Is Herpes Simplex virus (HSV) a sign of Encephalitis in Iranian Newborns? Prevalence of HSV Infection in Pregnant Women in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

How to Cite This Article: Arabsalmani M, Behzadifar M, Baradaran HR, Toghae M, Beyranvand Gh, Olyaeemanesh A, Behzadifar M. Is Herpes Simplex virus (HSV) a sign of Encephalitis in Iranian Newborns? Prevalence of HSV Infection in Pregnant Women in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Iran J Child Neurol.Spring 2017; 11(2):1-7. AbstractObjectiveHerpes Simplex virus (HSV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of herpes simplex virus in pregnant women in Iran.Materials & MethodsA systematic literature review was conducted to study the HSV subtypes in Persian and English papers through several databases. We searched Pub Med, Scopus, Ovid, Science Direct and national databases as Magiran, Iranmedex and Science Information Database (SID) up to October 2015. Random-effects model were applied to calculate the pooled prevalence of HSV subtypes.ResultsFive eligible studies were identified, including 1140 participants. The pooled prevalence of HSV infection in pregnant women was 0.64% (95% CI: 0.10- 1.18) in Iran. The pooled prevalence of studies on both HSV-1 and HSV-2 was 0.91% (CI: 0.81-1.02) and studies on only HSV-2 was 0.23% (CI: -0.61-0.63), respectively.ConclusionThe prevalence of HSV infection in pregnant women in Iran was higher. HSV infection of the central nervous system, especially with HSV-2, can also cause recurrent aseptic meningitis and monophasic, as well as radiuculitis or myelitis. The performance of screening to detect infection in pregnant women can play an important role in the prevention and treatment of patients and help to prevent the transmission of HSV infection to infants in Iran.References 1.Xu F, Sternberg MR, Kottiri BJ, McQuillan GM, Lee FK, Nahmias AJ, et al. 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Health Technology Assessment of CAD/CAM in Dentistry

Introduction: Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) are the latest achievements of Prosthodontics and Restorative Dentistry. The aim of this research is to help make appropriate decision whether to use this technology in Iran. Methods: Studies were included in this review that compared Dental CAD/CAM with conventional restorative methods in terms of safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness using Cochrane Library, CRD and Pub med. Results were analyzed using qualitative methods. Results: Six articles were used. Different indices of effectiveness in two types of application were found through the studies. Total failure rate for dental inlays was obtained as 0, 2.6% in 3 studies during a 4-year period and 1.75% in a 7-year period. It was 0.53% and 3.61% in two studies for prosthesis. Five-year survival rate for dental inlays was obtained from 91.6% to 100% and for prosthesis 72.2% to 100% in two studies. In terms of cost-effectiveness ratio of this technique compared to traditional methods, using ceramics fabricated along with chair side CAD/CAM is higher than traditional method; thus using it provides higher cost-effectiveness ratio than restoration by gold. Conclusion: This technology seems to be safe and effective and if this application is performed by specialists in the field of prosthetics, it will have favorable results. Although this HTA study confirmed the cost effectiveness of the dental CAD/CAM, economic evaluation of the technology in Iran is recommended for the future

Iran's Health System Transformation Plan: A SWOT analysis

Background: Societies are characterized by evolving health needs, which become more challenging throughout time, to which health system should respond. As such, a constant monitoring and a periodic review and reformation of healthcare systems are of fundamental importance to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare services delivery, equity, and sustainable funding. The establishment of President Rouhani's government in Iran, on May 5, 2014, the settlement of the new Ministry of Health and Medical Education administration (MoHME) and the need for change in the provision of healthcare services has led to the "Health System Transformation Plan" (HSTP). The aim of the current investigation was to critically evaluate the health transformation plan in Iran. Methods: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis enables to identify and assess the strengths and weaknesses within an organization or program, as well as the threats and opportunities outside the given organization or program. To identify SWOT of the HSTP in Iran, all articles concerning this program published in scholarly databases as well as in the gray literature were systematically searched. Subsequently, all factors identified at the first round were thematically classified into four categories and for reaching consensus on this classification, the list of points and factors was sent to 40 experts - policy- and decisionmakers, professors and academicians, health department workers, health activists, journalists. Results: Thirty-four subjects expressed comments on classification. Incorporating their suggestions, the SWOT analysis of Iran's HSTP was revised, finalized and then performed. Conclusion: HSTP in Iran, like many of the initiatives that have been recently introduced and not fully implemented, have various challenges, difficulties and pitfalls that health policymakers need to pay attention to. Interacting with criticisms, taking into account public opinion and strengthening the plan can make the project more effective, and it can be anticipated that in the future, better conditions in the health sector will be achieved

A Scoping Review of Components of Physician-induced Demand for Designing a Conceptual Framework

Objectives The current study presents a new conceptual framework for physician-induced demand that comprises several influential components and their interactions. Methods This framework was developed on the basis of the conceptual model proposed by Labelle. To identify the components that influenced induced demand and their interactions, a scoping review was conducted (from January 1980 to January 2017). Additionally, an expert panel was formed to formulate and expand the framework. Results The developed framework comprises 2 main sets of components. First, the supply side includes 9 components: physicians’ incentive for pecuniary profit or meeting their target income, physicians’ current income, the physician/population ratio, service price (tariff), payment method, consultation time, type of employment of physicians, observable characteristics of the physician, and type and size of the hospital. Second, the demand side includes 3 components: patients’ observable characteristics, patients’ non-clinical characteristics, and insurance coverage. Conclusions A conceptual framework that can clearly describe interactions between the components that influence induced demand is a critical step in providing a scientific basis for understanding physicians’ behavior, particularly in the field of health economics

Two-Step Estimation of the Impact of Contextual Variables on Technical Efficiency of Hospitals: The Case Study of Public Hospitals in Iran

Background: Measuring the efficiency and productivity of hospitals is a key tool to cost contamination and management that is very important for any healthcare system for having an efficient system. Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of contextual factors on hospital efficiency in Iranian public hospitals. Methods: This was a quantitative and descriptive-analytical study conducted in two steps. First, we measured the efficiency score of teaching and non-teaching hospitals by using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. Second, the relationship between efficiency score and contextual factors was analyzed. We used median statistics (first and third quarters) to describe the concentration and distribution of each variable in teaching and non-teaching hospitals, then the Wilcoxon test was used to compare them. The Spearman test was used to evaluate the correlation between the efficiency of hospitals and contextual variables (province area, province population, population density, and the number of beds per hospital). Results: On average, the efficiency score in non-teaching hospitals in 31 provinces was 0.67 and for teaching hospitals was 0.54. Results showed that there is no significant relationship between the efficiency score and the number of hospitals in the provinces (p = 0.1 and 0.15, respectively). The relationship between the number of hospitals and the population of the province was significant and positive. Also, there was a positive relationship between the number of beds and the area of the province in both types of teaching and non-teaching hospitals. Conclusion: Multilateral factors influence the efficiency of hospitals and to address hospital inefficiency multi-intervention packages focusing on the hospital and its context should be developed. It is necessary to pay attention to contextual factors and organizational architecture to improve efficiency

Multicriteria decision analysis to support HTA agencies : benefits, limitations, and the way forward

Objective Recent years have witnessed an increased interest in the use of multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) to support health technology assessment (HTA) agencies for setting healthcare priorities. However, its implementation to date has been criticized for being “entirely mechanistic,” ignoring opportunity costs, and not following best practice guidelines. This article provides guidance on the use of MCDA in this context. Methods The present study was based on a systematic review and consensus development. We developed a typology of MCDA studies and good implementation practice. We reviewed 37 studies over the period 1990 to 2018 on their compliance with good practice and developed recommendations. We reached consensus among authors over the course of several review rounds. Results We identified 3 MCDA study types: qualitative MCDA, quantitative MCDA, and MCDA with decision rules. The types perform differently in terms of quality, consistency, and transparency of recommendations on healthcare priorities. We advise HTA agencies to always include a deliberative component. Agencies should, at a minimum, undertake qualitative MCDA. The use of quantitative MCDA has additional benefits but also poses design challenges. MCDA with decision rules, used by HTA agencies in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom and typically referred to as structured deliberation, has the potential to further improve the formulation of recommendations but has not yet been subjected to broad experimentation and evaluation. Conclusion MCDA holds large potential to support HTA agencies in setting healthcare priorities, but its implementation needs to be improved

Contribution of Targeted Subsidies Law to the Equity in Healthcare Financing in Iran: Exploring the Challenges of Policy Process

Introduction: The Targeted Subsidies Law (TSL) was implemented in 2010 with a platform of improving equity in the Iran’s society. One of the objectives of the TSL was improving equity in Healthcare Financing (HCF), but a significant change has not occurred since then. The aim of this study was to analyze the challenges of the TSL to equity in the HCF in Iran. Methods: In this interpretive qualitative study, 31 policy makers and health system experts were interviewed face to face from September 2014 to June 2015. A purposeful and snowball sampling method was used to select participants. Also, a document analysis was conducted on upstream documents. Assisted by MAXQDA 10, recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed based on Framework Approach. Results: Content analysis identified two themes and five sub-themes. Lack of justice in the healthcare system and lack of equity in the total socioeconomic structure of Iran were sub-themes identified as barriers to equity in HCF. Shortcomings in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of the TSL were sub-themes identified as barriers in the policy process. The TSL did not achieve its intended objectives in the health sector because of the above- mentioned barriers, Conclusion: The TSL, according to established goals, had no effect on the equity in HCF in Iran because of problems in the structure of the health system, socioeconomic status, and the policy process. To reach a more equitable HCF, it is advised that, when defining the related policies, various barriers be considered, such as those identified in our research

Availability and inequality in accessibility of health centre-based primary healthcare in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND:Achieving fair access to healthcare and improving population health are crucial in all settings. Properly staffed and fairly distributed primary health care (PHC) facilities are prerequisites to ensure accessible healthcare services. Nevertheless, availability and accessibility issues are common public health concerns, especially in under-resourced countries including Ethiopia. Measuring inequalities in accessibility of healthcare resources guide policy decisions to improve PHC services and ultimately achieving universal health coverage (UHC). PURPOSE:To assess availability and measure magnitude and trend of inequalities in accessibility of health centre-based PHC resources in Ethiopia during 2015 to 2017. METHODS:We conducted a cross-sectional population-based analysis of district-level data collected from 16th December 2017 until 24th May 2018. Afar, Dire-Dawa, and Tigray regions were purposefully included in the study to represent the four pastoralist/semi-pastoralist, three urban and four agrarian regions in Ethiopia, respectively. We used ratios, different inequality indices and Gini decomposition techniques to characterise the inequalities. RESULTS:In 2017, median of health centres (HCs) per 15,000 inhabitants and their Gini indices (GIs) for Afar, Dire-Dawa, and Tigray were 0.781, 0.566, 0.591 vs. 0.237, 0.280, 0.216 respectively. Median overall skilled health workers (SHWs) per 10,000 inhabitants were 5.250, 7.539, and 6.246, respectively. These accounted for 11.80%, 16.94% and 14.04% of the WHO target of 44.5 to achieve SDGs. The corresponding GIs for the regions were 0.347, 0.186 and 0.175. Despite a higher overall SHWs inequality in the urban districts of Tigray (GI = 0.301), only Tigray showed significant inequality reductions in GHE (p < 0.001) and in all categories of SHWs (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Our analysis provided a clear picture of availability and inequalities in PHC resources across three regions in Ethiopia. Identifying contributing factors to low densities and high inequalities of SHWs may help improve PHC services nationwide, along with pathway towards UHC

Explicit Priority Setting Approaches in Health Care Coverage Policies: A Critical Review and Implications for Further Research

Background: Several explicit approaches are used to make decision on health services coverage and to develop the basic health package. In this study, first the approaches used to prioritize health services were introduced, and then the limitations of each method were reported. Methods: We critically reviewed market literature regarding explicit priority setting approaches. The current literature focusing on explicit priority setting approaches in health care system was reviewed. Results: Eight explicit approaches for prioritizing health care were identified: CEA, CEA / BOD, PBMA, HTA, MCDA, A4R, the Value Assessment Framework, and combinational approaches such as MCDA-A4R and PBMA-A4R. Developing the value framework for making a decision, not just informing a decision was needed to be investigated. Conclusion: This study addressed the explicit health services prioritization methods. The results showed that a value framework approach as one of the innovative approaches that has become increasingly widespread in recent years can help to achieve goals of the health system