Introduction:Studies indicate that using interventions including education may improve medical record documentation and decrease incomplete files. Since physicians play a crucial role in medical record documentation, the researchers intend to examine the effect of educational intervention on physicians’ performance and knowledge about principles of medical diagnosis recording among residents in Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences(HUMS).Methods:This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2010 on 40 specialty residents (from internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, anesthesiology and surgery specialties) in Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences. During a workshop, guidelines for recording diagnostic information related to given specialty were taught. Before and after the intervention, five medical records from each resident were selected to assess physician performance about chart documentation. Using a questionnaire, physicians’ knowledge was investigated before and after intervention. Data were analyzed through one-way ANOVA test.Results:Change in physicians’ knowledge before and after education was not statistically significant (p = 0.15). Residents’ behavior did not have statistically significant changes during three phases of the study.Conclusion:Diversity of related factors which contributes to the quality of documentation compels portfolio of strategies to enhance medical charting. Employing combination of best practice efforts including educating physicians from the beginning of internship and applying targeted strategy focus on problematic areas and existing gap may enhance physicians’ behavior about chart documentation.

BackgroundOne of the effective indicators for determining the efficiency and optimal use of hospital resources is the length of stay (LOS). This study aimed to determine the patients’ length of stay and the factors affecting the LOS in the Children’s hospital.MethodA cross-sectional study was performed on Children Hospital medical record database including 350 records (April 2015 to Dec 2015). Records were selected by stratified random sampling with proportional allocation. Then the predetermined demographic and hospital variables were extracted through the study of patients’ medical records. All statistical analysis were performed using SPSS software.ResultsThe overall median of the LOS in the studied hospital was 3 days (IQR =3). The results showed that in this hospital the LOS has a significant relationship with the variables of time of admission, the place of residence, type of admission, and the degree of attending physician. Also, with the increasing number of visits, ultrasonography, counseling and laboratory test, LOS was increased.ConclusionImproving processes related to diagnostic procedures, providing adequate staffing for specialized services in all hours of the day, preventing unnecessary and non-emergency admissions in the evening and night, will be effective in optimizing patient LOS.

Introduction:Ongoing increase in the elderly population in many developed countries has drawn attention to health of this age group. Recording adequate and relevant data for the elderly is considered as the basis for future planning for this segment of society. So this study was conducted to compare minimum data about elderly health in selected countries.Methods:This review study was conducted through Internet and library studies. Key words were extracted from search engines and data bases including Google, Yahoo, Google Scholar, PubMed, ProQuest and Iranian National Medical Digital Library. Inclusion criteria included English language with no time limits. All articles, research projects, theses, guidelines and progress reports were retrieved from the United States, Sweden, Japan and Iran and reviewed. Also, websites of organizations responsible for elderly health in selected countries were visited and their documents were reviewed. Results from this search were provided narratively and finally were presented within comparison tables.Findings:The findings of this study showed that elderly data in the selected countries are collected around four axis including minimum demographic data, medical histories, health assessment and financial data of elderly health.Discussion and Conclusion:Given the importance of the minimum data set of elderly health for future planning, the use of experiences of leading countries in elderly health seems necessary; however, localization of it according to the country’s needs is inevitable.

Background: To better manage the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to carefully study information about patients with COVID-19. Objective: To report clinical and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients in southern Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted based on data extracted from the COVID-19 registry of Hormozgan. Data from patients with confirmed COVID-19 based on CT-scan results or real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results until September 25, 2020, were analyzed for this study (2351 inpatients). We reported demographics, signs and symptoms on admission, comorbidities, and treatments, as well as clinical outcomes, hospital stay, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Results: Most of patients were men (1235/2351; 52.5%) and the most common signs and symptoms included cough (1343/2351; 57.1%), shortness of breath (1224/2351; 52.1%) and fever. The most common comorbidities included hypertension (410/2351 (17.4%), diabetes (343/2351; 14.6%) and chronic cardiac disease (282/2351; 12%). Also, 228 patients (9.7%) were hospitalized in the ICU. The mortality rate was 12.5% (295/2351) among all patients and 64.5% (147/228) in ICU wards, respectively. The number of cases with comorbidities including hypertension, chronic cardiac disease, diabetes, chronic neurological disorders, chronic kidney disease, chronic hematologic disease, malignant neoplasm, moderate or severe liver disease, dementia and fauvism in the ICU was significantly higher than the general wards. Conclusion: Most characteristics of our patients were similar to those reported in other studies; however, our patients were younger and suffered from a less severe disease. The mortality rate in the ICU was higher than other studies.

Background:There are increasing change and development of information in healthcare systems. Given the increase in aging population, managers are in need of true and timely information when making decision.Objectives:The aim of this study was to investigate the current status of the health information management system for the elderly health sector in Iran.Materials and Methods:This qualitative study was conducted in two steps. In the first step, required documents for administrative managers were collected using the data gathering form and observed and reviewed by the researcher. In the second step, using an interview guide, the required information was gathered through interviewing experts and faculty members. The convenience, purposeful and snowball sampling methods were applied to select interviewees and the sampling continued until reaching the data saturation point. Finally, notes and interviews were transcribed and content analysis was used to analyze them.Results:The results of the study showed that there was a health information management system for the elderly health sector in Iran. However, in all primary health care centers the documentation of data was done manually; the data flow was not automated; and the analysis and reporting of data are also manually. Eventually, decision makers are provided with delayed information.Conclusions:It is suggested that the steward of health in Iran, the ministry of health, develops an appropriate infrastructure and finally puts a high priority on the implementation of the health information management system for elderly health sector in Iran.