Improvement of patient safety through implementation of electronic medical records

Introduction: Today, with the complexity of the process of conducting activities, the increase in diversity and the number of hospital services, and the increase in the expectations of clients - consistent with the fast technological advances - most of the hospitals in Iran have turned to mechanized systems to organize their daily activities and to register the patients' information and the care provided. One of these technologies is electronic medical records, which is known as a valuable system to evaluate patients' information in hospitals. The purpose of this paper was to examine the advantages of running electronic medical records in patient safety. Methods: This study is a review paper based on a structured review of papers published in the Google Scholar, SID, Magiran, Pubmed, and Science Direct databases (from 2007 to 2015) and the books on the benefits of implementing electronic medical records in patient safety and the related keywords. Results: Clinical information systems can have a significant effect on the quality of the outputs and patient safety. Various studies have indicated that the physicians with access to clinical guidelines and features such as computer reminders, doctors who did not have these features, presented more appropriate preventive care. Studies show that electronic medical records play a crucial role in improving the quality of patient health and safety services. Moreover, electronic medical record system is usually in connection with other technological tools: electronic drug management records,  electronic record of time and date of drug management are usually associated with bar code technology. Among the benefits of this system is the possibility to record clinical care by the treatment team, which would be especially beneficial for patient's bedside record. If the treatment personnel forgets to ask the patient a particular question, system reminds him/her. Furthermore, electronic medical record is able to remind the nurses of the patient's allergic reactions and medical history without the need for the patient to remind, which improves patient safety. Conclusion: Implementation of electronic medical records boosts up the quality of health services, patient safety, people's access to health care services, and the speed of patients treatment, leading to lower healthcare costs. Thus, considering the benefits mentioned and some other benefits of this kind, one can use this technology in clinical care provided to patients to come up with a safe and effective clinical care

Diagnosis of diseases using data mining

Introduction: In the information age, data are the most important asset for health organizations. In the case of using data in useful and optimal manner, they can become financial resources for organization. Data mining is an appropriate method to transform this potential value into strategic information. Data mining means extraction of hidden information, recognition of hidden relationships and patterns, and in general, discovery of useful knowledge at high volume. The objective of this review paper was to evaluate using data mining in diagnoses of diseases. Methods: This research is a review paper conducted based on a structured review of the papers published in Science Direct, Pubmed, Google Scholar, SID, Magiran (between years 2005 and 2015) and books related to using data mining in medical science and using it in diagnose of diseases with related keywords. Results: Nowadays, data mining is used in many medical science studies, including diagnosis of diseases, discovering the hidden patterns in data, and so on. New ideas such as discovery of Knowledge from Discovery and Data Mining Database, which includes data mining techniques, have found more popularity and they has becomedesired research tool for researchers. Researchers can use them to identify patterns and relationshipsamong great number of variables. Using them, researchers have been able to predict theresults obtained from one disease by using information stores available in databases. Several studies have indicated that data mining is used widely in diagnosis of diseases based on types of information (medical images, characteristics of patients, and so on), such as tuberculosis, types of cancers, infectious diseases, and diagnosis of anomalies rarely diagnosed by human (spots and particular points within aye, which is the symptom of onset of blindness resulting from diabetes), determining type of behavior with patients, and predicting the success rate of surgical surgeries, determining the success rate of therapeutic methods in coping with incurable diseases, and so on. Conclusion: One of the most important challenging topics in healthcare is transformation of raw clinical data into meaningful information following continuous generation of great number of data. In current competitive environment, health organizations using technologies such as data mining to improve healthcare quality will achieve success faster. Many of research centers in Iran are faced with large volume of information, which is not analyzed at all or will be time-consuming due to using traditional methods, even in the case of using analysis and converting them to knowledge. In light of using data mining and its implementation, health organizations can transform the data into a powerful and competitive tool and take new steps in preventing, diagnosing, treating, and providing high-quality services for clients.&nbsp

A Survey of implementation status of child nutrition surveillance systems, registry systems and information systems:A scoping literature review protocol

Abstract Introduction Child malnutrition in all forms is known globally as the leading cause of poor health. Planning and solving this challenge require sources that collect data accurately. Nutrition surveillance systems (NSS), nutrition registry systems (NRS) and nutrition information systems (NIS) collect and analyse data on nutrition status. Unfortunately, these systems only exist in a few countries. The methods that these systems use significantly differ and their effectiveness is also scarcely researched. This scoping literature review aimed to conduct a survey on NSS, NRS and NIS that collect data on children’s nutrition at national and international levels, along with their attributes. Methods and analysis The methods and analyses of this scoping review follow the Arksey and O’Malley’s methodology. This scoping literature review will be conducted in five stages based on this method. (1) The main research question and subquestions are identified. (2) Relevant studies are extracted. In this step, we will search electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus and ISI Web of Science. A manual search will also be performed in Google Scholar, grey literature, and the websites of organisations such as WHO, UNICEF, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Health Service, International Food Policy Research Institute, Food and Agriculture Organization, Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance, United Nations World Food Programme, and United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition. (3) Extracted studies are separately reviewed by two reviewers based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and eligible studies are then selected. A third reviewer resolves disagreements. (4) A checklist is developed to extract the features. Data of included systems are separately extracted and entered into a checklist by two reviewers. A third reviewer then resolves any disagreement. (5) Data are summarised and analysed and are presented in tables and figures. Discussion This scoping literature review provides strong evidence of the status of systems that collect data on the status of child nutrition. This evidence can help select best practices which can be applied to develop future systems. It can also be a positive step towards achieving an integrated system

Lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy in endometrial cancer — a feasibility study using cervical injection of radiotracer and blue dye

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of sentinel lymph node (SLN) detection using preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and intra-operative gamma probe/blue dye for endometrial cancer patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty four consecutive patients with endometrial cancer were recruited. All patients underwent lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy using combined intracervical radiotracer and blue dye injections. Pelvic lymph node dissection was performed for all patients. Para-aortic lymphadenectomy was done in high risk patients. All SLNs were examined by frozen section and Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) permanent sections. RESULTS: Pre-operative lymphoscintigraphy showed at least one SLN in 21/24 patients. Intra-operatively, at least one SLN could be harvested by gamma probe and/or blue dye methods. A total of 95 SLNs were detected. Four SLNs were detected only by blue dye, 42 only by radiotracer, and 49 were hot/blue. Median number of SLN per patient was 3. Three patients had positive pelvic lymph nodes. All of them had positive SLN (no false negative case). Frozen section could identify SLN involvement in two of three patients with positive pathology. CONCLUSION: Lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy is feasible and accurate in endometrial cancer patients using combined radiotracer and blue dye methods. Frozen section accuracy was lower and underscores the importance of expert pathologists for SLN mapping technique.

Mobile applications for prematurity:A systematic review protocol

Background Premature birth is a global epidemic of significant public health concern. Counselling and education of pregnant women at risk of preterm birth or mothers with premature infants are essential to improve mother and infant health. Mobile applications are an increasingly popular tool among parents to receive health information and education. This study aims to evaluate the usages and the effects of a mobile application designed for premature births in order to improve health outcomes. Methods This review will include all studies of different designs which evaluated the use and impact of interventions provided via mobile applications on pregnant women at risk of preterm birth or mothers with premature infants in order to address all health outcomes. A combination of keywords and MeSH(Medical Subject Headings) terms is used in the search strategy. Literature databases including Scopus, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, ProQuest, CINAHL and Cochrane Library will be searched to May 2021. Furthermore, eligible studies will be chosen from the reference list of retrieved papers. Two researchers will independently review the retrieved citations to decide whether they meet the inclusion criteria. Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) V.2018 will be used to assess the quality of studies. Relevant data are collected in a data extraction form and analysed. Results are reported under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Discussion This systematic review will recognize and combine evidence about the usages and impact of mobile application interventions on the health improvement of pregnant women at risk of preterm birth or mothers with premature infants

Reflecting on Obstacles and Solutions to Improve Health and Hygiene in Primary Schools from 1925 to 1941 A Case Study: Exposure to Trachoma Disease

The transformation of the public and individual health system from 1925 to 1941 was known as one of the pillars of the development and acceleration of the modernization process in Iran. Despite this expansion, public health and collective health, especially in schools, found a close connection with the underdevelopment of the country. Trachoma disease was one of the most common and contagious diseases among elementary school students, and the government tried to take some measures to deal with it, such as spreading public awareness, creating a skilled workforce through the training of teachers and school staff, and applying comprehensive monitoring of students’ health in the family and school. Despite these measures, there were challenges, such as a lack of medicine, a lack of skilled workforce, and financial problems that negatively affected the quality of the government’s actions. This research raises the central question: How did trachoma disease in schools become a serious issue for the government? The hypothesis is that although the government succeeded in dealing with Trachoma in primary schools, this process was gradual, slow, and temporary due to the underdevelopment of the country’s infrastructure

Evaluation of Vitamin D3 and D2 Stability in Fortified Flat Bread Samples During Dough Fermentation, Baking and Storage

Purpose: Vitamin D, a fat-soluble secosteroid, has a significant role in bone metabolism and helps calcium absorption in the body. Since vitamin D concentration is altered in fortified foods and dietary supplements, the actual amount of vitamin D may differ from the label value. Methods: In this study, the concentrations of vitamin D2 and D3 of fortified bread sample were analytically determined. For this purpose, dough or homogenized bread sample was saponified using potassium hydroxide solution (30%, w/v) at 80°C, and the saponified analytes were extracted into n-heptane followed by liquid-liquid extraction. Then n-heptane fraction was evaporated to dryness and the sample was reconstituted in methanol. The effect of different parameters was evaluated by one variable at one-time strategy. Results: The analytes concentrations were evaluated in dough fermentation, baking and storage steps. The effect of temperature in dough fermentation and baking was evaluated at the range of 5-30 and 200-250°C, respectively. Also, the fermentation time was studied in the range of 0-120 min. The analytes concentrations were followed for 1 to 5 days after baking. The results indicated that dough fermentation temperature has no significant effect on the concentration of the analytes. On the other hand, when the dough fermentation time and baking temperature are increased, the analytes concentrations are decreased. Also, the storage duration of the spiked bread samples decreased the analytes concentrations after one day. Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, baking the dough at high temperatures lead to decrease in vitamin levels

Mapping disparities in education across low- and middle-income countries

Analyses of the proportions of individuals who have completed key levels of schooling across all low- and middle-income countries from 2000 to 2017 reveal inequalities across countries as well as within populations. Educational attainment is an important social determinant of maternal, newborn, and child health(1-3). As a tool for promoting gender equity, it has gained increasing traction in popular media, international aid strategies, and global agenda-setting(4-6). The global health agenda is increasingly focused on evidence of precision public health, which illustrates the subnational distribution of disease and illness(7,8); however, an agenda focused on future equity must integrate comparable evidence on the distribution of social determinants of health(9-11). Here we expand on the available precision SDG evidence by estimating the subnational distribution of educational attainment, including the proportions of individuals who have completed key levels of schooling, across all low- and middle-income countries from 2000 to 2017. Previous analyses have focused on geographical disparities in average attainment across Africa or for specific countries, but-to our knowledge-no analysis has examined the subnational proportions of individuals who completed specific levels of education across all low- and middle-income countries(12-14). By geolocating subnational data for more than 184 million person-years across 528 data sources, we precisely identify inequalities across geography as well as within populations.Peer reviewe