Epidemiological Study of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Neyshabur County, East of Iran (2011-2017)

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) isn’t a deadly disease, but it has always been taken into consideration due to the long-term involvement of patients with skin. Various factors can play an intervening role in increasing the rate of disease. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and associated factors of disease from 2011-2017 and provide appropriate control strategies for reducing its incidence in Neyshabur county. METHODS: All patients with CL, who had medical records in the health centres of Neyshabur from 2011 to 2017, were examined for conducting this analytical-descriptive study. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and chi-square test at a significant level of 0.95 using SPSS V22. RESULTS: Findings indicated that the highest annual incidence was in 2016 (229 patients), and the least incidence was in 2014 (100 patients). The majority of patients were under 10 years of age and 51.7% of patients were male. About 59.5% of patients were living in cities and 35% of them were living in North of Neyshabur city. Hands were the most affected part of the body (56.0%) followed by trunk (1.3%). Most patients (69.9%) were treated with topical regimens. CONCLUSION: This study showed that CL was hypo-endemic in Neyshabur. Also, the disease was more prevalent in urban areas. Therefore, appropriate health measures to improve environmental conditions, public health educations, and the public awareness of the positive impact of early diagnosis of disease in the success of treatment (especially for inhabitance suburbanite) are essential

Performance Assessment of Health Care Centers in South Tehran Health Network

Background: Given the importance of assessment to ensure the quality of rendered services in health care centers, this study was carried out. The aim of this study is to assess performance of health care centers within the health networks in south of Tehran. Methods: This cross-sectional research was conducted among 360 individuals who referred to the health care centers related to South Tehran Health network. Of the 31 health centers, 15 centers were selected by proportional allocation sampling. The data collection tool was a primary care assessment questionnaire, which included 2 sections of demographic questions and indicators of health centers' assessment. The data was analyzed by SPSS 22 using independent-samples t-test and one-way ANOVA for analytical results. Results: The total mean performance of health care centers was 1.56. The highest score was related to care continuity (2.64); whereas, the least score was related to the care comprehensiveness (0.81). Moreover, age, educational degrees, number of visits, and cause of reference had a significant correlation with several assessment indicators of the health centers. Conclusion: All health care centers are required to improve their performance by reviewing and modifying the measures, goals, policies, and managers' performance

Evaluation of Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS): Radiologists’ perspective

Background: Evaluating Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) from the perspective of radiologists can provide valuable insights into the system's strengths and weaknesses, enabling designers to receive feedback and make improvements accordingly. As user acceptance is critical for the successful implementation of information systems, it is important to identify the views of radiologists on PACS. Discovering the users' perspectives can help identify possible system weaknesses and provide feedback to designers. Methods: This cross-sectional survey study involved radiologists and radiology residents working in two teaching hospitals that used different PACS. A total of 138 participants were included in the study using a census method. A standard questionnaire comprising 40 items based on a three-option Likert scale (disagree, no idea, and agree) was used to collect data, which was divided into four sections. After translation, the content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed (CVI>0.9), and its reliability was confirmed by a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.71. The data were analyzed using SPSS software, and the mean score for each item was calculated. The independent sample t-test was used to compare the mean scores of each section between the two PACS. Results: Radiologists identified better education for medical students as the most significant advantage of PACS. Almost 90% of radiologists believed that PACS met their expectations for patient care and improved care delivery. The biggest challenge of PACS was the continued dependence on paper after implementation, rather than being entirely paperless. According to radiologists, PACS B had a more significant impact on patient care and posed fewer challenges than PACS A (P value < 0.01). Conclusions: Based on radiologists' perspectives, PACS improves care delivery and patients' satisfaction compared to traditional film-based systems, while also reducing patient care costs by eliminating the need for film and paper. However, the system faces several challenges, such as poor image quality and slow processing speeds. The use of appropriate infrastructure to implement the system could be one solution to these challenges

Teleophthalmology: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Introduction: The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the impact of tele-ophthalmology on screening, monitoring and treatment adherence in eye diseases. Material and Methods: A systematic review of controlled and randomized clinical trial studies without time limit was explored by searching keywords in the title, abstract and keywords of the studies in the reliable scientific databases Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed on April 20, 2022. A gray literature search was also conducted using the Google search engine to identify the most recent possible evidence. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist; that the studies with a score above 7 were included in the analysis. Results: A total of 40 articles were identified after removing duplicates. After screening the full text of the articles, 5 studies met the inclusion criteria. In four of the studies, tele-ophthalmology was used for tele-screening and tele-monitoring using tele-imaging approaches, live video conferencing, and websites. Also, in one case, telemedicine reminder studies were used to improve treatment adherence. In the majority of studies, tele-ophthalmology was at least as effective as in-person visit services in screening, monitoring, and adherence to treatment. Conclusion: The results of our systematic review showed that a well-designed tele-ophthalmology program with high-quality cameras and equipment and the use of multiple technologies has the potential to replace or complement in-person visits to an ophthalmologist