59 research outputs found
Data collection after massive natural disasters (focusing on Bam earthquake, Iran)
Purpose â The aim of this study is to explore mortality data collection after a destructive earthquake
in Bam, Iran.
Design/methodology/approach â This is a case study of mortality data collection using a
qualitative approach. The study data were collected through interviews with people involved with
data collection and processing in Iran, and an evaluation of routinely collected data.
Findings â The results indicated that there were many limitations affecting data collection after the
earthquake. These limitations are rooted in basic problems within the existing data collection system
and a lack of co-ordination between the groups collecting data, including national and international aid
groups that provided help after the earthquake.
Research limitations/implications â The research is based on a very large and destructive
earthquake; the results may be different for other natural disasters such as floods.
Practical implications â The main target group of this study is the decision makers involved with
the disaster relief issues at national and international levels. This issue of data collection is imperative
for future disaster aid.
Originality/value â The study highlights the problems affecting routine collection of mortality data
after a disaster, arising from the scant attention paid to proper documentation
Exploring routine data collection systems in Iran, focussing on maternal mortality and using the city of Bam as a case study
Introduction:
Health information systems provide information obtained from data for decision
making in order to improve the performance of a health system. Although health
information systems can be very influential, it can not be exit on its own. It is
discussed that the flaw and inefficiency of health information system is rooted to the
powerlessness of health system and lack of incorporation in the overall health system
[1]. The benefits of using data in planning and implementation go beyond the normal
everyday functions of a heath system and include catastrophic situations.
Iran is a developing country which experiences a large number of natural disasters
each year with a significant number of casualties. Owing to the importance of data
for planning, implementation and evaluation, the necessity for sound data is even
more pronounced in a country with such conditions.
The main aim of this project is to use the city of Bam as a case study to explore the
routinely collected data systems in Iran. This investigated the collection of mortality
data from all causes, and maternal mortality specifically, in order to determine the
usefulness and application of these data systems to monitor the immediate and
ongoing health effects of a natural disaster, and to plan for future disasters.
Methods:
A mixed qualitative and quantitative method used to provide better understanding of
the problem at two main data sources, the Medical University and the Civil Registry.
This research has commenced with numeric results of maternal ratios and then has
employed a qualitative method to gain better understanding of data collection
system. The sampling methods are purposive and probability sampling. Interviews,
review of documents, and personal observation are the main data collection methods.
The data are analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods. They are presented
in four sub âchapters , three sub-chapters for non numeric results and one for
numeric results. Results:
The results show that there are dramatic differences on data collection and data
processing between the Civil Registry and the Medical Sciences University. Also it is
found that there are some sorts of shortcomings in different stages of data collection
system in each organisation. This includes incomplete data coverage, shortcoming in
academic staff, insufficient technology infrastructures, lack of training for staff,
inadequate data quality checking. Moreover, there are many limitations affecting
data collection after the earthquake. These limitations are rooted in basic problems
within the existing data collection system and a lack of co-ordination between the
groups collecting the data, including national and international aid groups that
provided help after the earthquake.
Regarding maternal mortality data collection it is found that there was no consistent
definition of maternal deaths among interviewees. All data sources are not aware of
urgently reporting of maternal deaths as it should be.
The results of the estimation of maternal mortality ratios from different sources
present inconsistent pictures. This inconsistency is found in both of the denominators
and nominators. Also, the results of case matching show that the data collected from
two different sources authorised commonly by the Medical Sciences University are
not consistent. Additional exploring on the mortality data in disaster and non disaster
cities reveal that the inconsistency is not limited to the maternal mortality data.
Indeed, there is considerable difference on the total mortality data reported by these
two organisations in target cities.
Discussion:
There are some requirements before setting the systems including introducing
appropriate rules and regulation to oblige different data sources to send the data.
Also allocating enough resources including human resources and providing
appropriate training before commencing the job are of important factor to improve
the system. Having good and strong enough communication infrastructures can
increase the speed and accuracy of data. In addition, some supervisory activities should be in placed to ensure that the data
collection procedures is on the right track and data checking is undertaken by related
stuff. Using consistent software in different organisations provides not only more
complete data by data transferring they can also improve the quality of data through
data cross checking.
Finally the data usage culture should be encouraged by the government in all levels
including national, provincial and districts levels. This can be achieved through
introducing a system of incentives for use the data in decision making and allocating
budget via the data.
Regarding disaster and data collection it is very important to have the collaboration
of international organisation to send the data to the host country. Low collaboration
might be due to this fact that there is little awareness about the importance of having
the flow of data collection after a disaster for planning for disaster stricken country.
Therefore appropriate strategies might be needed to increase this awareness in the
national and global level. This can be achieved through international organisations
such as World Health Organisations or Red Cross Organisations.
Conclusion:
The main aim of data collection is to use the data in planning and evaluation.
Incomplete and inaccurate data must be misleading and useless. in order to
strengthen the data collection system it should be established based on certain
standards to ensure that the data is complete and accurate. This would be of
importance in non disaster and disaster situation
Australian NSP Survey National Data Report 2018 - 2022: Prevalence of HIV, HCV and injecting and sexual behaviour among NSP attendees
The Effect of Technology in Information Searching Skills via Wiki to the Medical Students
Background & Objective: Recently, a new technology, i.e. Web 2.0, has emerged and it is increasingly used in education. Wiki is one of the web 2.0 application which is used in E-learning. Wiki is a simple, easy editable, interactive application that enhances learning, so this study was conducted to investigate the effect of using wiki on learning information searching skills on medical students in Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Methods: The study population included the medical students who have chosen the information technology (IT) course in the second semester in 2013. The course was held in four groups, two groups were selected randomly. One group was considered as test group, teaching through wiki (wikispaces). The second one was the control group, traditional teaching (lecture). We asked about studentsâ attitudes toward learning through a researcher-made questionnaire.
Result: The most of the students (71.9%) have used at least one of the web 2.0 technologies and 21.9% used Wikis. The mean scores of two groups increased and the difference between the mean scores was significant. The mean and standard deviation of the studentsâ scores before and after training through Wiki enhanced from 2.80 ± 1.85 to 12.85 ± 4.26, whereas it was 3.83 ± 4.30 to 13.75 ± 3.25 in the traditional group (P < 0.001). There was no significant association between two teaching methods (wiki and traditional) (P = 0.560) and the improvement of both groups was almost equivalent but most of students (55%) preferred training by wiki.
Conclusion: Teaching through Wiki had a positive effect on learning. Regarding Wiki capabilities, it can be used as a supplement method for teaching.
Keywords
Web 2.0 Wiki Education Information searching skills Learning Kerman University of Medical Sciences Iran Medical student
Pathways to Addiction: A Gender-Based Study on Drug Use in a Triangular Clinic and Drop-in Center, Kerman, Iran
Background: Addiction is characterized differently among women and men, and they begin using drugs for different reasons and
motives.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore the gendered experiences and patterns of illicit drug use initiation in an Iranian
context.
Patients and Methods: A total of 29 participants (15 men and 14 women) took part in in-depth interviews conducted at a HIV triangulation clinic (for men and women) and drop-in-center for women in Kerman in 2011.
Results: The results of the study suggest that patterns of drug use are different among among Iranian men and women. Men often
transit to drug use from cigarette smoking, whereas womenâs drug use practices often begins with opium. Unlike women, men who
used drugs were often single at their drug use debut.
Conclusions: Different patterns of first exposure to drug use among men and women highlight the role of gendered expectations
and socio-cultural norms in shaping drug use experiences of people who use drugs and call for gender-specific harm reduction
interventions
The reliability and validity study of the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire in individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Motor imagery (MI) has been recently considered as an adjunct to physical rehabilitation in
patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is necessary to assess MI abilities and benefts in patients with MS by using a
reliable tool. The Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ) was recently developed to assess MI ability
in patients with stroke and other disabilities. Considering the different underlying pathologies, the present study aimed
to examine the validity and reliability of the KVIQ in MS patients. Method: Fifteen MS patients were assessed using
the KVIQ in 2 sessions (5-14days apart) by the same examiner. In the second session, the participants also completed
a revised MI questionnaire (MIQ-R) as the gold standard. Intra-class correlation coeffcients (ICCs) were measured to
determine test-retest reliability. Spearmanâs correlation analysis was performed to assess concurrent validity with the
MIQ-R. Furthermore, the internal consistency (Cronbachâs alpha) and factorial structure of the KVIQ were studied.
Results: The test-retest reliability for the KVIQ was good (ICCs: total KVIQ=0.89, visual KVIQ=0.85, and kinesthetic
KVIQ=0.93), and the concurrent validity between the KVIQ and MIQ-R was good (r=0.79). The KVIQ had good internal
consistency, with high Cronbachâs alpha (alpha=0.84). Factorial analysis showed the bi-factorial structure of the KVIQ,
which was explained by visual=57.6% and kinesthetic=32.4%. Conclusions: The results of the present study revealed
that the KVIQ is a valid and reliable tool for assessing MI in MS patients
Delineation and analysis of co-authorship network among the academics of School of Dentistry in Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2013 using network analysis method
BACKGROUND AND AIM: This study aims to explore the co-authorship in School of Dentistry at Kerman University of
Medical Sciences, Iran, in three levels; individuals, other schools of KUU, and beyond the university.
METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study which is a part of a larger study conducted from September 2014 to December
2014. A comprehensive search in Scopus was conducted to find related articles published in 2013 by following these
steps; first of all, a complete list of all faculties, based on the school and the department they worked in, was obtained.
Second, all articles indexed with the affiliation of KMU were retrieved, using both keywords of âKerman Medical
Universityâ and KUM Sciences.â The data were analyzed using Social Network Analysis and Visone software.
RESULTS: The results showed an inadequate collaboration within departments; only two of them had collaboration.
Co-authorship among departments illustrated a more satisfactory picture: although, it still has more rooms for
improvement. Regarding collaboration between the Dentistry School and other schools of the university, the School of
Dentistry is in a middle position, though it could have had more potential relationships. The School of Dentistry formed
a few relationships with the organizations outside of the university.
CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that there are more rooms for improvement in the field of collaboration and coauthoring papers, which could consequently not only lead to a higher rate of publication and visibility but also affect the
citation rates for authors.
KEYWORDS: Authorship Collaboration; Dentistry; Network Analysis; Social Networks; Co-Authorshi
Evaluation of Risk Factors Influencing Low Back Pain in Patient Transfer Tasks
Low Back pain (LBP) is the most common type of musculoskeletal disorder (MSDs) in transfer tasks such as
nursing personnel. Financial and economic costs expended for these disorders affect not only the individual,
but the organization and society as well. The aim of this study was to evaluate associated factors in the
incidence of LBP among nursing personnel according to risk assessment methods related to the patient's
transfer. The present analytical study was conducted on 243 nurses in Kerman, Iran in 2014. The instruments
for gathering data were Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), MAPO and PTAI checklists. The data
was analysed using SPSS.16 software. The prevalence of LBP among nursing personnel was 69.55%. Based
on MAPO index, 48.2% of wards had moderate level of risk. In addition, the results of PTAI index also
showed that 76.5% of the studied subjects were at the second risk level (moderate risk) of LBP. Work
experience, work shifts and the final score of PTAI index were factors that affected prevalence of LBP the
most. In this regard, we recommend the modification of factors such as guidance in work posture, use of
patient transfer equipment and guidance in their use, work arrangement, mental strain of patient transfer,
physical load of patient transfer and Frequency of manual patient transfer
Determination of the burden of spinal cord injury and limb amputation as a result of the bam earthquake in 2004
Background and Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the burden of injuries, including spinal cord injuries and limb amputation, caused by the Bam earthquake. Materials and Methods: The data related to morbidity of spinal cord injuries were collected from records provided by State Welfare Organization of Iran. Then, morbidity and mortality data for amputation and also mortality of spinal cord injuries were obtained from a previous study using the network scale-up method. Then, we followed the World Health Organization guidelines to assess the burden of this disease, and then years of life lost (YLL) and years of life lost due to disability (YLD) were calculated. Results: The disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) caused by the spinal cord injury were 15,435 years. YLL due to premature mortality was 13,134 and YLD was 2301 years and the number of DALY caused by limb amputation was equal to 2184, all of which were due to YLD. Conclusions: According to the results of the present study, spinal cord injuries and amputations resulting from the earthquake impose many burdens on society. This provides outcomes and evidence for policymaking and planning in the field of health care for policymakers
A Guide to Selecting the Appropriate Statistical Tests for Proposals and Articles in Medical Sciences
Background & Objective: The main purpose of medical researches is to answer a research question or to solve a problem to promote the health of a society. The first objective is to answer the research question correctly with minimal errors. The second objective is the publication of the results in order to generalize them to a population and use in a wider dimension. To achieve these objectives, using biostatistics is necessary. Despite the importance of biostatistics in medical research, researchers have limited understanding of it or due to its complications they refrain from its use. Statistics help the researcher in different levels of research including writing a proposal and interpretation of other papers. Moreover, biostatisticians and epidemiologists also play a very important role in the preparation of manuscripts for publication. The present article has eloquently described the most important statistical tests in medical research with applied examples.
Keywords
Selecting statistical tests Parametric tests Non-parametric test
- âŠ