Payavard Salamat

Educational Needs Assessment of Health Information Technology Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study in Hospitals in Western Iran

Ali Mohammadpour

Background and Aim: Identifying the educational needs of health information technology staff is essential before implementing any continuous education programs. This comprehensive study investigates these needs among health information technology personnel working in hospitals in the Hamadan province, considering both the general and specialized aspects of the field.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted across 11 hospitals affiliated with Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. The study population comprised staff from the reception, medical records, statistics, and coding departments. Data were gathered using a validated and reliable standardized questionnaire. Collection methods included both in-person and remote approaches. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software, with results reported through descriptive and inferential statistics, specifically utilizing the Kruskal-Wallis test.
Results: The results of this study showed that among the generally accepted needs, items such as information technology (96.7%), legal aspects of medical records (87.6%), and communication skills (76.7%) had the highest percentage. Additionally, educational needs varied across different units: Coding unit staff required more training in the principles of diagnosis documentation (92.9%), familiarity with the coding guidelines for causes of death (85.7%), and familiarity with the coding guidelines for procedures (85.7%), statistics unit staff needed training in statistical software, and reception and medical records staff required education on relevant regulations. There was also a significant correlation between educational needs and certain individual characteristics such as work experience, education level, gender, and field of study.
Conclusion: The study results indicate that designing effective educational programs for health information technology staff requires consideration of individual characteristics, such as gender, work experience, and education level. Additionally, the training should be continuous, tailored to the distinct needs of each group, and delivered at appropriate intervals.

Design of New Inhibitory ligands Based on Bioenformatic Pharmacophore Modeling in Renin Enzyme for Blood Pressure Control and Treatment

Saeed Pirmoradi

Background and Aim: One of the ways to control high blood pressure is to deactivate the renin-angiotensinogen-aldosterone RAAS system. Renin, also known as angiotensinogenase,It is a type of enzyme that is produced in the afferent arterioles of the kidney by special cells called juxtaglomerular cells and secreted into the bloodstream and converts angiotensinogen protein into angiotensin type 1, which is very effective in causing high blood pressure. Inhibition of renin as the rate-limiting step of this cycle is an effective way to stop it, which plays a role in the treatment of some diseases related to the heart and blood vessels and blood pressure. The purpose of this study is to use new and different methods based on software to discover newer medicinal compounds with less side effects and cost and in a shorter time to discover based on a reference drug for the treatment and control of blood pressure disease.
Materials and Methods: By selecting the inhibitory reference compound of renin enzyme by bioinformatics tools such as PHARMIT, ZINCPHARMER during virtual search through the structural and pharmacophoretic properties of the reference inhibitory compound, a number of new ligands were obtained. Then the docking process was performed and the selected top ligands in terms of toxicity, allergy, toxicity and ADME prediction were examined with the help of tools such as molsoft, PKCSM, way2drug and swiss ADME.
Results: Among the four final top ligands obtained, one of the ligands had the most interaction with different residues and with a higher docking binding energy (vina score=-9.7) than the others, and then the other two ligands had a favorable binding energy.Among the effective interacting residues, Asp215, Asp32 and Leu114 were bound to renin enzyme in superior ligands, such as the reference compound.
Conclusion: In general, the selected inhibitory ligands showed a good ability to interact with residues involved in substrate selectivity and catalytic activity and inhibition of renin enzyme activity according to the analysis of bioinformatics tools and their confirmation requires clinical studies.

Patient Participation in Healthcare Safety Practices: A Scoping Review

Rahim Khodayari Zarnaq

Background and Aim: In recent years, active patient participation in healthcare has been increasingly recognized as a vital component in health policies aimed at achieving optimal health outcomes. This study aims to identify the contexts and areas in which patients engage in safety-related measures within healthcare settings.
Materials and Methods: A scoping review of the English-language literature published from 2000 to 2021 was performed. The search strategy involved relevant keywords, including MeSH modifications, as well as common terms associated with the topic, such as patient collaboration, patient participation, patient engagement, patient involvement, patient education, and patient safety. Literature was sourced from the Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and ProQuest databases. The research design adhered to the framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley, and data analysis was conducted using a content analysis approach.
Results: The search strategy yielded a total of 2,951 articles, of which 38 articles met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies originated from the United States (14), the United Kingdom (8), and Australia (6). The publication years with the highest output were 2015 (5 articles) and 2017 (4 articles). Five key areas of patient participation were identified: fall prevention, prevention of drug interactions, medical error prevention and awareness, participation in infection control and staff hand hygiene, and educational initiatives. The articles identified focused on various areas, including participation in fall prevention (26.3%), education and awareness promotion, participation in infection control and hand hygiene (23.6%), prevention and awareness of medical errors (18.4%), and prevention of drug interactions (7.9%).The main findings of the reviewed studies were categorized into four areas: patient participation, methods of patient participation, examples and outcomes of patient participation, and challenges associated with patient participation in safety-related measures.
Conclusion: Promoting patient involvement in safety-related practices within healthcare is essential for bolstering patient safety. Such participation is contingent upon empowering patients by improving their health literacy and knowledge while simultaneously fostering a shift in the attitudes of healthcare providers. The involvement of policymakers, particularly at the levels of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, is critical in advancing patient and family participation in national hospital accreditation standards and facilitating broader initiatives aimed at transitioning the health system towards a model of participatory care.

Mobile-Based Women’s Sexual Health Education Application: Providing a Content Model

Fateme Ghadiri Kofrani

Background and Aim: Education on sexually transmitted diseases and functional disorders in Iranian women’s society are two important issues that should be addressed as aspects of sexual health. The evidence suggests that mobile phone-based applications can be a suitable tool to improve education in the field of sexual health. Therefore, in the current research, the design of the content model of the mobile phone-based application with an emphasis on diseases transmitted through sexual contact and functional disorders of women has been discussed.

Materials and Methods: The present study is applied-descriptive and was conducted in 3 stages as follows: determining the requirements of the application content model, designing it, and evaluating it. First, information needs were identified and extracted through a civilian review and a review of the App Store, Google Play, and Cafe Bazaar application stores. Then, the results were scientifically organized and reviewed and presented in the form of the application content form to a panel of 7 sexual health experts. The content model was reviewed by the experts and designed through UML diagrams and approved by technical specialists.
Results: The findings of the needs assessment phase consisted of compiling the content requirements of the application in the form of 6 areas: 1- sexual attitude and knowledge 2- improving the quality of sexual life 3- sexually transmitted diseases 4- HIV/AIDS 5- genital infections 6- dysfunction disorders and 41 sub-areas were approved by experts. The compiled model was drawn through the diagrams of the application, sequence, business process and state diagrams and was confirmed and developed during the evaluation with activity diagrams and display screens.
Conclusion: Mobile applications, which are not only more accessible than other technologies, but also provide a space for education, free from any shame and worry due to the one-way nature of the communication, are a suitable platform for increasing Iranian women’s attitudes and knowledge about their sexual health. The designed content model can serve as a Persian, scientific, and native prototype for the development and design of an application that can be implemented on mobile phones to educate women’s sexual health.

Design and Psychometric Evaluation of a Questionnaire to Assess Nursing and Midwifery Students’ Attitudes and Performance towards Online Exams and Its Relationship with Academic Achievement

Manijeh Hooshmandja

Background and Aim: With the advancement of information technology in the new century, changes are experienced in all aspects of life. One of the reflections of these changes in education is conducting exams electronically instead of paper-and-pencil examinations. The success of virtual education is not achievable without considering the students’ viewpoints towards it. This study aimed to investigate the attitude and performance of students in online exams and their relationship with academic achievement.
Materials and Methods: This research is a mixed-method study (qualitative-quantitative). First, all related articles published, between 2000 to 2022, were extracted from ERIC, PubMed, ScienceDirect databases, and the Google Scholar search engine. Then, the attitude and performance questionnaire was designed and validated based on the literature review results. All BSc and MSc. nursing and midwifery students of Sarivar Nassibeh School filled out the questionnaire. Two hundred and five questionnaires were analyzed with SPSS using descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential (t-test) statistics.
Results: Based on a content analysis of 15 selected articles, the extracted components were structured into 12 items. A preliminary questionnaire was designed with 28 questions across these 12 extracted components. Face validity was assessed using expert opinions, and necessary revisions were made. Both the Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR) coefficients were employed for content validity. The final questionnaire comprised 22 items using a five-point Likert scale, ranging from strongly agree (score 5) to strongly disagree (score 1), with an internal consistency of 0.69. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the questionnaire has six factors: “validity and accuracy”, “technical problems”, “types of questions and announcing the results”, “technique and simplicity”, “motivation and anxiety”, and “speed and error recording” that explain 60.88 percent of the total variance. Correlation results indicated no relationship between students’ attitudes and performance toward electronic examinations and academic achievement (r = 0.055, P-value = 0.432). There was a significant difference between male and female groups, BSc. and MSc. nursing and midwifery students, and semester of study.
Conclusion: The tool for measuring students’ attitudes and performance towards electronic exams has acceptable validity and reliability. This tool can be used to assess online exams and improvement plans.

The Current Situation and Estimation of Human Resources in the Field of Biology and Vector Control of Diseases in Iran

Amir Ahmad Akhavan

Background and Aim: Training and proper distribution of human resources are essential for maintaining and promoting society’s health. The first step in any health-related planning is to assess the current situation to draw a clear picture of the future to balance demand and supply. This research was conducted to assess the current situation of medical entomology and vector control/biology and vector control of the diseases in the country and determine the required human resources till 2025.
Materials and Methods: In this study, a “modified and combination model” was used, including the Hall model, which is location-based, and the Australian health workforce estimation model, which is a needs-based approach. The research was carried out in multiple stages, which included collecting the required data (number of faculty members, students, and graduates), the number of private companies providing spraying, and pest control services in all cities of the country and finally holding meetings with the board members of Biology and vector control of diseases and experts to estimate the human resources required in this field.
Results: Based on the data collected and face-to-face interviews conducted during six sessions with the experts in this field, it has been estimated that a total of 985 graduates have been trained in this discipline to date, while there is a requirement for 1,338 graduates in this area. Consequently, it is essential to train an additional 353 individuals in this field by the year 1404. In light of the country’s sixth five-year development plan, which allocates 30 percent of the total student population to postgraduate studies, it is imperative to prepare 35 individuals at the doctoral level, 71 at the master’s level, and 247 at the undergraduate level.
Conclusion: It seems that by accepting an average of 9 people at the Ph.D. level, 18 people at the master’s level, and 62 people at the bachelor’s level, in addition to matching the amount of demand and supply, there will be no problem for the employment of the graduates of this field.

Explaining Concept of Smart Power and Identifying Its Components in Universities of Medical Sciences: A Qualitative Study

Mahboobeh Sadat Fadavi

Background and Aim: Smart power is the solidarity between science, knowledge and communication. With the advancement of technology, new space has been created in medical sciences. The aim of this research is Explaining the concept of Smart power and identifying its components in Universities of Medical Sciences
Materials and Methods: The current research was done qualitatively in 2023 using the grounded theory method. Deep and semi-structured interview was done with 13 faculty members of Medical Sciences Universities of the country selected through the purposeful and snowball sampling method and reached theoretical saturation. Strauss -Corbin method based on open, axial and selective coding was used for data analysis. To determine the accuracy and validity of the data, after coding the data, the opinions of six interview participants and six university professors who were familiar with the subject and method of the present research were sought.
Results: After the initial concepts were formulated, 77 open codes, 15 core codes, and five selective codes were identified for smart power. Strengthening artificial intelligence, e-health transformation, cross-border activities together constitute health technological responsiveness, are causal factors that affect the phenomenon of smart power. Actions that should be taken for smart power in medical universities, as strategies include technological innovation that is carried out with systematic technology, technological education, and research capacity building. Cyber management with technology-based performance, communication capability enhancement, information management are contextual factors that create special conditions for effective strategies. The conflict between tradition and modernization, information anxiety as organizational risks are intervention factors that interfere with and limit strategies. If the special conditions of strategies are provided and intervention factors are controlled, the outcome of strategies will be technological progress, development of communication network, integration of hard and soft power, and overall comprehensive health.
Conclusion: Using and developing this power, the policy makers of the health system will be able to solve problems such as the non-uniformity of health facilities in different regions, also the use of virtual university and electronic education, which will remove the time and place limitations and provide the opportunity for education to applicants in different parts of the country.

Expected Competencies and Capabilities of Data Librarians in Research Data Management According to the Harvard Biomedical Data Life Cycle: A Scoping Review

Azam Shahbodaghi

Background and Aim: An efficient data librarian equipped with the necessary competencies and capabilities is one of the most crucial elements in managing research data. The aim of this study is to identify the expected competencies and capabilities for data librarians in research data management according Harvard Biomedical Data Life Cycle.
Materials and Methods: This study is a scoping review, utilizing the Harvard Biomedical Data Lifecycle model to systematically present the findings. To retrieve relevant literature, a search strategy was employed using related keywords in databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Google scholar and other reputable domestic databases, over the past five years. The research population comprised original research articles published in Persian and English that addressed the expected skills and capabilities for data librarians in managing research data.
Results: Out of 5064 documents found, 196 were selected for full-text review. After reviewing the full texts, 17 studies were included in the research. In total, 92 competencies and capabilities were identified across 23 processes within the 7 stages of the Harvard Biomedical Data Lifecycle: 16 in the first stage, 16 in the second stage, 7 in the third stage, 15 in the fourth and fifth stages, 12 in the sixth stage, 8 in the seventh stage, and 18 general competencies and capabilities. According to the findings, the most studies focused on the competencies and capabilities required for the second stage, “Collection and Creation,” while the fewest studies addressed the seventh stage, “Publish and Reuse.” No studies mentioned competencies and capabilities for the processes “Image Management” in the third stage and “Preprints and Publishing” in the seventh stage.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that among the various stages of the data lifecycle, the “Collection and Creation” stage received the most attention. Additionally, data librarians should possess not only specialized and professional skills but also general competencies and capabilities. It is recommended that the findings of this research be considered for designing short-term and long-term educational programs to train data librarians for research data managenet.