Journal of Health Information Management
Year:2011 | Volume:8 | Issue:1 (17)|Papers Count:14

Introduction: Personal health record is an individual -oriented system that is planned for people to access their health information that using other means of support such as knowledge databases to help people to have more active role in their health Considering that physicians and nurses have a basic role in its completing, educating and using of this tools, this study was conducted to evaluate the view point of physicians and nurses in this regard.Methods: In this descriptive – cross-sectional study, 120 and 250 randomly selected physicians and nurses from affiliated hospitals of Kashan University of Medical Sciences were studied in 2008.Data collected using a reliable (spearman Brown, r=0.82) and valid (face and content) questionnaire in two section; demographic information (age, sex, education and income levels) and objective questions in the form of yes - no and choice question. Obtained data analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive statistics.Results: 93.8% of participants believed on the necessity of personal health record and 88.6% on the existence of a coherent format. The most important use was providing information for health care providers (%58.1) and portable storage was the best form of it (%39.2). The most benefits of personal health record were knowledge of patients about their appointment (85.7%) and the most disadvantage was misunderstand of the information (67.6%). The most cause of lack of providing personal health record was unawareness about its advantages (49.7%).Conclusion: Personal health record from viewpoint of physicians and nurses is necessary and problems and concerns about patient misunderstanding, privacy and security should be eliminated as appropriate. It is recommended that the personal health record provide by the authorities of Ministry of Health and Medical Education with cooperating with private section and insurance organizations.

Introduction: With the advent of new technology and creating virtual training centers, e-learning and training have achieved a specific place in training centers.This article has been studied the feasibility of distance learning via internet for for librarians working in central libraries of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in Tehran.Methods: In this descriptive survey data from 44 librarians, working in central libraries of universities affiliated to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in Tehran, collected using a questionnaire during August - September of 2008. For validation, the content of this questionnaire was approved by professors and other experts of the technology. To determine the validity of the questionnaire coefficient of the Cronbach's Alpha measured from 15 randomly selected samples from the community was used. Obtained data analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive statistics techniques.Results: 95% of librarians in ministry of health were interested in participate to distance education via internet. Most of the librarians experienced data base and less of them experienced digital library. Educational Web sites were the most and chat was the least methods for distance education presentation. More than 70% of librarian confirmed that their libraries spend budget for distance education.21% of librarians in ministry of health confirmed that of facilities and equipments are provide for performance distance education in libraries. Most of the librarians didn’t familiar with engineering knowledge, collection evaluation, multi_label classification and website architecture. Most of them were relatively familiar and fully familiar with knowledge management and basic computer skills, respectively. Boss disagreements, not authorizing, technical problems, internet problems, unfamiliar educator for training this type of education, haven’t performance responsible, were problems that stated by the librarians.Conclusion: Central Libraries affiliated to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in Tehran have the potential and capabilities required for performance distance education via internet.

Introduction: Population-based mortality statistics are derived from the information recorded on death certificates. This information is used for many important purposes, such as development of public health programs and allocation of health care resources. Therefore, the accuracy of death certificate data is important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of death certificates records and its recording accuracy in educational and non-educational hospitals in Kermanshah.Methods: In this descriptive and applied study, 321 death certificates of patients admitted and expired in educational and non-educational hospitals (1994 death) of Kermanshah during first six months in 2007selected randomly and evaluated. Data was collected by a checklist which validity was approved by professionals. Obtained data analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive statistics.Results: 51.1% and 24% of death certification in educational and non-educational hospitals were qualified respectively. The demographic information of death certification were incomplete in 7.6% and 28.8% of cases in educational and non-educational hospitals, respectively. 3.3% and 12.2% of death certificates in educational and non-educational hospitals were filled by attending physician, respectively. In 33.7% and 45.4% of cases in educational and non-educational hospitals the mechanism of death or nonspecific condition listed as the cause of death, respectively. Regarding the cause of death in 64.1% and 74.7% of cases in educational and noneducational hospitals sequence of events dose not make sense, respectively.Conclusion: Current status of death certificate record quality in the hospitals, specially noneducational ones is inappropriate and needed to contemplate.Considering the importance and value of data contained in the death certificate and its many uses, it is necessary to improve the awareness of physicians about different types of errors in completing death certificates.

Introduction: Patient- centered and perspective approach which prefers prevention to cure, to improve and promote the services and care, not only recognizes free flow of patient’s information, but also concurrently is concerned about maintaining security and privacy as an important feature of health care system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of accessibility and privacy of medical record, rules, regulations, standards and functional procedures in hospitals of Tehran.Methods: In this descriptive and cross sectional study, the level of accessibility and privacy of medical record, rules, regulations, standards and functional procedures in all educationalnoneducational and private hospitals of Tehran (including 120 hospitals affiliated with Tehran, Iran and Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences) was investigated. Research population was selected by census method. Required information has been provided using checklist that relevance with current status of patient information privacy. Obtained data analyzed by SPSS11 software. Finally, patient data privacy was expressed as a quantitative scale on which the range was from 0 - 100.Results: Regarding the patient information confidentiality, 54% of educational public hospitals, 57% of non- educational public hospitals and 62% of private hospitals had appropriate status.Conclusion: In order to maintain the confidentiality of medical records and limit the levels of access to patient information, interventions such as making legislation to ensure confidentiality of medical records, determining clear rules about how to access patient medical records by an excellent reference in the country and announced it to all hospitals and health centers as a directive and determine the types of criminal offenses and civil cases for disclosure of patient medical records by a competent reference are recommended.

Introduction: Today, stress is one of the human’s problems particularly in developing and developed countries. So, many people try to determine these factors and presented suitable solutions. The purpose of this research was to determine job stressors among librarians of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2009.Methods: This study was survey research in which data was collected by questionnaire.Questionnaire validity confirmed by specialists and its reliability determined by Alpha Cronbach, as (r=0.91).77 librarians were studied in this research. Considering the small sample size, the participants were selected by census method. The method of data collection was interview. Data analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive statistics and inferential tests.Results: The most effective stressor was lack of support for caregivers and the least important factor was Lack of identified audience groups. Ranking of stressors by four dimensions of Lothans indicate that organization structures dimension has the highest average and physical conditions dimension has the lowest average. There was a significant correlation between age, job experience and degree of education and stress factors.Conclusion: The results showed that the most important stressors are, respectively, the lack of manager’s support, lack of attention to job promotion, job insecurity, work only to eliminate any obligation and lack of library manager’s collaboration. Thus, managers should identify stress factors and eliminate them.

Introduction: Quantitative analysis of medical records is effectiveness factors in hospital policies, assessment of treatment team performance, and improve executive activities in hospital and they are the principle tool for medical audit. Despite the importance of evaluation and high cost and time, it was not intentioned enough. This paper review the result of Quantitative analysis of medical records of patients admitted in the Gharazi hospital.Methods: In this descriptive and cross-sectional study, the medical records of all patients admitted in the hospital from the first April 2008 until the end of March were evaluated.Sampling method was census and 26, 284 number of cases were studied Data collection tool was the checklist that was extracted from medical record text. Researcher referred to the medical record department and data from hospital records were extracted and compiled the checklist and analyzed by SPSS.Results: The most frequency of failure of patients file were related to Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists (38%) and Maxillofacial Surgery department professionals had not any defect in their patients file record.Conclusion: Quantitative analysis of medical records Based on the desired Topics of documentation showed that the most failure of patient records were related to documentation of date entry by documentary makers (91%) and the lowest deficit was related to data entry (1.1%).Few percent of the cases (1.2%) were not assessed in medical record. Considering the results of this study, the Gharazi hospital is planning to control the case documentation and medical records evaluation by applying appropriate management tools.

Introduction: By considering daily progress of advanced technology and unimaginable advances in the management technology region, demand to educate and improve working personnel of administrative health and hygiene fields seems to be vital by considering the present situation. The main purpose of this study is to specify the educational demand of health care management graduates who are working as managers, VP or experts of hospitals and other related health centers in Isfahan.Methods: In this descriptive survey study, 67 health care management graduates working in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences were enrolled, in 2008. The study tool was a researcher made questionnaire in three dimensions. Reliability and validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts and calculating the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient (a=0.75), respectively.Study population was selected by stratified randomized method. All of these data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software.Results: The first priority need of study population from the three studied domains was operational and technical skills with mean score of 3.49±0.12. Among the operational and technical skills familiarity with computer and software use had the highest score. Among the theoretical and conceptual skills globalization and multi-cultural organizations had the highest score in health care management graduates.Conclusion: In fact operational needs, the needs that management graduates are dealing with it daily, and the needs related to computer use and information technology considered as the most important needs of operational skills. It is necessary that educational planners consider mentioned needs in the setting of annual program.

Introduction: The important of comparing performance of hospitals using hospital indicators, has been made the necessary of utilizing of the application model inevitable. This study aimed to compare hospital performance key indicators simultaneity.Methods: In this descriptive cross sectional and retrospective study, 31 hospitals of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences were evaluated in 2007. Selected indicators including bed occupancy rate, bed turnover rate and mean length of hospitalization were extracted by referring to Vice Treatment of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and evaluating monthly activity of the centers during 2005-2006. Obtained data compared using Excel software and Pobon Lasso charts.Results: There were 3 (10 percent) hospitals in Quadrant I, 12 (39 percent) hospitals in Quadrant II, 14 (45 percent) hospitals in Quadrant III and 2 (6%) hospitals in Quadrant IV of Pobon Lasso chart in 2005.There were 2 (6 percent) hospitals in Quadrant I, 14 (45 percent) hospitals in Quadrant II, 13 (43 percent) hospitals in Quadrant III and 2 (6%) hospitals in Quadrant IV in 2006.Conclusion: Pobon Lasso chart help us to compare the three key indicators of hospital performance simultaneity in addition to assessment of centers performance in respect of governance. It is recommended that hospital administrators evaluate hospital efficiency through this method which considered as one of the active methods in identifying the problem. This analysis can be a useful guide in planning performance improvement for the center.

Introduction: With reviewing of scientific production in any field, strategic planning could be conducted for policy research assessment, improve the quality of research activities and evaluate obtained promotions. This study aimed to analyze the content and citation of published articles in the journal of "Health Information Management".Methods: In this descriptive study, the content and Citation of 175 articles published in the Journal of “Health Information Management” was analyzed from 2004 till 2010. The analyze was conducted using a checklist and obtained data was entered in Excell software. The validity of checklist was confirmed by experts. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics such as data classification based on frequency distribution and mean and charts drawing.Results: Most authors (58%) from 531 authors of 175 articles were male. Most of the authors (263 author) were at PHD level; the academic level of most of them was assistant professor (116 author) and most of them were affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Most of the studied articles were descriptive (127 titles), the most used tool was questionnaire (76 titles) and the most used subject descriptors were hospitals (30 titles). Most type of published articles were research ones (150 titles) and most of them were extracted from approved projects (60 titles).Greatest numbers of articles (51 titles) were published in 2010 with most subject trends of “Management" (Title 50). Most citations were referred to the articles (43%) with latin sources of language (58%). Self citation to authors and journals was reported in 4.45% and 1.05% of articles.Conclusion: The behavioral pattern of authors should be pushed to writing analytical papers and using various and novel methods in the field of information management in the healthcare field.The journals editors should consider a certain level in their self-citation.

Hospital Libraries are libraries for the use of patients and employees that are managed by hospitals or interested organizations. These libraries provide knowledge - based information services in the field of medical sciences and health. This paper note is based on library and descriptive method and reviewing the previous literature about hospital libraries was written in Persian. So evaluation of the existing literature and scientific documents regarding the necessity of hospital libraries in the area of the country's health services is considered. Hospital libraries in Persian literature were identified by descriptive methods and presentation of services as the bases for information seeking and information centers in our country. The base of these libraries achieved its continuity within the Takfab plan and empowerment of the base of the digital libraries. The process of development of infrastructure of hospital libraries and the necessity of them is a very important issue in health services and medical sciences, and requires planning in the field of health services and medical sciences in the country.

Ever changing needs of society to which the health sector has to respond, makes the health sector reform inevitable for any country worldwide. Increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of health services, equity, sustainable financing and management improvement are the main objectives of health sector reform. Healthcare reform was set high on the new administration’s agenda with the start of the transition. In the United States after coming on the new government, reforms in the health system were considered largely in the government work programs. The main focus of these reforms is on the use of new information technologies in health information management. This government has described improved health information as a key to expanding healthcare coverage while improving quality and controlling costs. Therefore government was set health information pyramid on seven issues that by implementation of these will be able to achieve the meaningful healthcare reform.

Diseases management offers the benefits of lower disease occurrence, improved patient care, and lower healthcare costs. The key mechanism used to identify individuals at risk, stratify patients by risk level and track patients’ progress through the disease management is the data warehouse (DW).This review article describes operational systems, DW features and component and role of it in disease management programs.By data warehouse, healthcare organizations, clinicians and managers can reduce costs generated by process redesign, obtain right information in areas of patient care, budgeting, planning, research, process improvement, external reporting, benchmarking, trend analysis and marketing and make the right decision to prevent the progression or appearance of the illness, thus maintaining the health of the population.