Important Coping Strategies Used by Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Although it is an accepted fact that using coping strategies have an important role in the coping process and quality of life following spinal cord injury (SCI), there is still little information about this issue in the world and especially in Iran. The purpose of this study was to explore important coping strategies used by Iranian patients with spinal cord injuries. Method: 18 patients with SCI from The Brain and Spinal injury Repair Research Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and the Protection Center of the disabled with spinal cord injury were interviewed deeply. Data were collected through recorded interviews, and concurrently analyzed using the conventional content analysis method. Results: Data analysis showed seeking help from religious beliefs (understanding the disease as a divine fate and test, appeal to Imams, and increasing worship), to be an important coping strategy. Conclusion: Understanding strategies that influence the patients’ coping with the SCI will contribute to the nursing body of knowledge. It also helps nurses and other health-care professionals, and the patients’ families in reinforcing the most effective coping strategies and promoting the quality of care. Keywords: Content analysis, Important coping strategy, Qualitative research, Spinal cord injur

Regular Cervical Cancer Screening for Iranian Women: Facilitators and Barriers

Introduction: Regular cervical cancer screening is an effective strategy to reduce the incidence and mortality rate of this disease. Therefore, the present study aimed to explain facilitators and barriers to performing regular Pap smear tests in Iranian women. Methods: This qualitative study was performed in 2017 in medical centers in Hamadan. The participants in this study were 23 women and 8 health care workers who were selected through purposive sampling. The inclusion criteria were the willingness to participate in the study and having the ability to communicate properly. The data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the qualitative content analysis method with MAXQDA10 software. Results: Three main concepts were recognized as facilitators and barriers to regular Pap smear testing: (1) Belief vs. disbelief in the possibility of cancer control and treatment, (2) Priority vs. non-priority of health in life, and (3) Ability vs. inability to overcome the challenges ahead. Conclusion: Given the results of the study, it is necessary to establish policies to increase people's sensitivity to testing and the dominance of screening culture in society. Health officials also need to support training programs to promote women's understanding of the importance and impact of early diagnosis in controlling and treating cervical cancer and to develop and implement programs to reduce or eliminate financial, time, and emotional barriers

Experience of Families for Waiting during their Patients’ Surgery: A Qualitative Research

Introduction: A family-centered approach is an important part of the care process for surgical patients and their families. Nursing care is effective only when the family is taken into consideration. Understanding of family members’ experiences could helps nurses for better care services. Thus, this study aimed to explain the experience of waiting in families of patients undergoing surgery. Method: In this qualitative study, 17 family members of patients undergoing surgery were selected by purposive and theoretical sampling until data saturation. Semi structured interviews were held for data collection. For transcription and analysis of interviews, Microsoft Word and One Note software was used and date were analyzed using content analysis approach. Results: According to the findings, “Stressful waiting” was the main theme of study which was consisted of four categories, i.e. “mental and intellectual concerns”, “fear and worry”, “psychological reactions” and “psychosomatic reactions”. Conclusion: Finding of this study can help healthcare professionals especially nurses to get a better understanding of the family emotions and concerns in this situation and as a result could be planning for decreasing such concerns. Keywords: Waiting, Surgery, Patient’s family, Qualitative researc

Critique and evaluation of published articles quality of Health Sciences qualitative Researches Journal based on CASP scale

Recently, rate of journals and published article in the medical sciences has grown, but the quality of these journals and published articles should be criticized. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of criticizing quality of published studies in the qualitative research in health sciences journal based on the CASP scale. Methods: This study has been done with a cross-sectional descriptive method. In this study, the quality assessment of qualitative articles published in the Journal of Qualitative Research in Health Sciences in two steps was performed. In the first stage, the quantity of published studies by descriptive statics has been investigated. In the second stage, based on CASP scale evaluation was perform. Results: The highest percentage of published articles related to content analysis with 52.9% and the lowest percentage of published articles related to ethnography and mixed method with 0.42%. In the 83.1 percentage of published articles, CASP-related indicators are also observed. The highest compliance rate of CASP scale indicators is related to the index of the clarity of the research goals, which is observed in 100% of published articles. The least observance of the indexes in the published articles is related to ethical questions which 65.5 percentage of published articles has been followed. In general Conclusion: Based on findings, recently the quality and quantity of published articles in Qualitative Research in Health Sciences journal is growing, but rate of some types of published studies and their quality is low, which these items should be improve

Family caregivers' perspectives on barriers to caring for patients with schizophrenia: A descriptive qualitative study

Background & Aim: Schizophrenia significantly burdens family members when a member of their family is afflicted with this condition. Family caregivers play a pivotal role in providing care and support to individuals experiencing schizophrenia within the community. Therefore, an in-depth study of family caregivers' experiences is crucial for developing effective care quality improvement programs. This study aimed at exploring family caregivers' experiences of the barriers to caregiving to patients with schizophrenia. Methods & Materials: This study was conducted in 2021–2022 through in-depth semi-structured. The duration of the interviews varied in length from 45 to 90 minutes. Interviews were conducted with sixteen family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. The conventional content analysis proposed by Graneheim and Lundman was used for data analysis. Results: The findings can be classified into three primary categories. The category "Inefficiency of Support Resources" encompasses the subcategories of "Inadequate Support by Family Members," "Inadequate Support by the Healthcare System," and "Financial Predicament." The category "Limited Public Knowledge about Psychiatric Disorders" includes the subcategories of "Social Stigmatization" and "Being Social Rejection." Lastly, the category "destructive nature of schizophrenia" encompasses the subcategories of "Gradual Loss of Abilities" and "Gradual Patient Passivity." Conclusion: Family caregivers encounter various barriers in providing patient care. Thus, they require support from the treatment team and family members, as well as financial and the development of rehabilitation programs. Additionally, involving caregivers in the patient's treatment plan and planning programs to reduce the stigma associated with caregivers is crucial

Challenges of Transcultural Caring Among Health Workers in Mashhad-Iran: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND One of the consequences of migration is cultural diversity in various communities. This has created challenges for healthcare systems. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to explore the health care staffs' experience of caring for Immigrants in Mashhad- Iran. SETTING This study is done in Tollab area (wherein most immigrants live) of Mashhad. Clinics and hospitals that immigrants had more referral were selected. PARTICIPANTS Data were collected through in-depth interviews with medical and nursing staffs. 15 participants (7 Doctors and 8 Nurses) who worked in the more referred immigrants' clinics and hospitals were entered to the study. DESIGN This is a qualitative study with content analysis approach. Sampling method was purposive. The accuracy and consistency of data were confirmed. Interviews were conducted until no new data were emerged. Data were analyzed by using latent qualitative content analysis. RESULTS The data analysis consisted of four main categories; (1) communication barrier, (2) irregular follow- up, (3) lack of trust, (4) cultural- personal trait. CONCLUSION Result revealed that health workers are confronting with some trans- cultural issues in caring of immigrants. Some of these issues are related to immigration status and some related to cultural difference between health workers and immigrants. These issues indicate that there is transcultural care challenges in care of immigrants among health workers. Due to the fact that Iran is the context of various cultures, it is necessary to consider the transcultural care in medical staffs. The study indicates that training and development in the area of cultural competence is necessary

Statistical Procedures Used in Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design: A Review of Papers in Five Iranian Journals

The pretest-posttest control group design is one of the most widely used quantitative experimental design models for evaluating the efficacy of programs, treatments, and interventions. Despite the prevalence and utility of this research design, best practices for data analytical procedures are not clearly defined. Invalid results decrease the chance of generalization. Given that Iranian Journals are interested in publishing pretest-posttest control group design studies, it is important to denote the accuracy of them. The aim of the current study is to explore the correct procedure for using ANCOVA in pretest-posttest control group designs to mitigate the potential limitations of this approach. This study explores the use of ANCOVA in pretest-posttest control group design. It has been done by analyzing data from experimental studies published in five Iranian journals indexed in PubMed or Scopus between 2011 and 2018. The results indicate that among the 280 published experimental studies in these journals, 53 papers (18.9 percent) used ANCOVA as the statistical test in pretest-posttest studies. The power of the test represents the probability of detecting differences between the groups being compared when such differences exist. Our analysis concludes that ANCOVA, which runs a multiple linear regression, is a suitable method for comparing and examining pretest-posttest study designs. Implications of this study have potential utility for researchers employing the use of pretest-posttest control group designs in various fields in and outside of Iran

Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting with heart failure: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Cardiac involvement in malignant lymphoma is one of the least investigated subjects in oncology. This article reports a case of cardiac involvement in Hodgkin's lymphoma which presented as heart failure.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the case of an 8-year-old Afghan girl with Hodgkin's lymphoma. The disease presented with systemic signs and symptoms, including abdominal distension, weakness, pallor, chills, fever, generalized edema, hepatosplenomegaly and generalized lymphadenopathy, as well as signs of heart failure. Test results showed a rare form of heart metastasis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We report a case of Hodgkin's lymphoma with metastasis to the heart, detected premortem. Although the involvement of the heart in a malignancy is relatively common, premortem detection is unusual and only few studies have reported it in the literature.</p