Development and validation of primary health care quality assessment tool.

BACKGROUND: Assessing the quality of health services gives insights to managers about the status of services delivered by them, especially from the client's perspective. Although various tools have been developed to measure the quality of primary health care (PHC), no specific tool was found in this field in Iran. Therefore, the present study was conducted to develop and validate the quality assessment tool of PHC in Iran. METHODS: This methodological study was conducted in 2021. In the first step, based on a literature review, an initial questionnaire was designed, and its face validity, content validity, construct validity, and reliability were evaluated. Descriptive tests, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, exploratory factor analysis, Kaiser-Myer-Olkin (KMO), and Cronbach's alpha were performed by using SPSS 22. RESULTS: The initial questionnaire included 33 items, of which three items were removed due to inconsistency with factorization. The final questionnaire consisted of 30 items and nine dimensions: interaction, efficiency, timeliness, accuracy, consultation, tangibility, safety, accessibility, and environment. The KMO and Cronbach's alpha index values were 0.734 and 0.82, respectively, indicating acceptable reliability and validity. The developed dimensions represented about 73% of the total variance. CONCLUSION: The designed questionnaire has relatively good validity and reliability and can be used to measure the quality of PHC and to identify weaknesses in service delivery. However, researchers should carefully examine it to enhance its applicability as a standard tool for measuring PHC quality.

A systematic review of informatics competencies: requirements for nurse managers in healthcare organisations.

Introduction: One vital strategy for the success of healthcare organisations currently resides in the capacity of the nurse managers (NMs) to develop informatics competencies in management. Aim: The aim of this review was to synthesise the evidence related to the informatics competencies of NMs in healthcare settings. Methods: The databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Education Resources Information Center were searched. All publications were accepted if they had been published in English and full texts were accessible. The study was carried out using a systematic literature search of work published between January 2000 and December 2021. The Endnote v.17 software was used to facilitate reference management. Quality assessment of publications was carried out independently by two reviewers using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme guidance. A descriptive summary with data tables was produced to summarise the literature. Results: After screening the search results, 12 studies published between the period 2001 and 2019 met the inclusion criteria. Analysis of the included studies led to the classification of informatics competencies in three main themes: skills related to work with computers (four sub-themes), informatics skills of NMs (three sub-themes) and knowledge of NMs about informatics (five sub-themes). Conclusion: These systematic review results can lead to the identification of informatics competency gaps and recommend and provide solutions to address these gaps and increase competencies for nursing managers.

Effect of stachys lavandulifolia on occupational stress in emergency medical technicians.

OBJECTIVE: According to studies, occupational stress is quite prevalent among Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). On the other hand, it has been shown that Stachys lavandulifolia, also known as the Mountain Tea in Iran, has anxiolytic properties. Considering the current increasing trend of using remedies based on alternative medicine for stress management, the present clinical trial intended to investigate the effect of Stachys lavandulifolia on occupational stress in EMTs METHODS: The present study included 60 EMTs working in Arak, Markazi province, Iran, who were randomly divided into study and control groups. The study group was treated with tea made of Stachys lavandulifolia (2 g daily) for 2 months, while the control group was treated with black tea. Moreover, the level of occupational stress in the study participants was assessed using the Hospital Stress Scale (HSS-35) before and after the intervention. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS software version 22. RESULTS: According to our results, the mean occupational stress score was significantly decreased in the study group after the intervention (p < 0.05). Moreover, the post-intervention scores were significantly lower in the study group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant change in occupational stress in the control group after the intervention (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In combination with other stress-relieving options, the tea made of Stachys lavandulifolia can be used as a complementary therapy for alleviating occupational stress in EMTs.

Comparison of the Antimicrobial Effect of Zataria Multiflora Essence and Deconex Surface on Microbial Load of Emergency Ambulances.

This study aimed to compare the antimicrobial effect of Deconex Surface, a common disinfectant, and Zataria multiflora essence on microbial load of Emergency ambulance equipment in Iran. The samples were selected from all the ambulances through convenience sampling. Before the intervention, the cultures were obtained from the contact surfaces and the surfaces were then disinfected with Deconex and Zataria multiflora. Then, repeated cultures were obtained from the same surfaces. Next, the samples were immediately sent to a microbiology lab. The obtained data were entered into SPSS 2016 and analyzed using statistical tests. Results showed that disinfecting effect of Zataria multiflora is better than Deconex in eliminating certain bacterial species such as Staphylococcus and Bacillus. So Zataria multiflora essence can be used as a surface and hospital equipment disinfectant along with other disinfectant compounds.

Is Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Islamic Republic of Iran Practical and Efficient in Facing Ebola?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and preparedness of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Islamic Republic of Iran to face Ebola. METHODS: The present study is cross-sectional and somehow descriptive. We used a standard questionnaire that was designed by "center for disease control and prevention". This questionnaire was captioned "Emergency Medical Services (EMS) checklist for Ebola preparedness". We collected a lot of data by studying that questionnaire and every manager in every province of Iran were informed about that info in 2016. This data was analyzed by using SSPP software version 16. RESULTS: Findings have showed the average score related to preparation level of EMS in facing Ebola in Iran was 63.73±12.77 percent. There was no significant difference between the country regions regarding the preparedness of to detect (p=0.975), protect (p=0.275) and respond (p=0.344) to ebola outbreaks.The highest score had been achieved by region number 5 and the lowest score belonged to region number 7. CONCLUSION: Although the acquired average score in this study is higher than standards, considering the increased threat of breaking out biologic threats especially Ebola infection, using and practicing some measures in order to enhance preparation level of Emergency Medical Services counter this infection and similar infectious diseases is inevitable.