Project monitoring and evaluation: an enhancing method for health research system management

Planning, organizing, staffing, leading and monitoring are the basic functional component of management. In present article, we aim to define the project monitoring and evaluation in health research system [HRS] considering its success and challenges based on our national experience. In this study based on the information of annual Medical Science Universities evaluation during the last decade the HRS indicators have been scored in three axes based on HRS functions: Stewardship, capacity building and knowledge production. In this article, we will focus on the results of HRS evaluation from 2002 to 2010, also on its success and challenges. In an overall view, the main results are the experiences of the designing and implantation of such process after pre-project preparation, all parts followed under the whole supervision of the aims of the HRS evaluation. Project management light the way of practical application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques for better HRS evaluation and management. We concluded that; although monitoring and evaluation as an essential part of HRS Management light the improvement ahead way but we still need to advantage of the new project management advances

Needs assessment in health research projects: a new approach to project management in Iran

The science and technology health plan has defined the outline of health research to the national vision of Iran by 2025. The aim of this study was to focus on the process of needs assessment of health research projects also health research priority setting in Iran. The project management life cycle has four phases: Initiation, Planning, Execution and Closure. Based on abovementioned points we conducted the study. Focusing on the needs assessment led to systematic implementation of needs assessment of health project in all of the medical sciences universities. Parallel with this achieved strategies health research priority setting was followed through specific process from empowerment to implementation. We should adopt with more systematic progressive methods of health project managements for both our national convenience as well as our international health research programs

Effect of mindfulness based stress reduction on quality of life [SF-36] and spirometry parameters, in chemically pulmonary injured veterans

Studies have shown that Mindfulness Based Stress Reuction [MBSR] has positive effect on physical and psychological dimensions of chronic illnesses. In this study for the first time we examine the effect of this new technique on quality of life and pulmonary function in chemically pulmonary injured veterans who have chronic pulmonary problem, psychological problems and low quality of life. Forty male pulmonary injured veterans were randomly replaced in two groups with 20 participants [MBSR and control Wait List [WL]]. Then MBSR group received 8-weekly session intervention. We evaluate quality of life [used SF-36 questionnaire] and Spirometry parameters two times; before and after intervention in two group. We used "mixed factorial analyses of variance" test for analyzing data in each dependent variables. Then if we have significant interactional effect, we used "paired - sample t-test" for comparing before and after intervention data of each group, and "Independent-Sample t-test" for comparing after intervention data of two groups. The MBSR compare to WL group improved SF-36 total score, [F[1,38] =12.09, P=0.001], "Role limitations due to physical problems" [F[1,38]= 6.92, P=0.01], "Role limitations due to emotional problems" [F[1,38]= 7.75, P=0.008], "Social functioning" [F[1,38]= 9.89, P=0.003], "Mental health" [F[1,38]= 15.93, P=0], "Vitality" [F[1,38]= 40.03, P

Knowledge management in cardiac surgery: the second Tehran heart center adult cardiac surgery database report

The Adult Cardiac Surgery Databank [ACSD] of Tehran Heart Center was established in 2002 with a view to providing clinical prediction rules for outcomes of cardiac procedures, developing risk score systems, and devising clinical guidelines. This is a general analysis of the collected data. All the patients referred to Tehran Heart Center for any kind of heart surgery between 2002 and 2008 were included, and their demographic, medical, clinical, operative, and postoperative data were gathered. This report presents general information as well as in-hospital mortality rates regarding all the cardiac procedures performed in the above time period. There were 24959 procedures performed: 19663 [78.8%] isolated coronary artery bypass grafting surgeries [CABGs]; 1492 [6.0%] isolated valve surgeries; 1437 [5.8%] CABGs concomitant with other procedures; 832 [3.3%] CABGs combined with valve surgeries; 722 [2.9%] valve surgeries concomitant with other procedures; 545 [2.2%] surgeries other than CABG or valve surgery; and 267 [1.1%] CABGs concomitant with valve and other types of surgery. The overall mortality was 205 [1.04%], with the lowest mortality rate [0.47%] in the isolated CABGs and the highest [4.49%] in the CABGs concomitant with valve surgeries and other types of surgery. Meanwhile, the overall mortality rate was higher in the female patients than in the males [1.90% vs. 0.74%, respectively]. Isolated CABG was the most prevalent procedure at our center with the lowest mortality rate. However, the overall mortality was more prevalent in our female patients. This database can serve as a platform for the participation of the other countries in the region in the creation of a regional ACSD.