Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can self-renew indefinitely in culture and differentiate into all specialized cell types including gametes. iPSCs do not exist naturally and are instead generated (“induced” or “reprogrammed”) in culture from somatic cells through ectopic co-expression of defined pluripotency factors. Since they can be generated from any healthy person or patient, iPSCs are considered as a valuable resource for regenerative medicine to replace diseased or damaged tissues. In addition, reprogramming technology has provided a powerful tool to study mechanisms of cell fate decisions and to model human diseases, thereby substantially potentiating the possibility to (i) discover new drugs in screening formats and (ii) treat life-threatening diseases through cell therapy-based strategies. However, various legal and ethical barriers arise when aiming to exploit the full potential of iPSCs to minimize abuse or unauthorized utilization. In this review, we discuss bioethical, legal, and societal concerns associated with research and therapy using iPSCs. Furthermore, we present key questions and suggestions for stem cell scientists, legal authorities, and social activists investigating and working in this field.

ObjectivesAs the largest group providing healthcare services, nurses require well-designed information systems in their practice. This study aims to evaluate the usability of nursing information systems (NIS).MethodsThis cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2015. The settings of the study consisted of four hospitals affiliated with three medical universities in Tehran (Iran). The subjects of the study included nurses who had access to and used a NIS developed by four major software companies. The data were collected using a modified version of a usability questionnaire known as IsoMetrics, based on the International Standard ISO 9241, Part 11. The questionnaire is composed of 35 questions divided into seven general criteria. The validity of the questionnaire was determined by experts in the field, and the reliability was checked using Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.91). The questionnaire was then distributed to 184 nurses.ResultsThe response rate was 64.6%. Among the seven ISO usability criteria, suitability for the task (3.10 ± 1.24) and suitability for learning (3.10 ± 1.27) had the highest mean value. The lowest mean value (2.37 ± 1.29) was related to the suitability for individualization.ConclusionsAddressing issues related to individualization and self-descriptiveness could improve the usability of nursing systems. Considering usability requirements in the design of a NIS will lead to the efficient and effective use of these systems.

Introduction:To obtain necessary information for managing communicable diseases, different countries have developed national communicable diseases surveillance systems (NCDSS). Exploiting the lesson learned from the leading countries in development of surveillance systems provides the foundation for developing these systems in other countries. In this study, the information and organizational structure of NCDSS in developed countries were reviewed.Methods:The study reviewed publications found on the organizational structure, content and data flow of NCDSS in the United States of America (USA), Australia and Germany that were published in English between 2000 and 2016. The publications were identified by searching the CINAHL, Science Direct, ProQuest, PubMed, Google Scholar databases and the related databases in selected countries.Results:Thirty-four studies were investigated. All of the reviewed countries have implemented the NCDSS. In majority of countries the department of health (DoH) is responsible for managing this system. The reviewed countries have created a minimum data set for reporting communicable diseases data and information.Conclusion:For developing NCDSS, establishing coordinator centers, setting the effective policies and procedures, providing appropriate communication infrastructures for data exchange and defining a communicable diseases minimum data set are essential.

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The study aims to systematically review literature on the rare diseases information system to identify architecture of this system from a data perspective. The search for relevant English language articles, based on keywords in title, abstract, Mesh and Emtree terms, was done in Pubmed and Embase (from 1980 to June 2017), Scopus, Science Direct and Cochran (from 1980 to July 2017). Articles were selected if they addressed data architecture of information systems with a focus on rare disease, and if at least one of their objectives dealt with design, implementation, and development of rare diseases information systems. Thirty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings were categorized into six groups. This first group addressed organizations acting as data generators, data users, and data governors. The second group was related to data sources and databases. Datasets and data elements formed the third group of findings, including common datasets, specific datasets, and complementary datasets. The fourth group of findings was in relation to data standards. Data sharing and interactions among relevant bodies included the fifth group of the findings. The last group of findings was pertinent to procedures and criteria used for checking the quality of data, as cross review checking was a main procedure assessing the accuracy, consistency, and completeness of data. Design and development of an integrated information system for rare diseases considering data architecture principles in practice could help eliminating issues with management of rare diseases through facilitating sharing information and experiences.

In recent years, there has been considerable attention towards the development of information and communication technology (ICT) in health care delivery known as 'E-Health'. The term "E-Health" is almost a new concept and the E-Health projects mainly aim to improve service delivery to people, though different countries might have different approaches in using E-Health. The focus of this study is to review factors influencing the development of E-Health projects, as these factors could lead to an extensive semantic variation. This study reviews the E-Health status in different countries based on existing reports and documents about E-health projects in developed and developing countries and also based on the reports and documents provided by WHO, International Telecommunication Union (ITU); and World Bank. The review of the documents showed that the E-Health status in different countries is depended upon three key factors including the potential of ICT, economic capacity and the level of health status. The review of the documents indicated that there might be different meanings for the concept of E-Health in different countries, and the semantic variation in E-Health concept is related to the level of E-Health developments and implementations. Therefore, developing a clear definition of E-Health is needed.

Although patients on hemodialysis require effective education for self-care, several issues associated with the process raise barriers that make learning difficult. Computer-based education can reduce these problems and improve the quality of education. This study aims to develop and validate a theory-based multimedia application to educate Persian patients on hemodialysis. The study consisted of five phases: (1) content development, (2) prototype development 1, (3) evaluation by users, (4) evaluation by a multidisciplinary group of experts, and (5) prototype development 2. Data were collected through interviews and literature review with open-ended questions and two survey forms that consisted of a five-level scale. In the Results section, patient needs on hemodialysis self-care and related content were categorized into seven sections, including kidney function and failure, hemodialysis, vascular access, nutrition, medication, physical activity, and living with hemodialysis. The application designed includes seven modules consisting of user-controlled small multimedia units. During navigation through this application, the users were provided step-by-step information on self-care. Favorable scores were obtained from evaluations by users and experts. The researchers concluded that this application can facilitate hemodialysis education and learning process for the patients by focusing on their self-care needs using the multimedia design principles.