Health information systems in the Islamic Republic of Iran: a case study in Kerman province

Health information systems provide information for decision-making at all levels, from planning and management to evaluation of health services. Registration of vital events is the most basic level of any health information system. This case study used in-depth interviews, observations and examination of documents to explore the system of births and deaths registration in Kerman province. The findings were evaluated under 3 headings: data input, data processing and data usage. A range of problems were identified concerning legal requirements, staffing, data checking and publication of data. Different approaches are suggested to strengthen the system, such as introducing regulations to oblige different data sources to provide data and allocating sufficient resources, including human resources, and an improved technology infrastructure

Survey on the quality of mineral bottled waters in Kerman city in 2009

Consumption of mineral bottled waters has been considerably increased in the recent years. These waters have some specific mineral and chemical properties which can affect human health. In this study, the quality of bottled waters also known as [mineral bottled waters] are investigated in terms of physical, chemical, and microbial parameters, water hardness, curative properties and also the accuracy of the properties printed on their labels. In this descriptive study, 13 brands of mineral bottled waters, available in Kerman markets, were included to investigate seventeen chemical, physical and microbial parameters. The mean value of each parameter was calculated and compared with the standard values and also with the values printed on their labels. In addition, the water hardness and curative properties of different brands were studied based on their ion concentrations. The results of this study showed that 54% of waters were categorized as hard or very hard waters. No microbial contamination was found and none of them had curative properties. A comparison between the chemical properties of these waters and the standard values of drinkable and mineral waters indicated that while all tested waters had a fluoride concentration of lower than standard values, the Cl[-][50 mg/1] and NO3[-] [8 mg/1] concentrations were higher than the standard levels in seven percent of samples. Also, the concentrations of K[+] and Na[+] were higher than the permitted levels in 23% and 46% of the samples, respectively. The different properties of the mineral bottled waters investigated in this study were consistent with the standard levels. However, even a few inconsistency with standard criteria regarding ion concentrations or other propertis may have a detrimental effect on health status which should be taken into account by relevant authorities. Manufacturers also need to adhere more to all realted standard rules and regulateins

Patient satisfaction and related factors in Kerman hospitals

To determine the level of patient satisfaction in hospitals in Kerman and to determine the factors affecting satisfaction, we did an analytic cross-sectional study on 3017 patients from March 2002 to March 2003. We used a 4-part questionnaire covering demographics, satisfaction, patients' needs and mental health status. Just over 50% of the patients were female. Mean age was 37.4 years [range 1-99 years]. Just under 50% of patients were satisfied. There was a significant relationship between satisfaction and type of hospital [P < 0.001], ward [P < 0.006], education level [P < 0.004], history of hospitalization [P < 0.001], need for medical services [P < 0.001], health status [P < 0.001] and duration of hospitalization [P < 0.002]

[Determination of incidence rate of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children under the age of 15 in Fars province in 2001]

Introduction and Objective: cancers in children involve a group of malignancies which are known to be the main cause of most common mortality in industrialized nations. The most serious malignant cancer in children is leukemia with an incidence rate of 30-33 per one million in American and European countries. This study was done to determine the incidence rate of cancer in 2001

Materials and Methods: the data were collected through face to face interviews with the patients' mothers and the questionnaires were filled out by the investigator. The data were analyzed by SPSS software

Results: according to findings of this study, the incidence rate of leukemia in Fars province was 32.6 [37.1 in males and 27.1 in females] per one million people under 15. Maximum of incidence was in 0-4 years age group and it happened more in urban than rural areas. The disease occurred more in boys than in girls [p<0.05]

Conclusion: on the whole, the incidence pattern of cancer in Fars is similar to those in European and American countries. Sex, age and place of residence appear to be important factors in the development of this disease