ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The number of deaths among people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) does not show the true impact of the disease on communities. Therefore, this study aimed to calculate years of life lost (YLL) due to premature death in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: We performed a descriptive cross-sectional study based on data from one of the largest provinces of Iran, in the period 13 February 2020 to 17 May 2021. We used WHO proposed guidelines for the calculation of the burden of diseases to calculate the YLL among patients with COVID-19, taking into consideration gender in different age groups. RESULTS: Findings showed that 13 628 deaths were due to COVID-19 with associated 249 309 YLL. The study reported higher mortality among men (1222 cases) in the age group over 85 years than in women (840) of the same age group. The minimum number of YLL for men was 1749 in the 5-9 years age group and that for women was 1551 years in the 14-10 years age group. CONCLUSION: The high number of deaths due to COVID-19 has led to high YLL due to premature death. The provision of adequate health care and appropriate policies will bring about a decrease in YLL due to COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
Background: Nurses play a very important role in caring for patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). They are on the frontline fighting COVID-19. The objective was to explore the experiences of nurses in the surgical and infectious wards about caring for patients with COVID-19 in a large and tertiary care hospital in Iran. Materials and Methods: This was a qualitative study. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 nurses in the Imam Reza Hospital Complex from April to May 2020, Mashhad, Iran. Data analysis was performed using the method proposed by Lundman and Granheim. The Maxqda10 software was used. Results: The experiences were summarized into three categories: (1) experiencing new feelings and relationships with colleagues and patients, (2) viewpoints about managers' performance, and (3) concern about getting infected with COVID-19. Findings reflected similar experiences on personal protective equipment between nurses in the surgical and infectious wards. Experiencing new feelings and relationships with colleagues and patients and concern about getting infected and spreading the COVID-19 were mostly expressed by infectious nurses and surgical nurses, respectively. Conclusions: This research results provide evidence of the experiences of infectious and non-infectious disease nurses who are currently caring for COVID-19 patients. Due to some differences between the experiences of these two groups in COVID-19, it is suggested to pay more attention to the needs and required skills in the staff mix during a crisis.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The implementation of a dashboard enables managers to make informed and evidence-based decisions through data visualization and graphical presentation of information. This study aimed to design and implement a COVID-19 management dashboard in a third-level hospital in Mashhad, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive developmental applied study was conducted in the second half of 2020 in three stages, using user-centered design methodology in four phases: (1) specification of the application context, (2) specification of requirements, (3) creation of design solutions, and (4) evaluation of designs. Data collection in each phase was performed through holding group discussions with the main users, nominal group techniques, interviews, and questioners. The dashboard prototype for the data display was designed using the Power BI Desktop software. Subsequently, users' comments were obtained using the focus group method and included in the dashboard. RESULTS: In total, 25 indicators related to input, process, and output areas were identified based on the findings of the first stage. Moreover, eight items were introduced by participants as dashboard requirements. The dashboard was developed based on users' feedback and suggestions, such as the use of colors, reception of periodic and specific reports based on key performance indicators, and rearrangement of the components visible on the page. The result of the user satisfaction survey indicated their satisfaction with the developed dashboard. CONCLUSION: The selection of proper criteria for the implementation of an effective dashboard is critical for the health care organization since they are designed with a high-tech and content-based environment. The dashboard in the present study was a successful combination of clinical and managerial indicators. Future studies should focus on the design and development of dashboards, as well as benchmarking by using data from several hospitals.