Journal of Health Information Management
Year:2019 | Volume:15 | Issue:6 (64) |Papers Count:10

Introduction: Due to the importance of information in health care organizations, the problems of health information management departments can play an important role in managing these organizations. Therefore, we attempted to investigate health information management problems and their causes in Iran. Methods: This practical study was conducted in 2016, using qualitative approach and Delphi technique. First, the problems of health information management departments and their causes were identified via qualitative study using Corbin-Strauss methodology. Then, two rounds of Delphi technique were used to validate the findings. Results: From the perspective of participants, organizational justice problems (89%), building and work environment (86%), and laws and processes (85%) were the main challenges of the health information management departments in hospitals. Lack of a guild system (95%), and finance problems (92%) were the main reasons behind these problems. Conclusion: Health information management departments in hospital are faced with a number of challenges. The main reason for these challenges are macro policies, lack of laws and regulations, and attitudes of hospital managers toward these departments.

Introduction: The aim of the development of Hospital Information Systems (HIS) is to promote the patient information mechanization service, which is designed to enhance the effectiveness and desirable service performance. Regarding that deployment of management information systems plays an important role in decision making and strategy determination by managers. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out at the Bu-Ali Sina hospital in Sari City, Iran, in 2017. The statistical population of this study was 111 users of the hospital information system. The data collection tool was a questionnaire containing nine components (78 factors). Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: Analysis of the status of factors influencing re-engineering view point of users showed that the level of components was moderate at 65. 8%, undesirable at 19. 8%, and desirable at 10. 4% of them. Conclusion: The results of this study are applicable to managers at different levels to improve the performance of hospital information systems in order to establish management information systems.

Introduction: Defect of hospital information systems leads to decrease income in public hospitals, such that more than 30% of the services provided are not reimbursement. The purpose of this article was to identify hospital resources wastages in health transformation plan (HTP) in Iran, and how to avoid the waste of resources and cost-containment approaches in the field of health information and medical record. Methods: The present original research was a kind of content analysis and applied studies. In order to identify hospital resources wastage and cost-control approaches, PubMed, Irandoc, Scientific Information Database (SID), Google Scholar, and Magiran databases were searched using the keywords of Information, Records, Cost and Cost Control, health transformation plan, and related articles were extracted. Nominal group technique was used to confirm and categorize wastage, and a focused group discussion was used to confirm the approaches. Results: The most considerable resource wastage factors in the field of medical information and records were duplicate and inconsistent administrative requirements, dispersion of patient information, and increase the insurance deductions; and the most important cost-containment approaches included mapping the right route of data from hospital to Ministry of Health, creating standard software for validation and claim status, setting up a notification system with patient-centered patient programs, and reducing the insurance deductions. Conclusion: Medical records and hospital information are the basis of all evidence-based decisions. Since today's financial management is much more important than before, also due to resource constraints, it seems that it is possible through reducing costs by eliminating or reducing waste of resources.

Introduction: Health care reform was implemented in Iran in year 2014 to protect people from health-related financial risks. The aim of this study was to compare direct health expenditures before and after the implementation of health care reform. Methods: This was a descriptive survey study, using the databases of selected Insurance Organizations of Isfahan Province (Iran Health Insurance Organization and Social Security Organization) and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (MUI). All data related to direct health expenditures in years 2013 and 2015 were gathered using a checklist, and analyzed using Excel software. Results: The direct health expenditures experienced 49, 130, and 118 percent of increase in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran Health Insurance Organization, and Social Security Organization, respectively; the overall increase after implementation of health care reform was 92 percent. Conclusion: After the implementation of the health care reform in Iran, selected Insurance Organizations of Isfahan Province and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences experienced an increase in direct health expenditures. As a result, we suggest the use of different methods for controlling the expenditures of health care reform as its next phase.

Introduction: Health care reform affects the hospital activities from various ways. According to the important effect of insurance bill deductions on hospitals revenue, this study was aimed to compare the deductions from the insurance bills of Alzahra hospital affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, before and after of health care reform. Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was carried out by examining data about insurance bill deductions among 50288 and 51699 inpatient cases in 2013 and 2015, respectively, in Alzahra hospital covered by Social Security Insurance Organization and Health Services Insurance. To data collection, information technology (IT) staff reports and Health Information System reports were used and exported to electronic files. Data were analyzed using t and paired t tests at a significant level of 0. 05. Results: The ratio of deductions to total hospital income significantly reduced in 2015 compared to 2013 (P = 0. 010). This significant reduction was seen in visiting, anesthesia, surgery, bed-day costs, and para-clinic services. There was a significant increase in load of para-clinic, consulting, anesthesia, surgery, and total services. Conclusion: Insurance bill deductions in Alzahra hospital decreased after health care reform. The most rate of deductions referred to para-clinic services of Social Security Insurance Organization; that was because of great load of documents of this organization or inequity of patients covered by different insurers. But it is necessary to investigate the causes of insurance bill deductions according to insurance types to find approaches to reduce Social Security Insurance Organization bill deductions.

Introduction: Book therapy is an effective and practical process that can prevent or reduce a range of mental health problems. Prisoners are among the most in need of attention in terms of mental health. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of book therapy on the mental health of women prisoners. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study. The research population included all prisoners in Shahr-e-Rey women prison, Iran. A sample of 30 prisoners was selected using available sampling method. Samples were randomly assigned into two equal groups of test and control. The intervention consisted of ten sessions of book therapy during one month for the test group. Health was measured before and after intervention in both groups. The research instrument was General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Data were analyzed using independent t test and covariance analysis. Results: After the intervention, there was a significant difference between the two groups in the overall mental health score (P = 0. 023). The scores of the test group in the subscales of physical symptoms and anxiety were significantly lower than the control group, too. Conclusion: Book therapy improves mental health indexes, and can be used to improve the mental health of prisoners and, as a result, improve their overall health status.

Immediate access to special clinical services remotely has an important role in transferring information, informing clinical diagnosis, and distance learning. Health systems have faced with various opportunities and challenges during implementation of telemedicine. This study aimed to explore the challenges and opportunities in health systems for implementation of telemedicine. In this comprehensive review, local and international databases were searched according to a search strategy from January 2000 to January 2018. Then, an analysis was conducted on 24 selected papers. Use of telemedicine technology results in many challenges related to informational and communicational infrastructures, health, standards, laws and regulations, training, and security. Despite these challenges, significant opportunities are also presented specially in regards to pervasiveness of informational and communicational information, providing universal access to updated information, and disappearance of technology gaps through globalization, which can be suitable methods for eliminating the aforementioned challenges.

Introduction: The dramatic growth of Web 2. 0 technologies and social networks provides a lot of potential for promoting health and health behavior change programs. Organizations and healthcare providers also play a major role in the use of this tool as the main contributors to these programs. This study aimed to assess published texts to identify opportunities and challenges in the use of social networks in healthcare organizations. Methods: In a systematic review study, we assessed published articles between January 2008 and July 2018 using related keywords in Emerald, ScienceDirect, Springer, Wiley, Magiran, SID, Irandoc and PubMed databases. Results: Fifteen opportunities and six challenges were identified for healthcare organizations. The opportunities for these organizations included informational support, social support, searching for instrumental support, reduction of organizational costs, provision of patient satisfaction, real-time client monitoring, accessing a new atmosphere for communication with clients, educating clients, branding, knowledge management, increased access to specific clients, encouraging behavioral changes, direct communication with clients, instant communication with clients, and identification of opportunities for improving quality within organizations. And also the facing challenges included one-way communication, lack of expertise in the area of information technology and in proper client interaction, protecting the privacy of clients, poor understanding perception of the public, negative comments by patients and ultimately, more follow-ups by other organizations rather than individuals. Conclusion: The identification of the opportunities and challenges provides the possibility of more favorable planning and operation of these networks by policymakers and managers of health organizations.