Performance improvement indicators of the medical records department and information technology (IT) in hospitals

Medical Record Department [MRD] has a vital role in making short and long term plans to improve health system services. The aim of this study was to describe performance improvement indicators of hospital MRD and information technology [IT]. Collection of Data: A search was conducted in various databases, through related keywords in articles, books, and abstracts of conferences from 2001 to 2009. About 58 articles and books were available which were evaluated and finally 15 of them were selected based on their relevance to the study. MRD must be capable of supporting tasks such as patient care and continuity, institute management processes, medical education programs, medical research, communication between different wards of a hospital and administrative and medical staff. The use of IT in MRD can facilitate access to department, expedite communication within and outside department, reduce space with electronic medical records, reduce costs, accelerate activities such as coding by use of coding guide software and facilitate retrieval of records that will ultimately improve the performance of MRD

[ effect of teaching meta-cognition package on self-directed learning in medical records students of Isfahan university of medical sciences]

Introduction: The ongoing rapid changes in science bring about the need of higher education to independent and self-directed learners. This study seeks the effect of metacognition package training on self-directed learning in medical records students

Methods: In this quasi-experimental study using two group design with pre-test and post-test, 24 female and male medical records students were selected not randomly. Then, they were assigned randomly to two groups of control and experiment. A researcher made metacognition package was taught to the experiment group during 6 two-hour sessions using explanatory method along with question and answer. Data gathering instrument was Williamson self-rating self directed learning scale. Data was analyzed by SPSS software using descriptive statistics indices [mean and standard deviation] and inferential statistics [Covariance analysis]

Results: The mean score of self-directed learning and its subscales in the experiment group, demonstrated the increase in post-test compared to that of pre-test

Conclusion: Teaching meta-cognition package was effective in the enhancement of the total score of self-directed learning and its subscales

[Bottlenecks on discharge process at Beheshti hospital in Isfahan]

The hospital discharge process is a basic bottleneck in hospital management. Improved discharge process is the main strategy that covers many hospital activities. Discharge process is the last patient's contact with hospital system. Therefore, it is the most important stage affecting patient's satisfaction. If this process takes long, not only it makes patients dissatisfied but it also will not be beneficial for the hospital. The main objective was determining average waiting time of patient discharge process at Beheshti Hospital in Esfahan, Iran in the spring of 2006. This study was case study in which data were collected by questionnaires, observation and forms. The statistical population was all personnel involved in discharge process and patients discharged throughout the spring of 2006. To analyze data SPSS and Win QSB [Windows Quantative Systems for Busines] were used. According to the personnel's views, the main factors affecting average waiting time were patients' financial problems and un-accessibility of interns to complete the summery sheets. The longest patient's waiting time for discharge was 345 minutes and the least was 35 minutes. Average time for patients in discharge process was 197 [ +/- 65] minutes. Discharge planning is a routine feature of health systems in many countries. Hospital information system should be implemented at least between wards, Para-clinics stations, accounting and cashier station. It causes many stages in manual patients' discharge process will be omitted

Application of medical records in research from the viewpoint of Isfahan educational hospitals researchers

Nowadays, researches are used in various disciplines of science as a powerful means of evaluating the latest scientific achievements. The most important source in medical studies, however, seems to be patients' documents in hospitals' archives. The basic aim of this study was to determine the importance and the application of medical records in doing researches from the viewpoint of Isfahan's educational hospitals' researchers. This research was descriptive - cross sectional. A sample of 300 researches was randomly chosen and studied in our survey. Data collection was performed via use of self-questionnaire according to the research aims during spring and summer of 2005. Findings were analyzed with descriptive-statistical methods within the SPSS. The cause of researchers' reluctance to use medical records in their studies was 37.5% due to incomplete information of the records and illegible documents in 31% of cases. The case that researchers used medical records in research was centralized information and easy access. Accuracy, complements and legibility of medical records during documentation process not only enhances use of medical records by researchers but also enhances validity and reliabilities of finding of researches based on these records

[ study on the methods and rules about registration, completion, issuance and collection of death certificates in Esfahan province in 1381]

Introduction: it is necessary to have exact, complete and up-to-date information about death of people in a society. This information can be useful in planning, determining priorities, distributing facilities, allocating budgets and rendering health care services justly. in this study, the methods and rules about registration, completion, issuance and collection of death certificates in Esfahan province in 1381 are identified and a suitable model is presented for a standard death certificate and methods for the collection of death certificates

Materials and methods: this is a cross-sectional, descriptive study in which the data were collected by checklist, observation, interview and information sources such as books, documents and the staff working in health care centers in Esfahan province

Results and Discussion: the findings revealed that there was no standard local form as death certificate in Esfahan province to help us collect accurate information about the rate of death. Physicians issued death certificate on prescription sheets with desired dictation. Legal medicine organization issued death certificate on "permit burial". Hospitals issue death certificate on forms that are not standard, As a result, we cannot collect accurate, adequate and due information about the cause of death. Based on the previous and present findings, there is an urgent need to approve a standard death certificate form and print and distribute it in physicians' offices, hospitals, health care centres and clinics and to collect these forms with the cooperation of the involved organizations in due time