Journal of Health Information Management
Year:2009 | Volume:5 | Issue:2 (10)|Papers Count:14

Huge quantity and indescribable quality are common problems in medical journals selection. It seems that quality measuring criteria for journals could solve this problem to some extent. A certain journal's Impact Factor (IF) as most well-known scientometric tool is used by authors in selection of a journal to submit paper and it also librarians utilize journals choosing to library subscription. Nowadays this tool has challenged by pros and cons viewpoints.

Introduction: Decision making is a highly important task at the top of organizations hierarchy. So, it is essential to implement an information system such as decision making support. The main goal of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of decision support system (DSS) implementation in health deputy of Iranian social security organization (ISSO).Methods: In this cross sectional study, the main instrument for data gathering was a questionnaire with 35 questions which evaluates the feasibility of DSS implementation from operational administrative, human resource and economic dimensions. A check list was also used which consists of 42 questions. The questionnaires were distributed within 27 managers and staffs in health deputy of social security organization and 24 were gathered. The data was analyzed using the SPSS software.Results: The feasibility of DSS implementation from operational administrative aspect takes the mean score 3.65 over 5, from a human resource perspective takes the score 3.10 over 5 and from an economic dimension takes the score 2.92 out of 5. The feasibility of DSS implementation from technical perspective takes the general score 37 over 42.Conclusion: Considering to current software and hardwires and also enough financial resources for implementation of Decision Support System, it is recommended that training courses about concepts and applications of DSS should be introduced to decrease users resistance and increase management support.

Introduction: Increasing hospital costs in recent years and also the implementation of privatization and managing the hospitals with their own private revenues, cause hospitals to confront with a lot of monetary problems. On the other hand, many resources in hospitals become useless because of the wrong and inappropriate financial management. The aim of this study was decreasing the deficits resulting from not recording these procedures in patients' medical records and also in patients' bills using a 9 step quality- improved module on hospital revenues.Methods: This wsa an interventional and longitudinal study on 350 patients' medical records in male and female internal ward in Nemazi hospital in Shiraz in early months of 2006. The randomly selected records were compared with patients' bills. Then a medical procedure form was designed and the nurses were instructed on how to fill this form and were made aware about the importance of this form. The intervention last about 4 months. After intervention in post test the impact of intervention on 215 medical records was examined.Results: In the pretes,t 56% of the costs of medical procedures have not been recorded and after intervention these lost revenues decreased to 31% and totally caused 25% increase in the revenues of this hospital.Conclusion: Nemazi hospital does not have any acceptable method for recording the medical procedures. This hospital can significantly increase its revenues, if patients' bills be compromised with their medical processes records and a correct and appropriate financial management module correctly be used.

Introduction: One of the ways to retrieve the expert information from internet is using search tools. This research was aimed to measure the relevance of documents retrieved from search and meta-search engines in the field of pharmacology. Findings help web users, especially pharmaceutics researches and specialists, to know the search tools cover more pharmaceutics information and use them to access the required information.Methods: In this descriptive research, 6 major search and 6 major meta-search engines, introduced by the website of www.searchenginewatch.com as well-used internet search tools, were chosen. Pharmaceutics keywords were chosen from medical subject Headings (Mesh) and then selected terms of pharmacology were searched in each of search engines. The first 10 results of search engines were selected for evaluation of recall and precision. Data were analyzed with Excel.Results: Yahoo retrieved the most pharmaceutics documents and scored the highest rank 34%). Aol had 62% precision and 21% recall and retrieved the most relevant pharmaceutics documents. Dogpile retrieved the most pharmaceutics documents and scored the highest rank (22%), followed by Metacrawler (21%) and Info (19%). Excite had 62% precision and 22% recall and retrieved the most relevant pharmaceutics documents.Conclusion: Search and meta-search engines are suitable tools for amateur or professional users and they have suitable search capabilities and facilities. Although using search engines in retrieving relevant documents is useful, but it is suggested that users follow the search in several search engines to access the relevant documents among the vastly available sources on web.

Introduction: The goal of health information system is to collect, disseminate and use information for improvement of health care and medical services. The aim of this study was to investigate attitudes of health managers and experts regarding Tabriz University of Medical Sciences health information system.Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study, data about routine health information system in Tabriz medical sciences university was collected. The data about all hospitals, district health centers, deputies and faculties statistic units were gathered by a check. Data were analyzed with SPSS-12 statistical package.Results: Statistic unit responsibilities were in 15.6 percent of studied facilities. In 21.9% of offices, the information needs were determined. 9.4% and 71.9 % of facilities receive and send information to other sectors, respectively. In 89.3% of surveyed offices, data were gathered regularly. Data accuracy was controlled in 81.3 percent of facilities.Conclusion: For better policy making, we must create integrated health information system and improve the knowledge and practice of health staff about using health information.

Introduction: Nowadays, developing electronic health records is one of the priorities in many countries. If a country starts to storage clinical information in computerize systems, necessary predictions must be done for prevention of unauthorized access to information in procedures; thus with regard to health ministry strategy for electronic health records design, main question was "What is Suite Confidentiality Rules of Electronic Health Records?"Methods: This comparative descriptive study was done in 2007. Data gathering instruments were library resources, internet and Journals. Data were analyzed by comparative tables.Results: Confidentiality rules of electronic health records information in two countries, Australia and Canada, is more integrate. Electronic Health Records information gathering, usage and disclose in selected countries is with patient consent. Australia and Canada have limitation for patient access to own Electronic Health Records, and England, base on need to know, authorized patient access to Electronic Health Records. In this regard, Iran doesn't have approved rules.Conclusion: Iran doesn't have Confidentiality Rules about Electronic Health Records. In regard to Iran’s Health Ministry approach about making an Electronic Health Records for each Iranian, it become necessary to make approved confidentiality rules for Electronic Health Records with use of experiences of other countries.

Introduction: Nowadays cancer is one of the major health problems in Iran and the world. Since lung cancer treatment is costly and affects the patient’s life, in this research we decided to assess the cost of lung cancer treatment.Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional research, we studied with lung cancer admitted patients' medical records in Imam Reza hospital of Mashhad from April 2003 to April 2003. The research population includes 115 medical records. As the measurement was not conducted again, the validity and reliability of the tool was not evaluated. Data analysis was done through descriptive statistics and SPSS-15 software.Results: In this research, mean cost of patient at one admission was 2,614,773 Rials. Cost comparison between male and female and also, smoker and non-smoker patients did not show significant statistical difference (P>0.05).Conclusion: Treatment of lung cancer is very costly. Any intervention in care and management, delayed complications, progress of illness, or decrease length of hospital stay could relief patient distress, improve life quality and lessen costs.

Introduction: Hospital information system (HIS), not only increases hospital the performances but also enable health care providers in better decision-making. The aim of this research was defining the role of HIS in hospital performance.Methods: This study was an applied research done by analytic method. The processes of admission's duration, patient's billing, fee for service process, ordering and result management, mean of patient's length of stay and average cost of five diseases were reviewed and compared in HIS with manual system. Research tools were check lists used for data gathering which validity and reliability of them were assured. The research population includes hospitals which implemented HIS in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.Results: In total diseases, the mean of patient's length of stay reduced (23%), the cost mean of diseases increased (34%). In ordering and result management tests 28% time saving was reached. The mean time of patient's admission process and generally, the mean time in patients billing process reduced (12% and 80%, respectively). In fee for service process 87% of time was saved .Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that the mean of processes which affect on patient length of stay decreased and lead to performance promotion in hospital.

Introduction: Medical records committee is a qualitative committee in organizational charts of hospitals. This committee makes decisions on medical records policy, medical records procedures, medical records forms, and relevant problems to the management of patient information. The medial records committee is important in accreditation programs too. This research was done in respect of assess the performance of medical records committees, according to medical records sessions reports.Methods: In this cross sectional study, all reports of medical records committee during 2005- 2007 were observed. The check list for gathering data was designed accordaning to the medical records committee duty in the text books. Variables were the number of medical records committee sessions, discussed problems, made decisions, and the representative which must be present in sessions.Results: Of the 20 hospitals, 5 (30.8%) were educational. The whole sessions which must be established were 600, but only 257 (42.8 %) were established. The discussed problems in relation to 5 responsibility of medical records committee were 513 topics which 360 of them (70.2%) were agreed, 50 (9.8%) refused, and 98 problem (19.1%) were questionable. As the results showed, the physician and financial representative were absent in 63 medical records committee sessions (36.2%).Conclusion: Medical records committee must be more active than the past. Because of importance of medical record committee, the sessions must be establish regularly, the decisions mus follow up, and evaluation of the medical records committee should be done by own hospital annually.

Introduction: Scientometrics are used to quantify scientific activities. Generally quantification of scientific activities is measurable by producing statistics on scientific publications indexed in indicator databases such as SCOPUS and ISI. Scientometric data can be useful to measure research collaborations among scientific environments and to monitor the evolution of special scientific subjects and fields. Also decision and policy-makers are going to be interested in scientometric indicators.Methods: In developed countries, there are flexible tools used to study the scientific phenomena of countries associated with scientific communities, to conduct scientific/strategic, technical, technological or competitive monitoring, to design and manage research programs and to evaluate research. Also in these countries, clear scientometric tools are available and can be used to measure and compare the scientific activities at various levels of aggregation including institutions, sectors, provinces and etc.Results: The progress of the scientific activities of developing country is not clear due to turbidity of science and technology importance and indicators; therefore, survey about science and technology indicators at scientific environment of country could not offer a clear and certain view to scientometrician without the updated information on science and technology indicators.Conclusion: Science and technology indicators are based on the publication performance of each country in different science and technology fields; therefore it looks like that 'native indicators are essential of detection of our country situation on scientometry'.