the county level identified high-high clusters of breast cancer in the north-western part of the province for all years studied, but the analysis at the district level showed high-high clusters for only two of the years. With regard to prostate cancer, cluster analysis at the county and district levels identified high-high clusters in this area of the province for two of the study years. Conclusions North-western Kerman had a significantly higher incidence rate of both breast and prostate cancer than the average, which should help in designing tailored screening and surveillance systems. Furthermore, this study generates new hypotheses regarding the potential relationship between increased incidence of cancers in certain geographical areas and environmental risk factors.

Abstract Background Information technology (IT) plays an important role in nursing practice. Hence, nurses’ experiences and viewpoints about IT integration into healthcare help improve nurses’ adoption of IT. This study aimed to explore the nurses’ experiences and viewpoints about the benefits of IT integration and adoption in healthcare. Methods This study was conducted with a qualitative research approach. Participants included 14 nurses from four hospitals affiliated to a large medical university in Iran, who were selected using a purposive sampling method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the conventional content analysis of Lundman and Graneheim. Results Six categories in the study reflected the nurses’ experiences and viewpoints about the benefits of integrating IT into health care. These categories included improving the quality and efficiency of medical services and care, facilitating the communication management in the technological environment, improving information documentation, management, and monitoring, improving resource management, improving management performance and policymaking, and facilitating pathways of organizational and professional growth. Conclusions Lessons learned in this study can help overcoming the barriers of IT adoption, and developing appropriate strategies to familiarize nurses with the benefits of IT in healthcare settings. Healthcare managers are recommended to investigate the experiences of nurses with IT in their hospitals and organize courses to orient hesitant nurses toward adopting IT.

Background: The implementation of different reimbursement methods has various positive and negative effects on the health system of different countries. Identifying the challenges of these methods is essential to improve these reimbursement methods and modify them if required. This article aimed to qualitatively assess the challenges of current hospitals' payment systems in the Iranian health system and determine the required solutions for modifying these payment systems. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in 2019. Semi-structured interviews were conducted recruiting 20 experts including operational, middle and top managers working in three different levels of health systems. Data collection was continued until it reached a saturation point. MAXQDA 10 was used for data analysis. The data content analysis method was used to analyze the data and the themes and categories were determined. Results: The challenges of the payment systems were categorized into four main themes regarding policy, cost, regulatory and functional challenges, and 15 sub-themes. The findings related to the proposed strategies were presented in six main themes consisting of legal solutions, structural reform, cost, quality improvement, service provider and client, and monitoring and evaluation; and 12 sub-themes. Conclusion: This study showed that the health systems in Iran face various structural and procedural challenges in terms of reimbursement mechanisms. Therefore, it is recommended that policymakers pay attention to these challenges before making any changes. Using hybrid payment systems can be one of the proper solutions.

Background: One of the most important functions of the admission unit is the speed of staff in receiving the information correctly and recording them on the computer, and providing suitable conditions for continuing the patient's treatment. The occurrence of errors in data recording affects the quality of care and may have unfavorable consequences. The application of data validation techniques can help users to record information correctly. Objectives: Hence, the present study aims to identify the techniques and determine the level of compliance with them, their necessity in Admission Discharge Transfer (ADT) systems, and their effect on data quality. Methods: This observational study investigating data quality in the ADT systems was carried out in two stages. In the first stage, a checklist of data control techniques was developed by reviewing the literature. The admission unit of hospital information systems in different units of the teaching hospitals of Kerman (in terms of application of data validation techniques) was evaluated. In the next stage, a researcher-made questionnaire was designed, and users' views on the necessity of using these techniques in HIS and their effect on data quality were evaluated. Data analysis was done using frequency, standard deviation, and mean and Friedman ranking test. Results: In this study, six data techniques were investigated in the studied systems. Users gave the highest mean for the necessity of applying data control techniques for the first name, surname, and national code data items and the lowest mean for the data items related to vital signs. In the ranking of data validation techniques in terms of the importance of their application, the highest rank was obtained in the components of pattern control (17.29), and the lowest rank was obtained in delta control (2.91). In the general ranking of the effect of techniques on data quality, pattern control (5.95) and interval control (4.95), respectively, obtained the highest mean (out of 6). Conclusions: The results revealed that the existing HISs had fewer benefits of using data control. However, users not only consider it necessary to use these controls in the systems but also believe that their application will improve their performance in recording information. Thus, for accurate documentation, HIS designers must implement these techniques in these systems, and their application should become a mandatory standard for system development.

Introduction: One way to reduce medication errors in the cardiovascular settings is to electronically prescribe medication through the computerized physician order entry system (CPOE). Improper design and non-compliance with users' needs are obstacles to implementing this system. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the standard minimum data set (MDS) of this system in order to meet the basic needs of its users. The aim of this study was to introduce MDS in the cardiovascular CPOE drug system to standardize data items as well as to facilitate data sharing and integration with other systems. Material and Methods: This study was a survey study conducted in 1399 in Iran. The study population was all cardiologists in Iran. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of 33 questions. Data were analyzed in SPSS-24 using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 31 cardiologists participated in this study. The participants identified 19 of the 25 drug data items as essential for drug MDS. Five data items (Medication name, Medication dosage, Medication frequency, Medication start date and Patient medication history) were considered essential by more than 90% of the participants. Conclusion: The results of this study identified drug MDS for the cardiovascular CPOE system. The results of this study can be a model for CPOE system designers to develop new systems or upgrade existing systems.

Introduction: Our aim in this study was to summarize information on the use of intelligent models for predicting and diagnosing the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to help early and timely diagnosis of the disease. Material and Methods: A systematic literature search included articles published until 20 April 2020 in PubMed, Web of Science, IEEE, ProQuest, Scopus, bioRxiv, and medRxiv databases. The search strategy consisted of two groups of keywords: A) Novel coronavirus, B) Machine learning. Two reviewers independently assessed original papers to determine eligibility for inclusion in this review. Studies were critically reviewed for risk of bias using prediction model risk of bias assessment tool. Results: We gathered 1650 articles through database searches. After the full-text assessment 31 articles were included. Neural networks and deep neural network variants were the most popular machine learning type. Of the five models that authors claimed were externally validated, we considered external validation only for four of them. Area under the curve (AUC) in internal validation of prognostic models varied from .94 to .97. AUC in diagnostic models varied from 0.84 to 0.99, and AUC in external validation of diagnostic models varied from 0.73 to 0.94. Our analysis finds all but two studies have a high risk of bias due to various reasons like a low number of participants and lack of external validation. Conclusion: Diagnostic and prognostic models for COVID-19 show good to excellent discriminative performance. However, these models are at high risk of bias because of various reasons like a low number of participants and lack of external validation. Future studies should address these concerns. Sharing data and experiences for the development, validation, and updating of COVID-19 related prediction models is needed.

Background and Aim: The online social networks as new and widespread sources of information have been able to facilitate the accessibility of people to health information. The aim of this study was to determine the use of online social networks and their role in sharing health information among pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in Kerman in the winter of 2017. The study participants were the pregnant women referring to 21 gynecologists’ private offices in Kerman city. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire. The validity of this questionnaire was confirmed by 4 medical informatics and health information management specialists, and its reliability (71%) was estimated with Cronbachchr('39')s alpha. Data were analyzed by SPSS using descriptive statistics and analytical tests. Results: In general, 89% of pregnant women used online social networks and more than 80% of them used it daily. Moreover, more than 57% used these networks for the related information about health and pregnancy period care, and almost 68% of pregnant women considered these networks useful. Conclusion: This study showed the widespread use of online social networks among pregnant women in Kerman city. If accurate and trustworthy information bits were shared in such networks, they could provide an appropriate platform to improve the awareness, knowledge and health literacy of pregnant woman, and facilitate the exchange of information and experience among them.

Objective: To define a core dataset for ICU Patients Outcome Prediction in Iran. This core data set will lead us to design ICU outcome prediction models with the most effective parameters. Methods: A combination of literature review, national survey and expert consensus meetings were used. First, a literature review was performed by a general search in PubMed to find the most appropriate models for intensive care mortality prediction and their parameters. Secondly, in a national survey, experts from a couple of medical centers in all parts of Iran were asked to comment on a list of items retrieved from the earlier literature review study. In the next step, a multi-disciplinary committee of experts was installed. In 4 meetings each data item was examined separately and included/excluded by committee consensus. Results: The combination of the literature review findings and experts’ consensus resulted in a draft dataset including 26 data items. 92% percent of data items in the draft dataset were retrieved from the literature study and the others were suggested by the experts. The final dataset of 24 data items covers patient history and physical examination, chemistry, vital signs, oxygenations and some more specific parameters. Conclusions: This dataset was designed to develop a nationwide prognostic model for predicting ICU mortality and length of stay. This dataset opens the door for creating standardized approaches in data collection in the Iranian intensive care unit estimation of resource utility.

Abstract Background Improving maternal health is globally introduced as an important health priority. The purpose of this study is to identify the high priority areas which require more maternal health services in Kerman, Iran. Methods This is a descriptive cross-sectional study, performed in 2015. The literatures were first explored in order to extract geographic indicators and sub indicators relevant to the maternal health. Data were collected by the use of a questionnaire designed on the basis of AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed by three medical informatics experts and test-retest method, respectively. Data were analyzed by Expert Choice software in order to specify the weight and importance of each indicator. The information were then added to Geographic Information System (GIS) to analyze and create the related maps. Results Women’s access to hospitals plays an important role in identifying high priority areas which need maternal care and services. More than half of the mothers in Kerman have a moderate level of access to maternal care services. There is an association between facilities that are provided for pregnant women and the existence of healthcare centers. Moreover, there is a negative correlation between maternal death and the number of facilities provided for medical care and services for pregnant women. Conclusions The application of GIS provides us with the capability to identify high priority areas which need maternal care. According to current population policies in Iran and the probable increase in the fertility rate, it is wise to plan proper schedules to improve health care services for pregnant women in Kerman.

Background and aim: Hospital Information Systems (HIS) are used for easy access to information, improvement of documentation and reducing errors. Nonetheless, using these systems is faced with some barriers and obstacles. This study identifies the challenges and the obstacles of using these systems in the academic and non-academic hospitals in Kerman. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study which was carried out in 2015. The statistical population in this study consisted of the nurses who had been working in the academic and non-academic hospitals in Kerman. A questionnaire consisting of two sections was used. The first section consisted of the demographic information of the participants and the second section comprised 34 questions about the challenges of HIS use. Data were analyzed by the descriptive and statistical analysis (t-test, and ANOVA) using SPSS 19 software. Results: The most common and important challenges in the academic hospitals were about human environment factors, particularly “negative attitude of society toward using HIS”. In the non-academic hospitals, the most common and important challenges were related to human factors, and among them, “no incentive to use system” was the main factor. The results of the t-test method revealed that there was a significant relationship between gender and the mean score of challenges related to the organizational environment category in the academic hospitals and between familiarity with HIS and mean score of human environment factors (p

Introduction: Health knowledge acquisition, training, and controlling of risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) can not only reduce healthcare costs, but can also improve the quality of life (QOL) of patients and help prevent re-hospitalization. The purpose of this research was to evaluate heart patients’ point of view on health knowledge acquisition and its role in the treatment process. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was carried out on 200 patients with CVD. Data were collected using a questionnaire the validity and reliability of which were, respectively, confirmed by experts and by means of test-retest (20, 0.82). Data were analyzed using descriptive (frequency and percentage) and analytical statistics (chi-squared test and marginal independence). Results: After the diagnosis of heart disease, 80.5% of patients had tried to enhance their knowledge about their disease. To increase their knowledge, all of them (161 individuals) used the physician as a source of knowledge acquisition. Overall, 146 (90.7%) patients had acquired knowledge regarding the causes of the disease. A small percentage of the patients believed that educational CDs could help improve their knowledge. Conclusion: The results of this study can be used to plan for the improvement of health knowledge among patients. Determining the most common sources of knowledge acquisition can help in the provision of knowledge through these sources. This can also clarify the reasons for the lack of use of other sources.

Introduction: Speech recognition(SR) technology has been existing for more than two decades. But, it has been rarely used in health care institutions and not applied uniformly in all the clinical domains. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of speech recognition system in four different situations in the real environment of health services. We also report physicians' experience of using speech recognition technology. Method:. To do this study, NEVISA SR software professional v.3 was installed on the computers of expert physicians. The pre-designated medical report was tested by the physicians in four different modes including slow expression in a silent environment, slow expression in crowded environments, rapid expression in a silent environment and rapid expression in a busy environment. After using the speech recognition software by 15 physicians in hospitals, a designed questionnaire was distributed among them. . Results: The results showed that the highest average accuracy of speech recognition software was in the silent environment by slow expression and the minimum average accuracy was in the busy environment by rapid expression. Of all the participants in the study, 53.3% of the physicians believed that the use of speech recognition system promoted the workflow. Conclusion: We found that software accuracy was generally higher than the expectation and its use required to upgrade the system and its operation. In order to achieve the highest level of recognition rate and error reduction by speech recognition, influential factors such as environmental noise, type of software or hardware, training and experience of participants can be also considered.

Introduction: Considering the importance of accurate documentation in psychiatric history and mental assessment and its effect on the current and future treatment among patients, this study aimed to determine data elements in the psychiatric history and mental assessment forms. Method: This is a descriptive-comparative study. Using psychiatric history and assessment forms, the required data were gathered in this study. Finally, all psychiatric history and mental assessment forms gathered from the selected countries including the United States (n=9), Australia (n=1), France (n=1), Iran (n=2) were assessed. After preparing the comparative tables, a comprehensive list of data elements related to the psychiatric history and assessment was provided. Using bottom up approach the extracted data elements were categorized. Results: In total, 58 data elements including demographic data, patient history, current symptoms of disease, evaluation of psychological states, suicide risk assessment, behavioral/emotional conditions, thinking process, drug abuse assessment, family safety/violence assessment, multi-axial diagnosis and treatment type/plan were extracted from psychiatric history and assessment forms. Conclusion: The present study provides a general view of important data elements considered for documentation in psychiatric history and assessment forms.

Introduction: Numerous studies have evaluated health information systems in Iran, but most studies have not ‎followed a standard format for reporting their findings. The objective of this study was to ‎evaluate the compliance of health information systems’ evaluations published in Persian journals ‎with the Statement on Reporting of Evaluation Studies in Health Informatics (STARE-HI). Methods: This was a review study in which papers reporting on evaluation of health information systems ‎were assessed in terms of 51 principles of the STARE-HI using a checklist. These papers were ‎retrieved from the Persian databases of Magiran, IranMedex, and SID using appropriate ‎keywords. Data were classified and reported based on 13 main sections of the STARE-HI. Results: From the 727 retrieved papers, 36 were relevant to the study objectives. All paper had an ‎introduction section, but none of the paper had the authors’ contribution and conflict of interests ‎sections. The mean compliance of articles with the STARE-HI was 71.4%, with the lowest being ‎‎52.94% and the highest being 82.35%. Conclusion: The writing style and structure of studies evaluating health information systems require ‎improvements‏.‏‎ The quality of study reports can be improved through reporting essential ‎information in articles and using corresponding guidelines in the design of authors’ instruction ‎sections of journals. Improving the reporting format of papers can result in better and higher rate ‎of application of study results and increased citation of articles.

Introduction: Although many studies have been conducted in the telepathology field in recent years, a systematic review that examines studies in a comparative manner has not yet been undertaken. This paper aims to review the published papers on telepathology projects and compare them in several aspects such as telepathology method,telecommunication method, clinical outcome, etc. Method: This is a systematic review study. PubMed database was used to find the studies published in the past ten years (2004–2014). The 71 final related papers were evaluated. Data were extracted from these studies based on the following items: country, national (in country) or international (between countries), frozen section or slide, body part, type of camera used, telecommunication method, telepathology method, clinical outcome, cost evaluation, satisfaction evaluation and the description of consultation providers and receivers. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. Results: Results showed that most of the studies were performed in developed countries on a national level, on slide and on a specific body part. In most studies, a Nikon camera was used to take images. Online methods were the most used telecommunication method in the studies, while store and forward was the most used telepathology method. Clinical outcome of many studies showed that telepathology is a reliable and accurate method for consultation. More than half of the studies considered the cost, and most of them showed that a telepathology system is cost effective. Few studies evaluated satisfaction of the participants. In most studies, the telepathology project was undertaken between pathologists. Conclusion: Although there is enough evidence to suggest that telepathology is an effective way of consultation between pathologists, there are still some areas that should be addressed and for which there is a lack of convincing evidence. For example, pathologist satisfaction, cost evaluation, legal issues and ethical issues still need to be addressed

Introduction: The cancellation of a surgery operation not only imposed too much expenditure on the healthcare system, but also waste lots of energy and time of patient and health care provider. The aim of this study was to assess reasons of surgery cancellation, and to provide a comprehensive list of cancellation reasons to implement in hospital information system for improving documentation. Method: This study is an applied-descriptive study which was conducted in two parts. In first part, all medical records of hospitalized patients in Shafa educational hospital during 6 months period which had been assigned a cancellation code based on ICD-10, were assessed. The data were collected through a researcher-made checklist and have been analyzed using SPSS.V18 software. The second part was literature review which provided a list of surgery cancellation reasons. To retrieve the relevant papers PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched. Finally the results of two parts of the study were combined and a comprehensive list of surgery cancellation reasons was developed. Results: Of 7529 surgical operation, 1229 operations (16.4%) were cancelled. Most of the cancelled surgical operations were related to inappropriate patient’s clinical condition before surgery. Extracted cancellation reasons were categorized into 8 groups. Totally a list of 54 reasons for cancellation was developed. Conclusion: Precise documentation of surgery cancellation reasons in each health care institution in order to determine the reasons and plan to prevent them is essential. Designing an information system with proper information content can support the above mentioned issues.

Introduction: Due to the mission of the university websites for providing services to users, the effective design of their content leads to their efficient use. Among them are websites of educational departments which can contain valuable information for faculty members, students and other personnel. The objective of this study was to review the information content of Health Information Management and Technology Departments in Iran. Methods: This research is a cross-sectional study which has been performed on 14 websites in the winter of 2013. The information elements were gathered using a data collection form, validated by three Medical Informatics specialists, and the extent of their necessity was discussed in a focus group. The results were analyzed using SPSS 16. Results: In this study, a total umber of 36 information headings were extracted from the 14 evaluated websites. These elements were categorized in six information groups: the field, faculty members, research, educational, department performance and other information. The most cases were related to research and educational information (each with 22 percent) and the least were related to the field information (8percent). Eighty three percent of existing information elements was identified as necessary by the focus group. Conclusion: Information elements of educational websites were different either by their heading or by their information content. This difference can reduce the efficiency and cause user confusion in finding information. The results of this research can be used for design and improvement of educational websites by educational departments, webometric managers and designers of the websites.

Introduction: Evaluation of the effects of health information systems enable health care policy and decisions makers to better invest on and utilize health information applications. The objective of this systematic review is to consolidate existing evidence from published studies on the effect of health information systems in Iran. Methods: The aim of this study is systematic review of articles about effects of health information systems in Iran. In this study all papers relevant to the research objective were retrieved from SID, Magira, Irandoc, Medlib and Iran Medex databases until July 2013, and finally 18 out of 861 retrieved articles were identified as relevant and reviewed by the authors. Results:This study shows that approximately more than half of the studies indicated the positive effects of these systems on costs and less than half of them had negative on costs.The results also demonstrate other major effects of these systems: decreased medication errors, increased accuracy and timeliness of activities, increased accessibility of information and improved quality of services. Conclusion:Theresults of this study provide a good insights concerning the effects of health information systems for policymakers and researchers. This study mainly highlighted the positive effects of these systems on health care procedures Key Words: Health Information Systems; Hospital Information Systems; Quality Improvement.