Showing 29 results for App
Reza Safdari, Ensieh Nasli Esfahani, Sharareh Rostam Niakan Kalhori, Mahsa Mosadeghi Nik,
Volume 12, Issue 4 (11-2018)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Diabetic foot ulcer is one of the most painful complications of Diabetes and affects various aspects of a person's life. Therefore, involvement of the patient in self-care can minimize its complications. The purpose of this study was to identify the effective factors in the Diabetic foot self-management for designing a managed-care based app for people with Diabetes who have risk factors for foot ulcers or wound infections.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study all physicians and nurses employed at ‘Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research Center’ of Tehran University of Medical Sciences who had a history of working with Diabetic patients at various levels of Diabetes and foot ulcers participated. The data collection tool was a questionnaire based on the likert scale that made by researchers, which included demographic and clinical information, education and lifestyle management and capabilities of application for self-management in Diabetic foot patients. Finally, descriptive statistics used to analyze the results in SPSS.
Results: After reviewing the rate of experts’ agreement with the components of the survey, all the cases over 51% approval rate were considered as required components. According to the opinion of the physicians respectively capabilities of application, education and lifestyle management and patient information and according to the opinion of the nurses’ education and lifestyle management, patient information and capabilities of application were important respectively.
Conclusion: Beside proper treatment of the disease, self-management strategies can be effective and useful. Effectiveness of the patients’ self-care by acquiring the necessary skills and involvement in self-care might be achievable.
Maryam Emami, Nosrat Riahinia, Faramarz Soheili,
Volume 12, Issue 6 (3-2019)
Abstract
Background and Aim: The purpose of this study was to analyze the co-occurrence of the terms of medical and laboratory equipment patents in the United States Patent and Trademark Office between 1984 and 2014.
Materials and Methods: This research was an applied study using scientometrics and co-word analyses. The statistical population of the present study included all patents of medical and laboratory equipment registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office database between 1984 and 2014. As a result, a total of 13424 patents were retrieved.
Results: The results revealed that in terms of frequency, the keyword "Menstrual Fluid" and in terms of co-occurrence, two keywords (Menstrual Fluid and Magnetic Resonance Image Apparatus) were the most frequent ones in medical and laboratory equipment studies. The results of hierarchical clustering with "Ward's method" led to the formation of eight clusters in this area including the following: General Equipment, Rehabilitation Equipment, Dental Equipment, Therapeutic Equipment, Emergency Equipment, Laboratory Equipment, Diagnostic Equipment, and Medical Consumables.
Conclusion: The analysis of the co-occurrence of words revealed the scientific structure of medical and laboratory equipment well. Accordingly, the scientific issues were extracted and the relationship between them was discovered. The maps of co-word analysis showed several changes, sustainability of concepts, and terms related to this field of science.
Reza Safdari, Mozhgan Rahmanian, Shahrbanoo Pahlevany Nejad ,
Volume 12, Issue 6 (3-2019)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Preeclampsia is one of the most prominent cases of pregnancy related diseases that threatens health at global level, especially in developing countries. In Iran, with 14% of outbreak, it is the second most common cause of maternal mortality. The main goal of this study was to identify the information requirements of the Android-based preeclampsia self-Management application.
Materials & Methods: This was a descriptive study that was done in 2018 in Amir_Almomenin Hospital affiliated to Semnan University of Medical Sciences in two stages of reviewing the sources and the need for data elements. In the review phase, after studying the articles and study, the data requirements and factors which affecting the prevalence of preeclampsia were identified and a survey of qualified physicians was done by designing a researcher-made questionnaire.
Results: This research results indicate that 63.9% of the respondents assigned to the elements mentioned in the demographic findings. 75.9% of them identified health information elements as very important. Also, 77.85% of the research community considered the elements in the lifestyle sector to be of the highest importance. All participants recognized that reminder in the program was necessary. Approximately 33.33% of them reconsidered sport education to be at the lowest level, while 45.24% rated it as being of the highest importance.
Conclusion: The information requirements of this program were determined in 6 groups of health history, educational tips, lifestyle, alarms, referral, and reporting. These programs can help pregnant mothers with preeclampsia to control their disease to minimize complications by observing proper nutrition and principles of treatment.
Marjan Ghazi Saeedi, Masoomeh Amin Esmaeili, Sharareh Rostam Niakan Kalhori, Marzyeh Sadat Askari,
Volume 13, Issue 2 (7-2019)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Stimulants are among the most dangerous substances because of their physical and psychological side effects. The process of treating stimulant abusers is so complicated that makes the treatment very difficult. The aim of the current study is to identify the bits of information needed for the design and development of a mobile application system and a web-based application program to improve the treatment management of stimulant abusers.
Materials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study in which the community and the sample are matched. All participators work at Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies(INCAS) as stimulant abuse care givers. The data collection tool was a researcher made questionnaire based on the Likert scale, and its validity approved by experts. In addition, the reliability determined by Cronbach alpha method with the score 0/74 analyzed via SPSS.
Results: Items that got more than 50% of the participants’ acceptance were identified as the information needed for the system. The most influential items were education and motivational messages with 100% of experts’ agreement. Trauma history and medication therapy, however, got less than 50% and were removed. Other items were put into the study by gaining an average of more than 80% of the experts’ agreement.
Conclusion: Emerging technologies in the field of heath can play a significant role in the optimization of stimulant abuse treatment by facilitating the treatment process, increasing the patient participation in the process of treatment, and reducing the costs of patients’ lapse and relapse.
Reza Safdari, Hamid Choobineh, Mozhgan Sedaghatzadeh,
Volume 13, Issue 4 (11-2019)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Infertility is a chronic disease with a long-term treatment and self-care leads to an increase in the level of knowledge and awareness about the disease. Moreover, smartphones provide access to information at any time and place; therefore, by using the mobile-based assisted reproductive technology, a self-care application program can be a good choice to help people gain awareness and improve the treatment.
Materials and Methods: Library resources and related and similar applications were studied. Then, data items and the sections required for applied program were identified. To study their importance, a survey was performed on the working members of Iran Helal Infertility Specialty Center. Out of the 35 members of the research community, 20 were randomly selected. The survey questionnaire was made with 32 questions in three sections. In this survey, the data model framework was confirmed; however, the basis of the tools framework didn't need the confirmation of validity and reliability since the data model was designed based on the reference. With summarization of responses, data items and sections specified in designing the program were applied.
Results: The mean of the scores showed that the respondents had identified most of the items as essential. This survey had three main axes. The mean scores of axes of patient information, patient education, and disease management tools are 4.205, 4.402 and 4.275, respectively. The mean scores above 4 show that their effectiveness is very high.
Conclusion: Considering the results, the designed application program can be helpful for patients.
Reza Safdari , Niloofar Mohammadzadeh , Nasim Shokouhi, Azizeh Farzinmehr, Mehrshad Mokhtaran, Shahrbanoo Pahlevanynejad, Mahnaz Mirsane,
Volume 13, Issue 5 (1-2020)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Pelvic floor disorders are a common disease which, with varying degrees of severity, disrupts daily life and also decreases the quality of life of the individual. This disease can be cured by lifestyle modifications and self-care education; on the other hand, smartphones have become a good platform for health services and therapeutic interventions. The aim of this study was to identify information and educational components for the self-care application of women with pelvic floor disorders.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was performed in Yas Hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. According to Morgan table, 30 gynecologists who were randomly selected were included in the study. The data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire which its validity and reliability were confirmed (α=0.85) and its content was provided by reviewing the scientific sources.
Results: The results of the analyzes showed that from the experts’ point of view the interventional section including reminders, daily activities diaries and targeting with an average score of 4.14 has been of great importance. Since then, the applied and self-care section with an average score of 4.364is ranked second in priority.
Conclusion: According to a survey by experts who play a major role in the management of the disease. The essential components of this application were identified in three main sections consist of: electronic records, the interventional section and the practical and self-care and their subsections.
Nahid Einollahi, Reza Safdari, Marsa Gholamzadeh, Elham Haghshenas, Horieh Masourian,
Volume 14, Issue 4 (10-2020)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Mobile-based programs have been developed as tools to help both patients and physicians in various fields especially in dermatology. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to review the features and contents of dermatology applications.
Materials and Methods: The methodology was comparative and descriptive. Applications in the field of dermatology were evaluated and compared through this research. Inclusion criteria included applications that have been downloaded more than 100 times in Google Play and App Store and applications designed in diagnosis in various fields of dermatology such as treatment, management, remote consulting, and self-care areas. Exclusion criteria included those developed before 2010 and those related to the non-dermatology areas. Besides, different features were considered for comparison based on literature review and expert consultation. Next, the recognized applications were reviewed and compared based on determined categories.
Results: Based on criteria, a total of 33 applications were identified through searching. Of these, 33.3% of Apps were in the field of education, and 24.2% were in self-care. Regarding disease, applications were categorized into nine different domains. Of these, 61% of applications were covering different types of skin diseases. Also, in examining the frequency of the features of the evaluated programs, providing recommendations and suggestions with 57.57% and educational contents and the possibility of uploading images with 51.51%, respectively, had the highest frequency among the features of the programs.
Conclusion: Analysis showed that education and self-care domains have a high rank among others. It indicates that developing such applications could facilitate patient education and self-management by himself or caregivers. However, this area needs more attention and the using health information technology capabilities to make applications smarter in this area.
Reza Safdari, Seyyed Farshad Allameh, Ms Fariba Shabani,
Volume 15, Issue 6 (3-2022)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Many risk factors can cause biliary system diseases. Hence, this category of diseases is amongst the most common ones. Active patient cooperation is very important in disease management, self-care, and clinical outcomes improvement. A mobile phone application has a high potential in supporting the patients’ self-management. Therefore, this study was conducted to recognize and define data elements to develop a self-care application for biliary patients.
Materials and Methods: The current descriptive study was conducted in 2 stages, resource investigation, and data elements’ need assessment. In the first stage, scientific articles available in databases were used for defining required data elements to develop the application for biliary patients, and a checklist of data elements was prepared. In the second stage, a questionnaire was made based on the checklist. Content and face validity were accepted by the research team and the reliability was calculated 87.2%, using the Cronbach’s alpha test. The mentioned questionnaire was given to Gastroenterologists at Imam Khomeini Hospital complex, and the elected data elements were recognized.
Results: In this application, data elements were categorized into seven sections, including demographic and clinical information, data related to the biliary system diseases, postoperative lifestyle information of the biliary patients, reminders, disease management, and informing. Sixty point five percent of the responders gave the highest importance to data elements in the demographic and clinical data section. Data elements related to patients’ education were considered highly important by 54.2% of the responders. Forty three point eight percent gave the highest importance to data elements in interventional applications’ sections, and only 4.2% gave the least importance to this section.
Conclusion: Based on the identified data elements, a self-care application was designed and developed and can be used as a supplement to specialized care for biliary patients.
Shahrbanoo Pahlevanynejad, Reza Safdari, Mojgan Rahmanian, Mohammad Saleh Safari,
Volume 16, Issue 1 (3-2022)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Preeclampsia is one of the most serious cases of high-risk pregnancies that endanger women’s health worldwide, especially in developing countries. Preeclampsia is a specific pregnancy syndrome with a prevalence of about 7-14%, which is one of the three leading causes of death in pregnant women. Preeclampsia is the second most common cause of maternal mortality in Iran and accounts for 14% of maternal mortality. The present study was conducted to design, create and evaluate mobile-based preeclampsia self-care application.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in four stages to assess the needs of information elements, design, create and evaluate preeclampsia self-care application. In needs assessment step, 42 specialists, assistants and personnel related to the subject working in the Amir Al-Momenin (AS) Educational, Research and Treatment Center affiliated to Semnan University of Medical Sciences participated. The program was then initially evaluated by 7 physicians, and finally the suggestions provided by users in the design of the program were applied and the final version of the program was completed. The application was designed in the Android Studio environment and then its usability was evaluated using the opinions of 20 mothers and the QUIS tool.
Results: The information elements and functional capabilities required by the program were determined. In addition, the program established communication between the patient and the provider, also created the possibility of care management and control of the disease process. The performance of the program was evaluated by physicians and experts and then evaluated by pregnant mothers in terms of usability. The findings showed that users were satisfied with the application.
Conclusion: The use of mobile-based applications is a useful way to increase knowledge and promote the health of pregnant mothers and facilitate their access to medical information and acquire the necessary skills in their disease. This program helps pregnant mothers with preeclampsia to control their disease by observing proper nutrition and treatment principles to minimize the complications of their disease.
Niloofar Mohammadzadeh, Negin Ebrahimi, Mojgan Agah Heris,
Volume 16, Issue 4 (10-2022)
Abstract
Background and Aim: According to the report of the World Health Organization, overweight and chronic and psychological diseases caused by it have reached an alarming level in the world. Today, cognitive behavioral therapy as a specific method for controlling overweight teaches the audience how to identify and change inappropriate behavior patterns and destructive thoughts with distress that negatively affect their behavior and emotions. The purpose of this research was to provide a mobile-based application for overweight control with a cognitive-behavioral therapy approach.
Materials and Methods: This research was of applied-developmental type. In the first stage, by examining the available applications based on mobile and related to weight control and also Beck cognitive therapy protocol for weight loss, the capabilities of the application were identified and then based on a survey of experts, these capabilities were determined. Afterwards, the user interface of the application was designed and the necessary coding was done to use it. The database was then created using MySQL software and the application program was created using Flutter software and Dart programming language and was named CBTdiet. Finally, the usability of the application was evaluated by users using a standard QUIS questionnaire.
Results: Based on the entry and exit criteria, among the 247 identified applications, the capabilities of 17 applications were examined. Finally, according to the opinion of the experts, 21 capabilities, including the ability to send motivational messages to the audience and the ability to reward to achieve weight loss of one kilogram per week, were considered for the design of the application program. The application designed in this research was at a good level from the users’ point of view with an average of 7.99±1.1 and was able to obtain an acceptable level of satisfaction in the evaluation stage. The software’s overall capabilities section got the highest average score (8.12) and the screen section got the lowest average score (7.89) among all sections.
Conclusion: Based on the determined capabilities, a mobile-based application for controlling overweight was designed and created with a cognitive behavioral therapy approach, and it can be effective in overweight control by modifying lifestyle and changing destructive thoughts.
Seyyed Morteza Mojtabaeian, Fatemeh Monfared,
Volume 16, Issue 5 (12-2022)
Abstract
Background and Aim: The participation of doctors and clinical leadership in organizational strategies to improve quality performance is a necessary precondition for providing safe and high-quality care, and since improving the quality of health care services and increasing the participation of doctors in accreditation is very necessary, the present study was conducted with the aim of explaining the obstacles of doctors' participation in the accreditation programs of Iranian hospitals with a qualitative approach.
Materials and Methods: In this study, using the snowball sampling method, interviews were conducted with 11 managers, 9 doctors and 8 officials and experts in the field of quality management (a total of 28 people) in the field of hospital accreditation. Interviewees were selected through purposive snowball sampling. To collect data, unstructured and semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted. The obtained data were analyzed using the conceptual framework method in ATLAS.ti.
Results: The results of this research extracted 3 main issues including cultural, organizational and behavioral factors. Also, this research found 12 sub-themes and 57 items. Subtopics in the cultural area were motivation, patient demand, mutual trust, and evaluation system. The organizational field included seven sub-topics, including high workload, understanding the role of the quality management unit, unrealistic accreditation, the nature of accreditation, empowering doctors in the field of quality, effective communication, and limited resources. Subthemes in the behavioural dimension were role ambiguity and uncertainty about how to participate in the accreditation program. The most repeated challenges in the interviews were expressed in the field of effective communication and the least in the field of role ambiguity.
Conclusion: Physicians' participation in accreditation programs can be increased through culture building and proper training in accreditation activities in the medical community. By revising the categories of activities performed in the hospital by doctors and including a specific time to perform activities to improve quality and accreditation and create a balance between the quantity and quality of services provided in the hospital, it is possible to increase the participation of doctors in the accreditation program.
Mouna Rafizadeh, Reza Safdari, Jaleh Shoshtarian Malak, Shaban Alizadeh,
Volume 17, Issue 2 (5-2023)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Simulation-based Mobile Education is one of the necessities of the new era as well as an escalating field to meet the needs of different educational systems and levels. Considering the increasing application of simulation-based technologies, and the popularity of Augmented Reality (AR) in the field of education, the present research aims to facilitate the initial steps in understanding the technical requirements and software used in developing these types of apps.
Materials and Methods: The data required for this research was collected by searching in library resources to identify the commonly used platform/software in designing and developing AR-based educational apps. At the same time, the included studies’ app features/sections were also extracted, and the total of this information was presented in a table. After indicating the mainly used software in the development of these types of apps, a simple app architecture and a how-to-develop model using the most practical software were illustrated.
Results: “3D Model display” and “multiple-choice questions” were identified as the minimum (basic) features of an AR-based educational app. To identify the most commonly used software in creating AR-based educational apps, articles were reviewed, required information was extracted, and gathered in form of a table. The results of the review showed that Unity 3D and Vuforia have the highest usage statistics in creating these types of apps. Finally, a simple model of the process of developing AR-based educational app and a sample output of this type of app were presented based on this information.
Conclusions: Simulation-based education is one of the prominent and growing topics worldwide. Augmented Reality is one of the most renowned and widely used technologies in this field. The results of this study encompass a set of basic features of an AR-based educational app as well as the software that can be used to create such apps. Therefore, this study can assist researchers interested in this field in navigating the simplest path to developing an AR-based educational app by providing them with an initial technical understanding of AR-based education.
Marjan Ghazi Saeedi, Mohammad Amin Abbasi Eslamloo, Kobra Darabiyan, Elham Ataei,
Volume 17, Issue 3 (8-2023)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Despite the continuous progress in medicine, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is still a progressive, incurable and chronic respiratory condition that limits the patients’ functions in various dimensions, and significantly reduce their quality of life. In this way, self-care of patients and the use of related tools have a significant effect in disease control and treatment. The purpose of this research was design and development of an android-based application for COPD.
Materials and Methods: This research was a descriptive developmental type with a practical approach. Initially, based on the study of library resources, guidelines, and the examination of the medical records of COPD inpatients in Firouzabadi Hospital, a questionnaire was designed to identify the information requirements, data items and features of the application. Then it was reviewed and finalized by a sample of 10 (randomized and convenience sampling) internal and lung specialist doctors in Firouzabadi and Hazrat Rasool hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and then scenario tables and UML diagrams were illustrated to show the overall flow of the application. The application was designed and developed using the Java programming language in the Android Studio 2021 platform. After installing the application on the mobile phones of ten COPD patients of the internal and pulmonary clinic of Firouzabadi Shahre Rey Hospital, and using it for a week, the opinions of the patients about the usability of the application were collected through the QUIS questionnaire, and analyzed.
Results: Application sections were determined following experts’ survey, personal information items, clinical information, disease management, reporting, and training points, which were provided to patients after design for use and evaluation. At the end of the research, the results of the evaluation of the usability and satisfaction level of the application showed that from the patients’ point of view, the application is at a good level with an average score of 1.8 (out of 10 points).
Conclusion: The developed self-care application can be used to increase awareness, help to manage the disease, increase the level of quality of life, and reduce the complications and disease burden for patients with COPD.
Leila Erfannia, Azita Yazdani,
Volume 17, Issue 3 (8-2023)
Abstract
Background and Aim: With the spread of the Corona pandemic, the statistics of the number of mobile health applications have grown significantly. This research was conducted with the aim of evaluating the content of Persian language applications in the management of Covid-19.
Material and Methods: In this review research, a systematic search for Persian language programs in the field of Covid-19 management was conducted in four mobile application markets including Myket, Bazzar, Google Play and App Store. The content of the programs was evaluated based on a researcher-made checklist, which was verified according 3 specialist comments, in the five axes of ease of use, education, monitoring, privacy and data sharing. Programs that received more than 50% of the evaluation score were introduced as selected programs. By removing duplicate programs, 119 programs were extracted, of which 21 programs entered the final stage of quality evaluation based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and after a complete review of the content and capabilities.
Results: Based on the total points of the program, Safiran Salamat received the most score (31), Ac19 and mask were ranked next with 27 and 22 points, respectively. These three programs along with Corona Amar Tashkhis as fourth program received more than 50% of the content review and 17 other programs received less than 50% of the total score. Government has a great role in programs development (three program were government and one was non- government base). All 4 programs, had acceptable score in ease of use but none of them develop for user tracking. Pearson’s correlation test was used to test the relationship between the quality (total scores of apps) and the popularity (amount of downloads), and no significant correlation was observed.
Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that Iranian mobile applications have an acceptable performance in the fields of education and information sharing, but their low popularity makes the achievement of these goals far from expected. Marketing strategies can be effective as one of the useful policy in increasing the use of mobile health programs. Also, the inclusion of capabilities such as contact tracing and online consultations can be fruitful in the pursuit of goals.
Sanam Lotfi, Reza Safdari, Dr Kurosh Jafarian,
Volume 17, Issue 4 (10-2023)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Nutrition recommender systems are one of the most prominent technologies in the field of nutrition informatics that help users to have a healthy diet. These systems are able to suggest the most appropriate foods and meal plans considering the child's physical condition. Considering that children are the most vulnerable age group, one of the most important health goals in the early years of a child's life is achieving balanced and correct nutrition, and as a result this study was conducted with the aim of designing, creating and evaluating a children's nutrition recommendation system.
Materials and Methods: This research was conducted in 2022 in three stages to assess the needs of the informational elements of the nutrition recommender application. First, in order to determine data capabilities of the program, data needs analysis has been done. In the following, based on the needs assessment, the application was designed and its final version was created. The application was created in the Android Studio environment and then its technical applicability was done using the Nielsen questionnaire by 5 medical informatics and health information management experts.
Results: The required information capabilities of the program were determined and after the statistical analysis of the questionnaire, most of the items raised in it were deemed necessary by the experts participating in the research with a high percentage (90%) and were included in the application program. Then the design and creation of the nutrition recommender application for children 1 to 5 years old was done in the Android Studio programming environment. Finally, the use of Nielsen's exploratory evaluation questionnaire and its technical applicability were evaluated by experts. The average severity of the problems related to Nielsen's ten principles was 1.3, which is classified as minor problems.
Conclusion: Using the nutrition recommender application will be a useful solution to increase parents' awareness of the child's growth status in terms of age, height and head circumference. This program has improved nutritional health, improved mental health, and better growth of children and will play a significant role in preventing the occurrence of diseases by using appropriate nutritional recommendations.
Fatemeh Soofiabadi, Alireza Shahraki, Mohebali Rahdar,
Volume 18, Issue 3 (7-2024)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Given the high sensitivity of the medical field, a mistake can cause irreparable damage to human society. For this reason, finding the symptoms of the disease and the relationships between them to facilitate the improvement of diseases is inevitable. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to first identify the symptoms of neurofibromatosis type 1 by specialists, then determine the relationship between the symptoms and the degree of their impact on each other in order to determine the most important criterion in improving the disease.
Materials and Methods: The present study is of a developmental-applied type in terms of its purpose and of a descriptive-survey type in terms of its data collection method. The case study of the present study is spinal disorders, of which neurofibromatosis type 1 has been diagnosed as one of them based on the opinion of experts. Neurofibromatosis type 1 is a genetic disorder that causes tumors in the nervous tissue. Accordingly, in the present study, the criteria, which are the symptoms of the disease, were first determined using the opinion of a group of experts and the implementation of the fuzzy Delphi method. In the next step, a model for the causal relationships between the symptoms of the disease is presented. For this purpose, a fuzzy cognitive map is drawn using MATLAB, FCMapper and Pajek software, then backward and forward scenarios are presented for neurofibromatosis type 1 and the disease improvement scenario is determined.
Results: The results showed that hormonal changes, flat brown spots on the skin, freckles in the armpit and groin area, soft bumps on the face or under the skin, high blood pressure, respiratory problems, bumps on the iris of the eye (Lish nodules), tumor in the optic nerve-ocular glioma, short stature, bone deformity, learning disabilities-attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and larger than average head size are ranked first to twelfth, respectively. The causal relationships between the symptoms showed that the criterion of hormonal changes has the greatest impact on the criterion of freckles in the armpit or groin area; Therefore, if the hormonal changes criterion improves, neurofibromatosis type 1 will also improve.
Conclusion: The findings of this study have helped the medical community to have a better understanding of the symptoms of the disease so that doctors can improve their prevention and care recommendations based on the severity of the symptoms of the diseases.
Seyyedeh Fatemeh Mousavi Baigi, Reyhaneh Norouzi Aval, Masoumeh Sarbaz, Khalil Kimiafar,
Volume 18, Issue 4 (10-2024)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Proficiency in medical terminology is a basic competency of most medical students, which ensures communication with other healthcare providers. Facing the lack of motivation and involvement of students, applications, and games based on smartphones are considered as a possible educational option. Due to the rapid expansion of these applications, a correct evaluation of their quality is often not provided. This study investigated and evaluated the quality of smartphone applications and games for teaching medical terminology.
Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted in August 2024, in the official stores of Bazaar and Google Play applications. The two main keywords “medical terminology” and “medical vocabulary” were searched in Persian and English. Two evaluators independently downloaded and evaluated smartphone-based applications and games for teaching medical terminology. The same checklist was used for data extraction. The quality of apps was measured using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). The points of each section, the final score of the retrieved applications, and the mean and standard deviation were obtained.
Results: In total, eighteen programs were included in this study, four of which were games. The average quality of the programs was between 2.70 and 4.30 (average 3.80) on a scale from 1 (inadequate) to 5 (excellent). The best scores are in performance (mean: 3.91), followed by information quality (mean: 3.15). Aesthetics (mean: 2.56) and mental quality of the program (mean: 2.58) had the lowest scores. Two applications offered data privacy, and four had privacy statements. The game ‘Dean Vaughn’ and the application ‘MediTerm’ received the highest overall scores.
Conclusion: This study provides an analysis and description of smartphone-based applications and games for teaching medical terminology to help students and users choose high-quality applications that suit their needs and tastes, and on the other hand, it provides the possibility of identifying research and operational gaps to strengthen and design more effective and better applications for the developers of these applications. The applications evaluated were generally of good overall quality, particularly in terms of functionality and information. However, some applications need to improve aspects such as aesthetics and subjective quality to increase their impact on users and ensure better security and privacy.
Maryam Jahanbakhsh, Mahnaz Noroozi, Majid Jangi, Fateme Ghadiri Kofrani,
Volume 18, Issue 5 (11-2024)
Abstract
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.
Samin Rezapour, Mohamad Jebraeily, Esmaeil Mehraeen, Haleh Ayatollahi,
Volume 19, Issue 1 (4-2025)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Breast self-examination is a recommended screening method that can be used by any woman at any age. Smartphone applications can be a low-cost and effective strategy to prevent breast cancer by changing behavior and encouraging women to be aware of their breast health. The purpose of this research is to determine the learning needs and preferences of women in the development of a BSE smartphone application.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023, The statistical population of the study included 120 women working in the faculties of Urmia University of Medical Sciences, who were selected through stratified proportional sampling. To collect data, a questionnaire was designed, the validity of which was confirmed based on the content validity method and expert opinion. The test-retest method was also used to determine the reliability of the questionnaire, which resulted in a Pearson correlation coefficient of 85%. The rating of each item in the questionnaire was determined based on a five-point Likert scale (1-5). The Statistical analysis of the data was performed using SPSS software.
Results: From the perspective of women, the most important learning needs are related to breast cancer risk factors (4.68), the importance of early detection of breast cancer (4.33), how to perform breast self-examination (4.38), the role of breast self-examination in breast cancer prevention (4.18), ways to detect breast cancer early (4.11), types of physical activities (4.16) and healthy diet (4.08) related to breast cancer prevention. In terms of the technical capabilities of the application, the most important features include multimedia educational content (4.61), self-examination training (4.52), information about warning signs (4.33), self-examination time reminder (4.29) and ease of use (4.20).
Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that educational content should present risk factors and the role of diet and physical activity in preventing breast cancer, and teach how to accurately perform breast self-examination with multimedia content. Also, the technical capabilities of the smartphone application should be designed in a way that suits women’s learning needs while maintaining the confidentiality of information and the privacy of individuals.
Farzin Halabchi, Reza Safdari, Shahrbanoo Pahlevanynejad, Sahba Kazemipour,
Volume 19, Issue 2 (7-2025)
Abstract
Background and Aim: The World Health Organization defines physical inactivity as engaging in less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week for adults, which is recognized as a serious global health challenge with dangerous consequences for public health. Global statistics indicate that this issue is more prominent among women; in Iran, 61.9% of women do not engage in sufficient physical activity. The adoption and expansion of health-related technologies indicate their high potential in supporting self-care. This study aims to identify the necessary data elements for designing a personalized self-care fitness mobile application for women.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in two phases: literature review and data element needs assessment. In the first phase, relevant data elements for creating a personalized self-care fitness application for women were identified through scientific articles in databases and library resources, and a data elements checklist was prepared. In the second phase, based on the checklist, a questionnaire was designed by the researcher. Its validity was confirmed by the research team, and its reliability was calculated with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 91.3%.
Results: The aforementioned questionnaire was provided to 20 physicians from the sports medicine department at Mahdi Clinic, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran, to thoroughly evaluate the proposed data elements in terms of their importance, measurability, and relevance. In total, 49 data elements were identified across seven sections: demographic information, health information, disease information, inappropriate behavioral habits, anthropometric data, reports, and lifestyle. Of these, 4 elements were removed due to incompatibility with the study objectives and low importance scores. Additionally, to facilitate future analyses, the remaining elements were re-categorized into 6 groups.
Conclusion: In this study, the key data elements required for designing and providing exercise programs specifically for women were identified and determined. This process aimed to enhance the level of physical activity and address the specific needs of women, thereby establishing a scientific and precise foundation for developing programs tailored to the physical and psychological characteristics of this group.