Researcher-made Checklist Research Articles

What is the Prevalence of Pulmonary Hypertension in Thalassemic Patients in Guilan? A Retrospective Analytic Study

Introduction: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is quite common among patients with thalassemia, and it can lead to cardiac failure and even death in those patients. Methods: This current cross-sectional study was conducted with 155 patients with β-thalassemia major and thalassemia intermedia referring to Razi Hospital Rasht, Iran in a recent year. All patients underwent echocardiography and the data (including age, sex, thalassemia type, splenectomy history, deferoxamine usage, hydroxyurea usage, hemoglobin, and ferritin level) were collected by a researcher-made checklist. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: The prevalence of PH was 13.7% in this study. There was a correlation between sex, thalassemia type, deferoxamine usage, and ferritin level with a prevalence of PH. However, there was not a significant relationship between splenectomy history, hydroxyurea usage, and hemoglobin level with PH prevalence (P = 0.187, P = 0.035, and P = 0.178, respectively). Conclusions: The findings of the study represented that the proposed variables can cause and exacerbate cardiac complications and may have a correlation with the disease's side effects. By conducting more studies and designing a more promising interventional study with a higher sample size, using the results of this study and similar studies, a step could be taken to identify patients susceptible to exacerbation of cardiac complications earlier. By treating them, we may be able to increase their chance of survival in the long run.

Impact of Socio-Economic Status on Educational and Career Aspirations of Grade 10 Maguindanaon Students at Esperanza National High School

Decision-making process relative to educational and career aspirations has a very significant part in planning career guidance which helps the students to effectively choose the career track/strand in senior high school curriculum. This study aimed to investigate the influence of socio-economic status of students on their educational and career aspirations. Descriptive correlational research design was employed in which a researcher-made checklist was answered by the randomly chosen Grade 10 Maguindanaon students. Frequency, percentage and Chi-square were appropriately applied to provide good inferences and implications of the results. Findings revealed that most of the parents of Grade 10 Maguindanao students finished high school level. Majority of the fathers were farmers and the mothers were housekeepers whose combined monthly income ranged from ₱10,000 to ₱15,000. Socio-economic status of Maguindanao students was significantly related to their educational and career aspirations. Higher social standing of the parents led to the higher educational and career aspirations. Low family income hampered the students to take up career track with high standard. Thus, Esperanza National High School should initiate an intervention program to inspire Maguindanaon students to pursue their educational and career aspirations despite of the financial woes they experience in life.

Prevalence and associated factors of complementary and integrative medicine use in patients afflicted with COVID-19

BackgroundComplementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM) is often taken up by individuals seeking relief from different diseases. This study investigates the prevalence and associated factors of CIM use in patients with COVID-19.MethodsIn this telephone-based, cross-sectional study, data on CIM usage were collected from COVID-19 patients from February till June 2020 in Fars province, Iran using a researcher-made checklist. Additionally, we asked about the patients’ attitudes toward these treatments.ResultsOut of 453 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, 400 (88.30%) responded to our calls and agreed to participate in the study. Among them, 276 patients reported using CIM to treat COVID-19 [prevalence: 69% (95% CI: 64.2 to 73.5)]. The most frequently used herbal medicine among COVID-19 patients was ginger (n = 273, 98.9%), thyme (n = 263, 95.3%), and black cumin (n = 205, 74.3%). Most of these patients were recommended to use herbal medicine by their families and friends (n = 96, 34.8%). Univariable logistic regression revealed that age under 50 years old, residency in urban areas (including the capital of the province and small cities), employment, academic education, and being an outpatient were statistically significant factors resulting in CIM usage. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that CIM use among outpatients was 3.65 times more than among inpatients. In addition, patients under 50 years old used CIM 85% more than older patients. Ultimately, only 9 (3.3%) patients consulted with their doctors regarding these medications. No side effects due to CIM use were reported.ConclusionMany patients with COVID-19 used CIM, but few consulted with their physicians in this regard. Therefore, physicians should ask their patients about CIM usage, and patients should also report their use of CIM therapies during their medical visits. Furthermore, age and hospitalization status affected CIM use among patients with COVID-19.

Demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings of mushroom-poisoned patients in Kermanshah province, west of Iran.

BackgroundMushroom poisoning can cause gastrointestinal, renal, and hepatic symptoms and even death. This descriptive study examined the demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings of patients with fungal poisoning, a type of fungus causing the poisoning, and the incidence and mortality rates of fungal poisoning in Kermanshah province, western Iran, from 2014 to 2018.MethodsThe medical records of 193 patients with mushroom poisoning from 2014 to 2018 were evaluated. The liver and kidney function tests, electrolytes, abdominal and pelvic ultrasound, chest x-ray, coagulation tests, and coagulation factors (fibrinogen, prothrombin) were assessed. Data were collected from the medical records of patients admitted to the Poisoning Center of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran using a researcher-made checklist. Data were analyzed by SPSS (version 16) using descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, and frequency distribution tables. Trend analysis for proportion was done by chi-square statistics in STATA-14 software (ptrend command).ResultsOf cases, ‌51.3% were male, 92.6% were city dwellers, 38.3% were aged 21–40 years, and 92.5% were poisoned during the spring. The fungus that caused poisoning was Amanita virosa. The gastrointestinal, nervous, and visual systems were the most common systems involved. The most common gastrointestinal symptoms included nausea and vomiting (72.0%) and abdominal pain (71.0%). Vertigo (11.9%) and headache (9.3%) were the most common neurological symptoms. The most common visual manifestation was blurred vision (7.8%). Of cases, 23.7% had metabolic acidosis. The increased alkaline phosphatase level was the most common liver disorder in 98.7% of the cases. Increased blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were also reported in 21.0% and 17.7% of the cases, respectively. The serum lactic dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase levels also increased in 99.3% and 30.2% of the patients, respectively. The mortality rate was 1.6% (n = 3).ConclusionThe fungal poisoning diagnosis should always be considered in young patients referred to the emergency department with gastrointestinal complaints, a history of consuming wild self-picked mushrooms, and high liver and kidney test values. Since most fungal poisonings occur in the spring, it is necessary to inform the community of the dangers of consuming self-picked wild mushrooms, especially in this season.

Management of shivering after spinal anesthesia in parturient

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness and safety of different methods of shivering control in patients with spinal anesthesia during cesarean delivery in Al-Abbas, Obstetrics and Gynecology (Imam Al-Hujjah), and Al Kafeel hospitals in Karbala. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on pregnant women who have delivered from 2016 to 2022 in Karbala city. More than 90% of cesarean delivery in Karbala were conducted in 3 hospitals including Imam Al-Hujjah hospital, Al-Abbas, and Al Kafeel. Patients were selected by a simple random method and the sample size for each hospital was defined with the proportion to size method. The researcher-made checklist was used to collect the data and data were extracted from medical documents of patients. In case of huge missing data in medical documents, the patient was excluded from the study, and another patient was selected by the same method. Result: In this study, 755 patients were included to the study. The mean age of participants was 24.48 ± 4.56 years. The incidence of shivering was 21.59% in participants, which were 31.34% in participants who received no intervention, warmed cover, and fluid therapy; and 18.05% in participants who received tramadol, and pethidine, or clonidine.

Loss to Follow-up After Newborn Hearing Screening and Its Related Factors

Background: Hearing loss is one of the most common birth defects and early detection of this disorder at birth is not possible without hearing screening. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of loss to follow-up after neonatal hearing screening and its related factors in Khorramabad, Iran. Methods: This retrospective correlational study was conducted from March 2018 to February 2021. The medical records of 13,710 infants born in this period were assessed. All the infants suspected of hearing loss in the first screening of one or both ears (n=310) were followed up for the second screening. The demographic and medical information of the infants and their parents was collected by a valid researcher-made checklist. The initial and follow-up data were extracted from the infants’ electronic records available at Assalian Hospital and the information available at the Dabbagh Clinic, respectively. To analyze the data, frequency distribution was determined and the relationships between the variables were assessed by the Chi-square test using SPSS software v. 16. The significance level was set at α=0.05. Results: Out of 13,710 neonates, 310 cases (2.26%) did not pass the first hearing screening. Of this group, 60 infants (20%) missed the second screening follow-up. Among the studied variables, a number of socio-economic variables and neonatal factors were associated with not following hearing loss screening (P<0.05). Among the mothers’ personal causes of loss to follow-up, the feeling of no need to follow up with 36.7% and fear of COVID-19 with 26.7% were the most common causes. Conclusion: About one-fifth of infant hearing screening follow-ups were not performed, which makes education about hearing screening follow-ups necessary for families. Providing a suitable context to facilitate preventing developmental problems in children and save future medical expenses is necessary and this program is needed to be on the agenda of the Ministry of Health and clinics providing mother and child health services.

Comparison of Pregnancy Outcomes in Diabetic and Healthy Women

Background: Gestational diabetes is the most prevalent metabolic disorder during pregnancy. Therefore, it is essential to recognize its outcomes and complications. Objectives: The present study aimed to compare pregnancy outcomes in diabetic and healthy women. Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 380 diabetic and healthy women, who were divided into two groups of 190, at Moatazedi Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran in 2019. The participants were selected via convenience sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-made checklist designed based on the family records of the participants. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 22 using chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: A significant correlation was observed between gestational age, maternal body mass index, birth weight, infant’s height, mode of delivery (P < 0.01), preeclampsia (P = 0.01), and the family history of diabetes (P = 0.03) in the diabetic and healthy pregnant women. However, no significant correlation was denoted between the five- and 10-minute Apgar scores, maternal disorders, and maternal care during pregnancy. Conclusions: According to the results, gestational diabetes is associated with an increase rate of complications, which must be diminished through prevention and disease control to promote maternal and neonatal health.

Comparison of Retinopathy of Prematurity Incidence in Preterm Infants of Mothers with Preeclampsia and Infants of Healthy Mothers.

Preeclampsia is one of the four leading causes for pregnancy complications, maternal-fetal and neonatal mortality. This study was aimed at comparing the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity in neonates of mothers with preeclampsia and neonates of healthy mothers. This cross-sectional study was performed among 213 mothers, including 49 healthy mothers and 164 mothers with preeclampsia whose neonates were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, during 2016-2021. The participants were chosen using the convenience sampling method. The data collection tool was a researcher-made checklist including items on laboratory evaluation, maternal and neonatal characteristics, and eye examination. The data were analyzed using t-test and Chi-square. In the two groups, gestational age (P = 0.112), first-minute Apgar score (P = 0.209), and fifth-minute Apgar score (P = 0.949) were not significantly different. There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of maternal age (P = 0.0001), type of delivery (P = 0.0001), premature rupture of membranes (P = 0.003), and eye condition (P = 0.033). The results of our study show that preeclampsia affects the prognosis of infants, and in neonates with preeclamptic mothers, the rate of premature rupture of the membranes, cesarean delivery, and retinopathy of prematurity were higher.

The effect of educational intervention based on encourage autonomous self-enrichment program on dialysis adequacy in patients undergoing hemodialysis

Introduction: One of the essential criteria for managing the disease in a hemodialysis patient is the adequacy of dialysis. Patient education, as an alternative method, can be useful to improve the adequacy of dialysis. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of educational intervention based on EASE (Encourage Autonomous Self-Enrichment) program on dialysis adequacy in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Patients and Methods: The target population included the patients referred to the hemodialysis ward of Imam Khomeini hospital of Piranshahr. A total of 74 hemodialysis patients were randomly allocated into the intervention (n=37) and the control (n=37) groups. Data collection was conducted using a researcher-made checklist including demographic information and dialysis adequacy. Independent t-test and repeated measures ANOVA were used to test statistical differ. Results: We found a significant difference in dialysis adequacy between the two groups (P<0.05). Furthermore, the difference between the mean scores of dialysis adequacy before and after the intervention was statistically significant in the intervention group. Repeated measures ANOVA at four-time points of pre-test and one month, two months and three months after the intervention showed that the difference in dialysis adequacy mean scores were not similar in the two groups and also showed improvement in dialysis adequacy mean score in the intervention group compared to the control group. Conclusion: Based on the results of our study, EASE program made improvements in dialysis adequacy.

At-risk COVID-19 Patients; Knowledge and Attitude of Those in Need of Transfer to Hospital and Consequences in Non-transferred Patients

Background: Knowledge, attitude, and practice of people, especially high-risk ones, are essential for managing COVID-19. Previous studies have shown that inappropriate knowledge and attitude may influence people's decisions. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of patients towards COVID-19 who called emergency medical service (EMS) while suffering from a chronic underlying disease, whether they were transferred to the hospital during the pandemic or not. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 21 May 2020 to 20 June 2020 in Tehran, Iran. Using the registered data in the databank of the Tehran EMS center, eligible participants were selected and divided into transferred and non-transferred groups based on the recorded data. A valid and reliable questionnaire comprising four parts (demographic information, patients' knowledge about COVID-19, patients' attitude towards COVID-19, and patients' fear) was used. A researcher-made checklist was also used for recording the consequences and reasons for refusal. Select eligible individuals who agreed to enter the survey were interviewed by telephone. Results: Totally, 201 transferred patients and 158 non-transferred patients were enrolled. The mean age of the transferred group was lower than that of the non-transferred one (57.1 ± 16.1 vs. 62.0 ± 17.4 years; P = 0.006). The mean knowledge score was not statistically different between transferred and non-transferred patients (28.8 ± 5.7 vs. 28.2 ± 5.4; P = 0.320). The mean attitude score was lower in the transferred group than in the non-transferred group (0.75 ± 3.7 vs. 2.2 ± 3.5; P = 0.001). The mean fear score was higher in the non-transferred group than in the transferred group, but the difference was not statistically significant (16.0 ± 5.1 vs. 15.0 ± 5.6; P = 0.101). Conclusions: Most participants in both transferred and non-transferred groups did not have sufficient knowledge of the disease, but the average attitude had a positive score.

Evaluation of Uric Acid Level and Glycemic Status in Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Rasht

Background: Diabetes is one of the most common and costly chronic diseases with an increasing prevalence in all around the world. On the other hand, the relationship between Uric Acid (UA) level and glycemic index in type 2 diabetic patients is not clear. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the UA level and glycemic status of type 2 diabetic patients. Methods: A total of 230 patients with type 2 diabetes were studied in this cross-sectional study, who referred to Razi and Besat clinics in 2020. Researcher-made checklist were used to collect demographic and clinical data includes age, sex, duration of the disease, body mass index (BMI), fasting blood sugar (FBS), Cholesterol, Triglyceride (TG), high density lipid (HDL), low density lipid (LDL), Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), UA, Creatinine (Cr) level, history of heart disease, blood pressure, and a history of smoking. The results were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26. Results: The results showed that there was a marginally significant relationship between UA and HbA1C (r = 0.318, P<0.001), Cr (r = 0.351, P<0.001) and Triglyceride (TG) (r = 0.174, P=0.008). Conclusion: Generally, in patients with type 2 diabetes, serum UA level has an adverse effect on glycemic status.

Providing telenursing care for victims: a simulated study for introducing of possibility nursing interventions in disasters

IntroductionUncertainty occurrence of disasters requires special attention and a shortage of health care specialists is a challenge for health care systems; therefore, the use of telenursing care during a disaster is an appropriate way to provide care. This study aimed to investigate telenursing operational possibilities in disasters.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed by implementing a functional exercise (Drill) for the possibility of nursing interventions in the response phase to disasters at Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2021. Two evaluators examined and scored the possibility of providing telenursing care using a researcher-made checklist and we surveyed Inter-rater agreement between two evaluators by Cohen's kappa coefficient. Data were analyzed using descriptive tests and SPSS 20 software.ResultsFindings showed that implementation of telenursing care would be helpful in future disasters. The scores received from assessment of the evaluation checklist for this simulated exercise program by the first evaluator was 83.25 and for the second evaluator was 72.00. The results of the study showed that the mean score of the possibility of telenursing in disasters was at a high level 77.50. Thus, the quality of the telenursing care in simulated conditions was satisfactory.ConclusionToday, disaster management is almost impossible without using new technologies. This study found that due to the lack of specialized nursing staff in the deprived areas affected by disasters, the most important way to provide health care for a large group of the population is to develop effective health services so that everyone can use these services equally and fairly.

Investigating Fire Protection Condition in the Units of Imam Khomeini Hospital Tehran, Iran

Background: Various studies indicate that in many cases, fire has broken out in hospitals. Objectives: This study aims to assess fire protection in the selected units of Imam Khomeini hospital located in Tehran, Iran in 2020. Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, first, a researcher-made checklist was developed for the data collection by valid scientific resources (CVI=0.90 and CVR>0.62). After revising and the final confirmation of reliability, the checklist was separately completed by two members of the risk management committee in 22 units of Imam Khomeini hospital, Tehran, Iran. Cronbach’s weighted Kappa statistical test was calculated. Results: The domain of Ability and Capability of Fire Prevention was 66.1%; the domain of Responsiveness was 65.1%, and the domain of Urgent Evacuation Ability was 27.3%. In the domain of Responsiveness, the highest scores were relevant to accessing fire extinguishers cylinder in the units (95.5%) and holding fire extinguishing practice courses, and doing seasonal practices with that region’s fire station (90.9% for both). The highest scores in the domain of Urgent Evacuation Ability were assigned to accessing adequate ambulances to evacuate patients (90.9%) and mapping the units as well as determining patient evacuation routes when a fire breaks out (72.7%). Conclusion: The essential protection measures should be taken in order to improve the hospitals’ fire protection by better access to the exits, increasing the number of the exits and standardizing the emergency exits, enhancing the due fire extinguishing practices and hospital evacuation as well as training the staff.

Epidemiology of Mortality From Cerebrovascular Accident in Patients Admitted to Sina (Farshchian) Educational-Medical Hospital of Hamadan in 2018-2019

Background and aims: Cerebrovascular accidents are a major cause of death and disability in many countries. Therefore, the epidemiological indicators are highly important in the case of these patients’ mortality. The present study aimed to determine the epidemiology of mortality due to cerebrovascular accidents in patients admitted to Sina (Farshchian) hospital of Hamadan within 2018-2019. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, data of deceased patients were collected from one-year medical records in the neurology wards of Sina (Farshchian) hospital in Hamadan using the census method and a researcher-made checklist. The exclusion criteria were the cause of death except for cerebrovascular accident and incompleteness of data in patient’s medical record. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistical methods and SPSS 21. Results: Out of the 1196 patients admitted to the neurology wards, 159 cases died, and this rate was nearly equal between men and women. The highest mortality frequency belonged to ischemic type (83%), people over 60 years old (83%), illiterate (77.4%), urban (69.2%), self-employed (42.8%) individuals, and those with a history of underlying disease (73.6%), no history of smoking (90.6%), previous stroke (78.6%), and family history of stroke (99.4%). Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that certain groups such as the elderly, illiterates, urban residents, self-employed, and people with underlying diseases had a higher mortality rate due to cerebrovascular accidents. Thus, special attention to these groups in health planning can be efficient in reducing the mortality of these accidents.

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE AND INCREASED CIVIL PROTECTION OF MEDICAL STAFF

Compensation for injuries caused by medical accidents is one of the main branches of insurance under the title of doctors' civil liability insurance. In the present article, we have decided to collect information on the income and expenses of doctors' professional liability insurances to obtain a community view of the coverage of this insurance and to explain the advantages and disadvantages of stakeholders and to propose practical solutions to expand coverage and increase insurance coverage.
 In this study, information was collected from the Forensic Medicine Organization of Tehran Province about the amount of complaints and convictions of the medical staff in 1396 by a counting method in a researcher-made checklist and the amount of ransom that various medical professionals were required to pay in 1396 was estimated. Quality was calculated based on percentage and frequency and quantitative information was calculated based on mean and standard deviation.
 Out of 4079 complaints, 3343 (52.5%) were acquitted and 1731 (425%) were convicted. The highest number of convictions was related to general surgery, general practitioners and dentists and the lowest convictions were related to traditional medicine, poisoning, nursing and pathology. Complaints from female patients were 2430 cases (59.6%) and the rate of men complaints over time was 3076 cases (75.5%). Between the two groups of medical staff who were required to pay ransom to patients and the group who were not negligent. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of gender. The highest amount of negligence was related to the complaints convicted in the Plastic Surgery Commission in the amount of 924,900,000 Tomans (Iranian currency) and the lowest amount of negligence was related to the complaints condemned in the Traditional Medicine Commission in the amount of 35,700,000 Tomans. Considering the approximate number of 630/269 staff members and considering that if the insurer has spent on average 375/743 Tomans for each limited liability insurance, a significant figure of 250/839/705/200 can be calculated.
 As a result, the obligation to insure medical staff requires a determinative. Therefore it is appropriate for the Medical System organization, as the custodian and pioneer of supporting and providing services to the medical staff, to take action in this regard and to achieve this coverage.

Prediction of the Effective Factors on the Incidence of COVID-19 Disease in Hospitalized Patients using Statistical Modeling

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the well-being of different individuals and nations in terms of socioeconomic, psychological, and public health issues. Regarding the importance of predicting the peak outbreaks and incidence of COVID-19, this study aimed to predict factors that affect the incidence of COVID-19 pandemic in hospitalized patients admitted to a hospital in Khorramabad city of Iran, using a multivariate logistic regression model. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, the data from 4,425 COVID-19 patients in the first peak of the disease, who were referred to the Shohada-ye Ashayer Hospital, Khorramabad, Iran, in 2020, were examined, from whom 2,978 people had undergone COVID-19 test. Data were collected using a researcher-made checklist for variables and examination of patients’ daily records. Data analysis was performed using descriptive methods, multivariate logistic regression model, and backup vector machine method in the R software for the modeling of risk factors associated with the disease diagnosis. Results: The highest and lowest rates of incidence were observed in the age range of 40-49 (19%) and 19-10 years (1%). The age group 60-69 years accounted for 6% of the population with a mortality rate of 25%. Based on the implemented model, the most effective symptoms associated with the incidence of COVID-19 included age, fever, decreased level of consciousness, blood oxygen level, and a history of heart disease. Conclusion: The present study showed that identification of the effective variables of the disease led to the identification of high-risk individuals. This method can be used to prevent disease incidence and prevalence in high-risk groups and is a great help in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data Infrastructure for a Poisoning Registry with Designing Data Elements and a Minimum Data Set

Background: The prevalence of poisoning is on the rise in Iran. A poisoning registry is a key source of information about poisoning patterns used for decision-making and healthcare provision, and a minimum dataset (MDS) is a prerequisite for developing a registry. Objectives: This study aimed to design a MDS for a poisoning registry. Methods: This applied study was conducted in 2021. A poisoning MDS was developed with a four-stage process: (1) conducting a systematic review of the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and EMBASE, (2) examining poisoning-related websites and online forms, (3) classification of data elements in separate meetings with three toxicology specialists, and (4) validating data elements using the two-stage Delphi technique. A researcher-made checklist was employed for this purpose. The content validity of the checklist was examined based on the opinions of five health information management and medical informatics experts with respect to the topic of the study. Its test-retest reliability was also confirmed with the recruitment of 25 experts (r = 0.8). Results: Overall, 368 data elements were identified from the articles and forms, of which 358 were confirmed via the two-stage Delphi technique and classified into administrative (n = 88) and clinical data elements (n = 270). Conclusions: The creation of a poisoning registry requires identifying the information needs of healthcare centers, and an integrated and comprehensive framework should be developed to meet these needs. To this end, a MDS contains the essential data elements that form a framework for integrated and standard data collection.

Reviewing and Content Analysis of Persian Language Mobile Health Apps for COVID-19 Management.

The present study aimed to systematically search in app stores and intended to carry out content analysis of free Persian mobile health apps in the management of COVID-19 and, ultimately determine the relationship between the popularity and quality of these apps. According to a researcher-made checklist including five axes of ease of use, privacy, data sharing, education, and monitoring, four app markets such as Myket, Bazzar, Google Play and App Store were searched from May 2021 up to now. The findings showed that all selected apps performed well in terms of ease of use and privacy but they needed to be improved in terms of education, monitoring, and data sharing. Also, there was no significant relationship between the popularity and quality of these apps. Owing to the high penetration rate of smartphones in Iran and the low popularity of COVID-19 apps, government, developers, and investors are required to improve the quality of apps and their marketing.

Epidemiological and Demographic Status of Violence and Strife in the Emergency Department of Sabzevar Emdad Hospital

Background: Violence and strife are among the most important causes of health threats and account for more than half a million deaths per year, especially at young ages. Considering the young population of Iran and the occurrence of identity crisis in the young age group and the fact that this phenomenon is costly for our country’s health care system, this study was conducted to investigate the factors related to violence and strife and the related mortality in patients admitted to the Sabzevar Emdad Emergency department. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 207 patients who were admitted to Sabzevar Emdad Hospital in 2017 following strife were included. The inclusion criterion was hospitalized patients who were referred to the Emergency department following the strife and the exclusion criterion was incomplete registration of patients’ information. The data collection tool was a researcher-made checklist. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 18. Results: The Mean±SD age of patients was 34.81±14.75 years. Most patients were from urban living places, while the mortality rate, gender, and the cause of trauma were not statistically associated with patients’ place of residence. The most common type of lesions following strife was bruising, tearing, and scratching accounting for nearly 70% of cases. The most common site of injury was bruising and scratching in the head and neck, followed by tears and fractures in the limbs. In general, the most common site of injury was the upper extremity followed by the head and neck. The majority of patients (52%) underwent medical treatment, including receiving medication, dressing, and splinting, while 37% of patients were referred to the operation room for surgery. A significant relationship was observed between mortality rate and the site of injury (P=0.001). Conclusion: The results showed that in Sabzevar city, the prevalence of strife ‎ is higher among men. Also, the most common effects following these types of trauma are bruising, scratching, and tearing. It seems that by providing appropriate solutions and creating a culture and increasing people’s awareness of injuries caused by strife, it would be possible to pave the way for reducing such injuries in the future.

Outpatient psychiatric service utilization during the Covid-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe conditions related to the Covid-19 pandemic and quarantine have endangered the mental health of people in the community, especially psychiatric patients. This study aims to determine the mental health services usage of outpatient psychiatric patients who attended a public mental health clinic in Tehran, during the quarantine. The study sample consisted of 387 patients with an active record in the mental health clinic. They were selected using systematic random sampling. Data was gathered with the telephone interviews using the researcher-made checklist. The data were then collected and analyzed.ResultsParticipants in this study included 141 male and 264 female patients. One-hundred forty-two patients (36.7%) felt better during this period, and the rest got worse or did not make a difference. Among the patients who felt the need to visit, 144 (47.2%) referred for services, of which 81.7% had visited in person. Among the applicants, 84 (56%) succeeded in receiving the service. A total of 53.5% of patients had used at least one face to face, telephone, or online visit. Among them, women are compared to men (p = 0.002), educated people to low education (p < 0.001), and adults to children and the elderly (p = 0.02), and Tehran residents to foreigners (p = 0.01) used significantly more services.ConclusionsExperience with pandemic quarantine conditions has shown that face-to-face use of these services faces significant barriers. In this situation, the expansion of online services can help improve the condition of patients and should be on the agenda of mental health policymakers.