Challenges and advantages of electronic prescribing system: a survey study and thematic analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) systems can bring many advantages and challenges. This system has been launched in Iran for more than two years. This study aimed to investigate the challenges and advantages of the e-prescribing system from the point of view of physicians. METHODS: In this survey study and thematic analysis, which was conducted in 2023, a researcher-made questionnaire was created based on the literature review and opinions of the research team members and provided to the physician. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS software, and qualitative data were analyzed using ATLAS.ti software. Rank and point biserial, Kendall's tau b, and Phi were used to investigate the correlation between variables. RESULTS: Eighty-four physicians participated in this study, and 71.4% preferred to use paper-based prescribing. According to the results, 53.6%, 38.1%, and 8.3% of physicians had low, medium, and high overall satisfaction with this system, respectively. There was a statistically significant correlation between the sex and overall satisfaction with the e-prescribing system (p-value = 0.009) and the computer skill level and the prescribing methods (P-value = 0.042). Physicians face many challenges with this system, which can be divided into five main categories: technical, patient-related, healthcare providers-related, human resources, and architectural and design issues. Also, the main advantages of the e-prescribing system were process improvement, economic efficiency, and enhanced prescribing accuracy. CONCLUSION: The custodian and service provider organizations should upgrade the necessary information technology infrastructures, including hardware, software, and network infrastructures. Furthermore, it would be beneficial to incorporate the perspectives of end users in the system design process.

Evaluation of risk management status in selected departments of educational hospitals of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare organizations are among high-risk organizations due to the nature of their work as well as structural, physical and technological complexities. Accordingly, it is important to use risk management and control programs in all departments of these organizations. OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted for the first time to evaluate the risk management status of the operating room and laboratory departments of Hamadan hospitals in 2022. METHODS: In this descriptive-observational cross-sectional study, laboratory and operating room departments were selected as the research environment. To conduct this research, a valid and reliable questionnaire was used to collect data, and the data were analyzed using SPSS 22 statistical software. RESULTS: The findings of the present study showed that the overall mean score of risk management status for the laboratory and operating room departments was 2.66 ± 0.15 and 2.89 ± 0.13, respectively. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean scores of the research components based on work experience, education level, and gender. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that the laboratory and operating room departments should focus more on adopting policies and solutions to improve the position of risk management, training and budget allocation for risk management.

Virtual Reality and Cardiac Diseases: A Systematic Review of Applications and Effects.

Introduction: Cardiac diseases have grown significantly in recent years, causing many deaths globally. Cardiac diseases can impose a significant economic burden on societies. The development of virtual reality technology has attracted the attention of many researchers in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the applications and effects of virtual reality (VR) technology on cardiac diseases. Methods: A comprehensive search was carried out in four databases, including Scopus, Medline (through PubMed), Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore to identify related articles published until May 25, 2022. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) guideline for systematic reviews was followed. All randomized trials that investigated the effects of virtual reality on cardiac diseases were included in this systematic review. Results: Twenty-six studies were included in this systematic review. The results illustrated that virtual reality applications in cardiac diseases can be classified in three categories of physical rehabilitation, psychological rehabilitation, and education/training. This study revealed that the use of virtual reality in psychological and physical rehabilitation can reduce stress, emotional tension, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) total score, anxiety, depression, pain, systolic blood pressure, and length of hospitalization. Finally, the use of virtual reality in education/training can enhance technical performance, increase the speed of procedures, and improve the user's skills, level of knowledge, and self-confidence as well as facilitate learning. Also, the most limitations mentioned in the studies included small sample size and lack of or short duration of follow-up. Conclusions: The results showed that the positive effects of using virtual reality in cardiac diseases are much more than its negative effects. Considering that the most limitations mentioned in the studies were the small sample size and short duration of follow-up, it is necessary to conduct studies with adequate methodological quality to report their effects in the short term and long term.

Features of teleoncology in lung cancer: A scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: There are several challenges in providing healthcare services for lung cancer patients. Using teleoncology is an effective solution to meet such challenges. Given this, we in this study aimed to identify the features of teleoncology in lung cancer. METHODS: We conducted this scoping review in 2023. We first searched scientific databases including PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Sciences, and Science Direct by combining related keywords for the past 12 years (2012-2023). RESULTS: After reviewing 860 articles, we selected 39 studies for the purpose of this study. The interventions of teleoncology for lung cancer patients have four main categories, namely: monitoring of symptoms, monitoring the process of treatment and rehabilitation of patients, self-management and patient empowerment, and providing consultation for patients. CONCLUSION: The appropriate implementation of teleoncology systems improves the patient's condition and reduces lung cancer complications by improving the availability of different health services. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: More attention should be paid to the evaluation of telemedicine systems from the perspective of patients and health service providers. Also, the latest platforms, including mobile phone-based software, should be used to implement such systems.

Telemedicine in cancer care during COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic mapping study.

Background: For monitoring, providing, and managing COVID-19 pandemic healthcare services, telemedicine holds incredible potential. During this period, there has been a change in the remote services offered to cancer patients. As a result, the purpose of this study was to conduct a mapping review to identify and classify telemedicine applications for providing cancer care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Articles published in scientific databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and ProQuest up to 2022 were searched for in this systematic mapping study. Identifying keywords, creating a search strategy, and selecting data sources were all part of our search for relevant articles. The articles were chosen in phases based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: A total of 1331 articles were found, with the majority of them (46% of them) taking place in the United States. Telemedicine systems were most commonly developed for breast cancer (11.4%), lung cancer (7.9%), head and neck cancer (6.4%), brain cancer (5.4%), gynecologic cancer (6.0%), urological cancer (5.7%), prostate cancer (5.0%), colorectal cancer (5.0%), biliary tract cancer (5.0%), and skin cancer (5.0%). Teleconsultation was the most common type of telemedicine application, with 60% of it taking place in real time. Conclusion: Because of its emphasis on providing high-quality health care while reducing costs, telemedicine has gained popularity in the majority of countries, with positive economic and social consequences. While telemedicine systems provide a variety of healthcare services, during the COVID-19 era, they do not currently provide many services to all cancer patients worldwide. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12553-023-00762-2.

Characteristics and specifications of dashboards developed for the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review.

Aim: The use of information-based solutions such as dashboards is on the rise for taking fact-based actions against the COVID-19 crisis. This scoping review aimed to comprehensively investigate COVID-19 dashboards from different technical perspectives. Subject and methods: Three main bibliographic databases, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, were searched on 28 August 2021 to retrieve relevant studies. Arksey and O'Malley's (Int J Soc Res Methodol 8(1):19-32, 2005) methodological framework and the enhanced version of this methodology developed by Levac et al. (Implement Sci 5(1):1-9, 2010) were adopted for conducting this review. Results: In total, 26 articles were included. The COVID-19 dashboards mainly focused on the infected (n = 25), deceased (n = 17), and recovered cases (n = 13), as well as the performed test (n = 10). Most of the dashboards were interactive, with public accessibility targeting various user groups. While some dashboards were both informative and supportive (38%), most were mainly informative (92%). The dashboard data were generally analyzed using simple techniques (58%) and delivered through web-based applications (88%). Conclusion: Dashboards can help immediately manage, analyze, and summarize a huge amount of information about a COVID-19 outbreak. The findings revealed that the developed COVID-19 dashboards share more or less analogous characteristics that could lay the groundwork for designing and developing dashboards for any other pandemic.

Development and evaluation of a teleoncology system for breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The present study describes the steps of developing a hybrid teleoncology system to provide treatment plans for breast cancer patients. Materials & methods: This research was conducted in four stages, including developing a proposal for experts, identifying and analyzing system requirements, designing a prototype and implementing and evaluating the final version of the hybrid teleoncology system. Results: The results of the usability evaluation showed that the users evaluated the system at a good level and, in practice, the implemented system was perceived to be useful by specialists in providing treatment plans for cancer patients. Conclusion: The hybrid teleoncology system is a practical alternative to traditional methods for providing treatment plans to breast cancer patients.

Development, Implementation, and User Evaluation of COVID-19 Dashboard in a Third-Level Hospital in Iran.

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.

Development of a store-and-forward telescreening system of diabetic retinopathy: lessons learned from Iran.

BACKGROUND: The present study describes the development and identity phases of a teleophthalmology system used for screening of diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: A questionnaire was used to identify the main factors necessary for diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy and the features required for a teleophthalmology system. In the second phase, a web-based prototype of the system was designed using the data collected in the previous phase. In the final phase, the system was optimized based on the users' ideas and comments; then, it was evaluated through a standard usability testing questionnaire. RESULTS: The results showed that the lowest average percentages were related to ethnicity (61%), optometrist's office address (61%), and consultant physician's office address (65%). A web-based prototype was designed using the Visual Studio and Dreamweaver programming tools. This system comprised patient identity data, medical history, clinical data, and retinal images of the patient. The mean score of usability testing and user satisfaction including specialists, residents, and optometrist was 7.3, 7.1 and 7.3 (out of a total 9), respectively. The evaluation results revealed that the system was classified as good. CONCLUSION: The telescreening system suggested in the current study could be helpful in timely diagnosis. Moreover, it would reduce the treatment costs and complexities. Regardless of the positive points of telemedicine systems, one of the most challenges in this study was the Internet infrastructure to design and apply the system. The future studies, therefore, could focus on the application of cell phone technology for rendering teleophthalmology.

Teleophthalmology in Practice: Lessons Learned from a Pilot Project.

INTRODUCTION: Ophthalmology is a medical specialty which may benefit from using telemedicine and teleophthalmology services. Such services are significantly important in the poor, remote, and impassable geographical areas, where there is no access to the ophthalmology services and ophthalmologists. This study aimed to design and implement a teleophthalmology system using the method of store-and-forward. METHODS: The study was conducted in 2015 and consisted of two main phases. The first phase was based requirement analysis, and in the second phase, after designing the prototype, an initial usability testing was undertaken in a teaching hospital. The participants of the study were 10 optometrists and 10 ophthalmologists (cornea specialists). For each phase of the research, a questionnaire was used to collect data, and the collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: In this study, users' requirements were initially investigated. Then, the teleophthalmology system was designed based on the literature review and the results derived from the requirements' analysis. Finally, usability testing showed that the users were relatively satisfied with the system. CONCLUSION: According to the results, it can be concluded that the teleophthalmology technology can be used in the country by optometrists and ophthalmologists to improve eye health care services and to prevent the prevalence of curable eye diseases.