Patient accounting systems: Are they fit with the users� requirements?

Objectives: A patient accounting system is a subsystem of a hospital information system. This system like other information systems should be carefully designed to be able to meet users� requirements. The main aim of this research was to investigate users� requirements and to determine whether current patient accounting systems meet users� needs or not. Methods: This was a survey study, and the participants were the users of six patient accounting systems used in 24 teaching hospitals. A stratified sampling method was used to select the participants (n = 216). The research instruments were a questionnaire and a checklist. The mean value of �3 showed the importance of each data element and the capability of the system. Results: Generally, the findings showed that the current patient accounting systems had some weaknesses and were able to meet between 70 and 80 of users� requirements. Conclusions: The current patient accounting systems need to be improved to be able to meet users� requirements. This approach can also help to provide hospitals with more usable and reliable financial information. © 2016 The Korean Society of Medical Informatics

Physicians' and Nurses' Opinions about the Impact of a Computerized Provider Order Entry System on Their Workflow

INTRODUCTION: In clinical practices, the use of information technology, especially computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems, has been found to be an effective strategy to improve patient care. This study aimed to compare physicians' and nurses' views about the impact of CPOE on their workflow. METHODS: This case study was conducted in 2012. The potential participants included all physicians (n = 28) and nurses (n = 145) who worked in a teaching hospital. Data were collected using a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire and were analyzed using SPSS version 18.0. RESULTS: The results showed a significant difference between physicians' and nurses' views about the impact of the system on interorganizational workflow (p = .001) and working relationships between physicians and nurses (p = .017). CONCLUSION: Interorganizational workflow and working relationships between care providers are important issues that require more attention. Before a CPOE system is designed, it is necessary to identify workflow patterns and hidden structures to avoid compromising quality of care and patient safety

Social support and relationship with hope among mothers of a child with leukemia

زمینه و هدف: امروزه، بیماری لوسمی(leukemia) شایعترین نئوپلاسم دوران کودکی از یک بیماری کشنده به یک بیماری مزمن تبدیل شده است. لذا تمرکز بر مشکلات ناشی از درمان طولانی‌مدت در خانواده بخصوص مادران که مراقب اصلی کودک هستند، افزایش یافته است. حمایت اجتماعی و امید در توانایی مادران جهت اداره و مواجهه با تجربه بیماری و سازگاری با تنش موجود نقش مهمی را بازی می‌کنند. هدف از پژوهش حاضر بررسی ارتباط حمایت اجتماعی و امید در مادران کودکان مبتلا به لوسمی می‌باشد. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی، تحلیلی 150 نفر بطور مستمر از میان مادران مراجعه‌کننده به مرکز خون مرکز آموزشی درمانی حضرت علی اصغر (ع) تهران، در مدت 3 ماه انتخاب شدند. ابزار گردآوری داده‌ها پرسشنامه‌های حمایت اجتماعی نورتوس (Northouse) و امید میلر (Miller hope scale) بود. برای تجزیه و تحلیل داده‌‌ها از آزمون کای اسکوئر، تی مستقل و آنالیز واریانس یک طرفه استفاده شد. یافته‌ها:میانگیر سنی مادران شرکت کننده 36/33 سال و 3/97آنان متأهل بودند. حدود 7/50 مادران مورد مطالعه از حمایت اجتماعی بالا و 3/45 آنها از امید بالا برخوردار بودند و بین میزان حمایت اجتماعی دریافت شده و میزان امید، همبستگی مثبت معنی‌دار (05/0P< و 443=r) وجود داشت. نتیجه‌گیری: بر مبنای یافته‌های پژوهش و ارتباط حمایت اجتماعی با امید و با توجه به اهمیت این متغیرها در مادران، بعنوان مهمترین گروه مراقبت‌دهنده به کودک مبتلا به لوسمی، برنامه‌ریزی در جهت آموزش و افزایش میزان حمایت اجتماعی و امید در این زنان ضروری بوده که نهایتاً می تواند بر کیفیت مراقبت از کودکان مبتلا به لوسمی موثر واقع شود

Impact of preconception health education on health locus of control and self-efficacy in women Impact de l'éducation sanitaire avant la conception sur le lieu de contrôle de la santé et l'auto-efficacité chez les femmes

The preconception period is an ideal opportunity to optimize women's health. This study of women attending premarital clinics in the Islamic Republic of Iran aimed to evaluate the impact of a health education workshop on their health locus of control and self-efficacy in physical activity. The design was a randomized controlled trial with a questionnaire before and after the intervention. At post-intervention, there were significant increases in scores of internal health locus of control and self-efficacy in the experimental group (n = 109) compared to the control group (n = 101). It was concluded that a short-term health education may empower women to adopt healthy lifestyles

Comparison of the effects of prone and supine positions on abdominal distention in the premature infants receiving nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP)

Background: Premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) are in dire need of respiratory support with a ventilator. However, the high tidal volume of mechanical ventilation may cause lung injury, and researchers have been concerned with the use of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP). NCPAP has concomitant side effects, such as abdominal distention, which might disrupt the proper nutrition of neonates. The present study aimed to compare the effects of supine and prone positions on the abdominal distension of the newborns with NCPAP. Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 37 neonates during six months with a randomized block crossover design selected for the supine and prone positions on the back and abdomen, respectively. Samples were breastfed infants receiving noninvasive ventilation, who were kept in the mentioned positions for two hours. Data analysis was performed in Application SRS version 19 using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: In the analysis of variance, comparison of the changes in the abdominal circumference at 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes in the supine position (P=0.004) and prone position (P=0.001) with repeated sizes indicated a significant difference in at least one of the mentioned timings. Conclusion: According to the results, prone position while feeding could effectively reduce abdominal distension in the neonates receiving NCPAP. © 2018 Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Relationship between intelligence quotient and musical ability in children with cochlear implantation

Introduction: Children with cochlear implants (CIs) may experience few opportunities for positive musical experiences, and musical perception is therefore often not sufficiently developed. This paper investigates and discusses the relationship between intelligence quotient (IQ) and musical ability in children with CIs compared with children with normal hearing. Materials and Methods: This was a comparative analytical study conducted in 48 children with unilateral CI and 48 normalhearing children, 6-8 years of age, with 'normal' IQ and no formal music training. The average IQ score in the experimental and control groups were 105.41 and 106.31, respectively. No statistically significant differences were detected between Raven's IQ scores in both groups. Data were collected by administering Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices IQ Tests and the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Musical Abilities (MBEMA) Test, consisting of scale, contour, interval, rhythm, and memory sections. Results: Mean total MBEMA score in the experimental and control groups was 58.93 and 72.16 (out of 100), respectively. Significant differences were evident between scores of children with CIs in comparison with their normal-hearing peers (P�0.001). A remarkable direct correlation between IQ and musical scores in both the control (r�0.38) and experimental (r�0.37) groups was observed. Conclusion: IQ has a noticeable effect on music processing and facilitates the perception of various musical elements. With regard to the mutual relationship between IQ and musical skills, this study illustrates the advantage of determining music perception scores and highlights the importance of appropriate musical intervention in order to enhance auditory neural plasticity, especially in children with cochlear implantation

Changes in postural and trunk muscles responses in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain during sudden upper limb loading

Background: Alterations in the neuromuscular control of the spine were found in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Sudden loading of the spine is assumed to be the cause of approximately 12 of lower back injuries. However, some aspects of this problem, such as alterations in the sensory-motor control of the spine, remain questionable. This study investigated postural and neuro- motor changes in trunk muscles during sudden upper limb loading in patients with CLBP. Methods: Electromyography of the erector spinae (ES) and transverses abdominis/internal oblique (TrA/IO) and external oblique (EOA) muscles were recorded in 20 patients with CLBP and 20 asymptomatic individuals with eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) conditions. Moreover, measurements of the center of pressure (COP) and vertical ground reaction force (GRF) or Fz were recorded using a force plate. Data were analyzed using paired t-test and independent t-test at the significance level of 0.05. Results: In patients with CLBP, decreased electrical activity of the ES muscle was observed under both the EO and EC conditions and that of the TrA/IO muscle was observed under the EO condition (p < 0.05). Other findings included a shorter peak latency of the ES muscle in the EO condition and a greater increase in the peak latency of the ES muscle following the EC condition (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in COP and GRF measurements between the groups. Conclusion: Electrical muscle activity may indicate less stiffening or preparatory muscle activity in the trunk muscle of patients with CLBP. Altered latency of the muscle may lead to microtrauma of lumbar structures and CLBP

Effectiveness of Problem-Focused Coping Strategies on the Burden on Caregivers of Hemodialysis Patients

Background: Studies have shown that family caregivers of hemodialysis patients experience high levels of burden. However, these caregivers are often neglected, and no studies are available on the effectiveness of coping strategies on the burden of care among these caregivers. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of problem-focused coping strategies (communication skills, anger management, and deep breathing) on the burden on caregivers of hemodialysis patients. Patients and Methods: A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 76 family caregivers of hemodialysis patients referred to Shahid Hasheminejad hemodialysis center in Tehran, Iran. The subjects were equally allocated into two groups of 38. Through a coin-tossing method, caregivers of patients who referred on even or odd days of the week were randomly assigned into the intervention group or the control group, respectively. The intervention group received four training sessions on problem-focused coping strategies, but the control group did not receive any intervention. Both groups answered the caregiver’s burnout inventory at the start and six weeks after the last educational session. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, independent-samples t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze the data. Results: The majority of caregivers (54%) were in the age range of 35 - 55 years, female (68.4%), and married (70%). No significant difference was found between the baseline mean caregivers’ burden scores of the intervention and control groups (88.56 ± 11.74 vs. 84.97 ± 15.13, P = 0.308). However, the mean caregivers’ burden in the intervention group decreased, and the two groups were significantly different at the end of the study (58.77 ± 6.64 vs. 87.84 ± 11.74, P < 0.001). Conclusions: The current study showed the effectiveness of problem-focused coping strategies on reducing the burden on caregivers of hemodialysis patients. Authorities and policymakers in the healthcare system are responsible for developing strategies to integrate educational programs, such as the program implemented in the current study, into the country’s healthcare system

Distributed Computing Architecture for Image-Based Wavefront Sensing and 2 D FFTs

Image-based wavefront sensing (WFS) provides significant advantages over interferometric-based wavefi-ont sensors such as optical design simplicity and stability. However, the image-based approach is computational intensive, and therefore, specialized high-performance computing architectures are required in applications utilizing the image-based approach. The development and testing of these high-performance computing architectures are essential to such missions as James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Terrestial Planet Finder-Coronagraph (TPF-C and CorSpec), and Spherical Primary Optical Telescope (SPOT). The development of these specialized computing architectures require numerous two-dimensional Fourier Transforms, which necessitate an all-to-all communication when applied on a distributed computational architecture. Several solutions for distributed computing are presented with an emphasis on a 64 Node cluster of DSPs, multiple DSP FPGAs, and an application of low-diameter graph theory. Timing results and performance analysis will be presented. The solutions offered could be applied to other all-to-all communication and scientifically computationally complex problems