Showing 13 results for Medical Science
Ali Khaji, Soheil Saadat,
Volume 6, Issue 5 (12-2013)
Abstract
Self-citation is a behavior that is seen to varying degrees in researchers, research centers and medical journals. The question is whether self-citation is moral or not.
This is a descriptive and analytical study (library and document research). Two main keywords (self-citation and ethics) were used for searching databases. In addition, efforts have been made for moral evaluation of self-citation by review articles from databases, ethical-codes and related guidelines.When self-citation is employed to drive readers to a better and easier understanding of an article, it is acceptable and even necessary, but when it is done mainly to increase reference to one’s articles, it is non-essential. Since unnecessary self-citation could mislead researchers and policymakers, bring false prestige for individuals, institutions and magazines, and create unhealthy competition among researchers, it is immoral. Moreover, forcing authors to use an article as reference without a scientific reason is wrong and unethical practice.Modification of evaluation methods for researchers, magazines and research centers to eliminate self-citation and also appropriately informing them about the ethical aspects of unnecessary self-citation could be effective in reducing this phenomenon. It is recommended to observe and inform the rate of unnecessary self- citation among authors, research centers and journals.
Hossein Dargahi, Golsa Shaham,
Volume 8, Issue 4 (11-2015)
Abstract
Emphasis on the organizational commitment of employees is a soft management technique to enhance performance and efficiency. This study aimed to determine the relationship between organizational commitment in the employees of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) and their tendency to display non-ethical behavior.
This study was a descriptive analytical and cross-sectional research conducted on the headquarters employees of Tehran University of Medical Sciences during 2013 and 2014. A sample size of 150 employees was determined using the Cochran formula. Research tools consisted of a researcher-made questionnaire measuring non-ethical behavior, and Allen & Meyer’s Organizational Commitment Scale. The validity and reliability of both questionnaires were confirmed. The response rate was 85%. Data were collected using the SPSS software, and Pearson’s statistical methods were applied.
The average organizational commitment of the employees in this study was 62.32, which is considered as moderate. It should be added that the majority of the employees did not demonstrate a tendency for non-ethical behavior.
Although the average organizational commitment was not high in TUMS employees, it was not correlated to their non-ethical behavior tendency. It seems that the organizational commitment of TUMS employees is influenced by other factors such as supervisor and organizational ethics, which can be the subject of future studies.
Reza Yazdani, Mojtaba Asefi,
Volume 11, Issue 0 (3-2018)
Abstract
Moral intelligence as a dimension of intelligence can provide a framework for the proper functioning of human. This function can be effective in the clinical environment such as dentistry. Therefore, the present study examined ethical intelligence of the first and sixth year dental students in the Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The present cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 among 106 of the first and sixth year dental students. The students were selected by census sampeling and the Lennic & Kiel's Ethical Intelligence Questionnaire were used for data collection. The variables were analyzed by SPSS-Ver.22 software using descriptive and analytical statistical tests. Findings of the study indicate that there is no significant relationship between the ethical intelligence of the first and sixth year dental students. Also, in the first year students, only the indirect relationship between ethical intelligence and mother's education (P value = 0.026) and the level of household economic condition (P- value = 0.009) were found. In the sixth year students', only the direct relationship between ethical intelligence and the level of household economic condition was found (P -value = 0.015). This study showed that the ethical intelligence of dental students during education was not significantly improved, which indicates that the educational system not effecient on for promoting ethical intelligence of dental students.
Arefe Marzoghi, Hossein Mahmoodian,
Volume 13, Issue 0 (3-2020)
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate cyber-ethics skills and behaviors of students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) using descriptive and survey research. Three categories of students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences was selected as statistical population in this study including medical, dentistry, and bachelor of nursing and midwifery in academic year of 2016-2017. A group of 200 students were selected using a simple random sampling method for the study. Data analyzed using SPSS software (22) and descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that students' cognitive skills and ethical behaviors are lower than acceptable level. Also, there was no significant difference between students based on demographic characteristics e.g. gender, field of study and educational level regarding their skills and ethical behaviors.
Khadije Mohammadi, Abbas Rahimi Froshani,
Volume 13, Issue 0 (3-2020)
Abstract
One of the main issues in hospitals is evaluation of efficiency and effectiveness. For this purpose, several indicators are presented, which are known as functional indicators. If the performance of hospitals depends on the patient's demographic characteristics, overlooking effect of hospital indicators, as an effective factor at a higher level on the patient rights, may lead to inaccurate conclusions about these relationships. In such cases, where the data are intrinsically multilevel, the use of multi-level statistical models for this type of data is useful. Samples were collected from eight hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences during 2013 in a two stage cluster. Data on patient rights and demographic information were collected from 375 patients by a questionnaire. The patient's rights rate was measured by multivariate statistical analysis and factor analysis. Two-level linear regression models were used to examine the relationship between patients' rights and some demographic information. The first level was demographic factors and the second level was hospital factors. The results showed that rate of considering patients' rights in hospitals were in moderate level. About 16% of the variance of the dependent variable of patient's rights, which was significant, is due to variations at the higher level of the hospital and other variations at the individual level. Furthermore, variables of bed occupancy, complaint rate, and hospital escape rate at the higher level (Hospital) have a significant impact on the patient's rights.
Hasan Kohansal Vajargah,
Volume 15, Issue 1 (3-2022)
Abstract
The Sassanid Empire ruled in Iran between 224 AD and 651 AD. The founder of this dynasty, Ardashir I (241-224 AD), a Zoroastrian cleric, took two very important steps in the beginning; One was the creation of a central government and the other was the formalization of the religion of Zoroaster. The homogeneity and alignment of government and religion in the Sassanid administration had very important effects on the growth and development of science and knowledge, especially medical science, which began in the Achaemenid Empire (330 559 AD). The under-consideration question in this research is that despite the class system and the monopoly of learning science and knowledge in the privileged classes of society, what was the status of medical science in the Sassanid period? This study showed that medical science had the highest position in the teachings of Zoroastrian religion; Because with that, they took care of their health and performed their religious duties well, and with it, they overcame the devil. In Zoroastrian religious texts, the duties and characteristics of the physician, the types of diseases and how to treat and the rules related to ‘Tebabat’(medicine) are discussed. In addition to this, the encouragement policy of kings and Sassanid government, including; Expanding cultural and scientific relations with India, Greece and Rome, translating the works of foreign physicians into Pahlavi and archiving them along with the formation of a large library, inviting foreign physicians to work at ‘GondiShapur’ University and sending Iranian physicians abroad in order to acquire more medical knowledge and experience, they were very influential in the growth and development of medical science. The current study has been conducted in a historical method with reference to library sources and archaeological sources as well as new researches have been used to complete the topics. It seems that due to the spread of Iranian civilization in the Sassanid era and paying attention to science and knowledge as well as the creation of a medical city in the Sassanid period, medical knowledge had a great importance in this period and this knowledge was researching professionally.
Mahboubeh Shali, Samira Mohammadi, Hasan Shahbazi, Nooshin Kohan, Bagher Larijani, Shohreh Naderi Magham,
Volume 16, Issue 0 (11-2023)
Abstract
To enhance the level of health literacy among the public, it is essential to take steps towards empowering people to recognize and control the influential factors on health. University professors, as health knowledge promoters, are recognized as educators of health skills and advocates for healthy lifestyles and behaviors. This study aimed to elucidate the role of medical professors in promoting the health literacy of the public. The present study was conducted using conventional content analysis. The participants were selected using purposive sampling with maximum variation. A total of 20 professors from medical universities, the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, and the Ministry of Health were purposively selected until information saturation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed simultaneously with data collection. Twenty participants (9 females and 11 males) with an average age of 50.3 and an average work experience of 23.45 years took part in the study. After data analysis, 947 initial codes were extracted, and subsequently, categorized into five main categories and fifteen subcategories. Infrastructure development, content production, role model, self-empowerment, and culture building were identified as the main categories. University professors can, through a skillful combination of various elements within the educational system, either propel students and the general public towards lofty goals or deprive them of achieving such objectives. However, factors such as the low number of professors relative to the number of students, the high workload of faculty members, lack of resources, and the overwhelming life responsibilities of faculty members have influenced their performance and role in this regard. To achieve the goal of encouraging professors in enhancing the health literacy of society, it is imperative to bring these constraints to the attention of authorities for resolution.
Masoumeh Jorjani, Mitra Amini, Noushin Kohan, Seyyed Samad Sajjadi, Nikzad Isazadeh, Amin Habibi, Maryam Sohanaki, Pouria Kanani, Reza Mortazavi,
Volume 16, Issue 0 (11-2023)
Abstract
General courses can effectively empower students and enhance their professional and social personality, and it is essential to continuously evaluate the effectiveness, status, and updating of these courses. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the effectiveness of teaching general courses in the medical curriculum in Iran. The study involved both qualitative and quantitative phases. After conducting semi-structured interviews with experts, medical students, and professors of general courses, and using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis method, 528 codes were extracted and classified into 4 themes, 11 categories, and 33 subcategories. The main themes included updating the curriculum, focusing on effective and purposeful learning, collaboration and needs assessment of the stakeholders, and linking general courses with practical skills. Based on the results of the qualitative phase, a model for the effective teaching of general courses was developed using Delphi method with subject matter experts, and the validity of the model was confirmed with a two-round validation process. Removing unnecessary courses or those with repetitive content, designing needs-oriented content, involving experts in course revisions, using skill-based education methods, increasing skill-based and practical courses, flexibility in evaluation, and utilizing new educational technologies indicated the highest mean and consensus index. The results showed the necessity of evolving the traditional education system, rethinking, revising the topics and content, focusing on skills based on new needs, promoting evaluation models, and utilizing modern tools and technologies in teaching general courses.
Ata Pourabbasi, Zahra Hoseini Tavassol, Bagher Larijani,
Volume 16, Issue 0 (11-2023)
Abstract
The higher health education system in the Islamic Republic of Iran is an integrated system with multiple stakeholders responsible for training human resources in the health sector at different levels. The Academy of Medical Sciences of the Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the effective institutional factors in this system. This study aimed to explain the position of the Academy of Medical Sciences in the country’s medical sciences education system and outline its major directions in this field. In this study, the knowledge-to-action framework was implemented in four steps. Effective institutional factors in system development were explained, and the role of the various stakeholders of the country’s medical sciences education system was compared with them. Then, the functions of the academy as a main beneficiary based on the degree of connection with the stages of the knowledge-to-action framework were weighted, and finally, these functions were classified into different categories. According to this model, although the academy plays a role in many stages of the development of the country’s medical sciences education system, it primarily functions as a think tank and observatory and to a lesser extent as a knowledge implementation unit. The model presented in this study will help the trustees of the Academy of Medical Sciences to play the largest and most effective role in the development of the country’s medical sciences education system, with optimal resource management and principled development of human capacities, thereby laying the groundwork for the improvement of the integrated health system.
Rasool Esmalipour, Narges Dastmalchi , Khalil Hajiasgharzadeh,
Volume 17, Issue 0 (12-2024)
Abstract
Stem cell technology and regenerative medicine are interdisciplinary fields that integrate engineering, molecular and cellular biology, and medical science to repair tissues and treat diseases using stem cell-based methods. The primary goal of this scientific field is to enhance the quality of life by replacing damaged cells and tissues with healthy ones, thereby improving injuries and disabilities. With recent advances in biomedical science and the unique potential of stem cells in treating diseases, ethical considerations surrounding this technology have become increasingly significant. Following a brief introduction to stem cell technology, this review explores ethical challenges, including the justifications for using stem cells, informed consent from patients, preservation of human dignity, and the social and cultural impacts associated with their application. As research in this field continues to expand, yielding numerous innovative findings and attracting growing interest from researchers, there has also been an increase in unproven commercial treatments that have not undergone necessary regulatory stages. The direct marketing of products in preclinical stages to consumers further underscores the importance of ethical considerations in the use of stem cells. Additionally, the unprincipled use of stem cells may lead to adverse effects, such as cancer or vascular diseases, exacerbating patients' conditions rather than improving them. The findings of this review emphasize the need to adapt existing laws and regulations to address ethical concerns and provide recommendations for enhancing ethical standards in clinical research involving stem cells. The results can serve as a guide for researchers and policymakers in addressing ethical challenges in stem cell research, ultimately improving the quality and safety of clinical research in cell therapy and regenerative medicine.
Amirhossein Mardani, Maryam Nakhoda, Ehsan Shamsi Gooshki,
Volume 17, Issue 1 (3-2024)
Abstract
Since research misconduct can be considered as an adaptive reaction against the limitations, pressures, and demands arising from inappropriate functions of the research system, to manage it, the activities of the research system should be investigated and traced during the path of transferring research policies (macro level) to research development programs in institutions (meso level) and research implementation by researchers (micro level). By introducing the macro-meso-micro analytical framework, this study clarified the tasks, strategies, and activities formed at three levels of the research system of medical sciences in Iran; from macro policies of research (macro) to operational plans for the development of research in universities and research centers (meso) and researchers as research conductors (micro). For this purpose, three analytical levels of the research system were explained and defined according to the assumptions of this framework. By performing a qualitative content analysis of the relevant texts, those activities that could be useful at different levels to support the research integrity were identified and presented as different strategies. The results showed that the research system, based on the existing analytical framework, is not seen as a mere macro-system without regard to the interaction of its parts, but rather a system in which there is cross-sectional influence and interaction among the components. This approach can improve the focus, clarity, and capability to study research misconduct, and by using micro, meso, and macro levels, it can trace challenges in the interactive path of various activities and functions of the research system and their intertwining.
Zahra Aghabeiglooei, Jamal Rezaei Orimi, Seyed Mohammad Hashemimehr, Roshanak Saghebi, Morteza Mojahedi, Seyyed Amir Hosein Latifi, Mehdi Salehi, Seyed Abdollah Mahmood,
Volume 18, Issue 1 (3-2025)
Abstract
Evaluating and analyzing scientific productions play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of research and effectively managing research resources. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the content of theses in the field of the history of medical sciences in Iranian universities from 2013 to 2022. This applied study was conducted using the quantitative content analysis method. The findings revealed that the highest number of theses were completed in 2022 (19.2%), with topics related to traditional medicine and traditional pharmacy being the most prevalent. Descriptive and descriptive-analytical studies were the most common research methods. Moreover, the most frequent keywords included “Medical History”, “Traditional Medicine”, and “Iranian Medicine” and their Persian equivalents. Regarding historical periods, the Islamic period (from the emergence of Islam to the early Safavid era) accounted for the highest number of theses, while the contemporary period had the lowest. The results indicated a research focus on traditional medicine and the Islamic period, highlighting the need for further exploration of other historical periods and the use of qualitative methods to deepen understanding of historical complexities.
Akram Heidari, Morteza Heidari, Baqer Larijani, Professor Ali Mohammad Mosadeqrad,
Volume 18, Issue 1 (3-2025)
Abstract
Spiritual health refers to having purpose and meaning in life and a sense of belonging to something beyond the self, which strengthens inner peace, satisfaction, and happiness. This qualitative study was conducted in 2024 using an interpretive phenomenological approach. Through semi-structured interviews with 47 policymakers, managers, faculty members, staff, and students, a total of 183 benefits of spiritual health education in universities of medical sciences were identified. These benefits were categorized into six groups: benefits for faculty members, students, staff, patients, society, and the university. For faculty members, spirituality education leads to enhanced ethical awareness, increased motivation, job satisfaction, professional commitment, and improved quality of education. Students, by strengthening spirituality, gain greater communication and empathy skills, experience reduced stress and anxiety, and demonstrate improved professional competencies. Healthcare staff benefit from reduced medical errors, increased resilience, improved social relationships, and enhanced quality of care. Patients receiving spiritual care experience lower levels of stress and depression, improved mental health and quality of life, and a more rapid course of treatment and recovery. At the societal level, spiritual health education contributes to more positive social behaviors and the development of a healthier community. Furthermore, universities implementing such education can design more comprehensive curricula, promote interdisciplinary research, strengthen professional ethics, and train holistically oriented healthcare professionals, thereby increasing their credibility and productivity. Spiritual health education in Iranian universities of medical sciences, by exerting positive effects on faculty members, students, staff, patients, society, and the university itself, results in the improvement of psychological and professional well-being, the enhancement of educational quality, and the increased productivity and credibility of the higher education health system of the country.
