Post-disaster damage and loss assessment in the Iranian healthcare sector: a qualitative interview study.

BACKGROUND: Accurate post-disaster damage and loss assessment is critical for the success of subsequent recovery programs. A comprehensive and systematic damage and loss assessment process involves evaluating the physical damage and financial impact of an event on individuals, communities, and assets. To ensure effective recovery, the various components and entities included in the program must be developed appropriately and efficiently. This study aimed to identify the components and entities of the Iranian healthcare sector's post-disaster damage and loss assessment program. METHODS: A qualitative study employing purposive sampling and semi-structured individual interviews was conducted with 18 participants between October 2022 and July 2023, with continuing until data saturation was achieved. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews and observational notes with experts, including representatives from the National Disaster Management Organization (NDMO), the Iranian Red Crescent Society, and the Disaster Risk Management Department of the Ministry of Health and Medical Sciences Universities. The interviews were conducted in the workplace of the participants. Thematic analysis, a conventional qualitative method, was employed for the analysis of the data. Following the transcription of the recorded interviews, the initial codes were extracted, reviewed for accuracy, and classified. RESULTS: The results of this study are based on the insights and experiences of a diverse group of qualified experts in their respective fields. The findings were analysed and classification into ten main themes, 29 sub-themes, and 1,058 codes. The main themes were key concepts and principles of assessment; assessment stages; health system measures in assessment; roles and responsibilities; team composition; information and communication; coordination and collaboration; data collection and analysis; assessment tools and methods; and reporting, documentation, and recommendations. CONCLUSION: An understanding of key concepts and principles enables stakeholders to respond effectively to disasters, make informed decisions, and facilitate recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Components and entities of post-disaster damage and loss assessment program in healthcare sector: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Disasters can cause casualties and significant financial loss. In accordance with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, areas affected by disasters must be built back better. Accurate post-disaster damage and loss assessments are critical for the success of recovery programs. This scoping review aimed to identify the components and entities of the healthcare sector's post-disaster damage and loss assessment program. METHODS: An comprehensive search for relevant literature was performed using several databases, including the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and Magiran. The search was limited to papers published between 2010 and 2022. In addition, we searched the grey literature for resources related to post-disaster damage and loss assessments. Study selection and data extraction were evaluated by a third reviewer. The main themes were determined through a consensus process and agreement among team members. RESULTS: A total of 845 papers were identified, 41 of which were included in the review. The grey literature search yielded 1015 documents, 23 of which were associated with the study's purpose. The findings were classified into five main themes, 20 subthemes, and 876 codes. The main-themes include the following: Concepts and Definitions; Post-Disaster Damage and Loss Assessment Procedures; Healthcare sector procedures; Assessments Tools, and Methods; Intra-sectoral, Inter-sectoral, and cross-cutting issues. CONCLUSIONS: The existing corpus of literature on post-disaster damage and loss assessment programs within the healthcare sector offers only limited insights into the entities and components involved. It is of great importance that stakeholders have an extensive grasp of these pivotal concepts and principles, as they are fundamental in enabling effective responses to disasters, informed decision-making, and facilitating rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. Consequently, there is a considerable scope for further investigation in this area. SCOPING REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: https://osf.io/nj3fk .

Developing a conceptual model of post-disaster damage and loss assessment program in the Iranian health sector: a qualitative study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Annual natural and man-made disasters in Iran eventually lead to casualties and considerable financial loss. The success of a reconstruction programme depends on accurate postdisaster damage and loss assessment. Based on these assessments, the goals, priorities and approaches required for reconstruction are prepared and formulated. To effectively implement a reconstruction and rehabilitation programme in the country's health sector, it is necessary to prepare and compile a postdisaster damage and loss assessment programme. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This qualitative study will be conducted to develop a conceptual model of a postdisaster damage and loss assessment programme in Iran's health sector. First, a scoping review method will be conducted to identify the entities and components of the postdisaster damage and loss assessment programme. Then, using semistructured interviews, the opinions of university professors and disaster damage and loss assessors in the health sector will be obtained. Next, by conducting a focus group discussion, the initial programme of disaster damage and loss assessment in the Iranian health sector will be developed and then, the modified Delphi method will be used to validate it. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the research ethics committee of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (IR.MUI.NUREMA.REC.1400.171). The study results will be disseminated to stakeholders, published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences.

Relationship between self-care behaviors and quality of life in patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: It has been generally agreed that cardiac failure is one of the common and devastating diseases due to its morbidity, mortality and rates of disability. Moreover, it has negative impacts on quality of life among sufferers. Meanwhile, improving quality of life among heart failure patients is essential. It can be suggested that people with self-care ability have a better quality of life. However, this issue may be affected by some cultural issues. Regarding a paucity of information on this aspect in Iran, this study aims to explore the relationship between self-care behaviors and quality of life in patients with heart failure. METHODS: This study is carried out using a descriptive - analytical method. The sample size consists of 77 patients who consented to participate in the study and had ejection fraction <40%. The tools were demographic checklist, European heart failure self-care behavior scale, and SF-36 quality of life questionnaire. Data was gathered from the heart center of Imam Ali in Kermanshah-Iran. Data analysis was done using independent t-test, Mann Whitney, ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis tests by SPSS-24 software. FINDINGS: The study sample was 77 participants, of which 45 were female and 51 lived in an urban area. The mean of self-care score was 39.42 ± 7.04, and most of the patients (67.5%) were in moderate level. The mean and SD of quality of life was estimated as 38.45 ± 17.28. The spearman correlation test showed no correlation between self-care and quality of life. However there was a correlation between marital status and self-care ability, in which it shows the higher scores in unmarried people (K2 = 7.75, P = 0.021), and the results indicated better quality of life in male (t = 2.68, P = 0.009), educated patients at the level of university (F = 7.60, P < 0.001), free job (F = 6.21, P < 0.001) and lived in the urban area (Z = 2.05, P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: In this study, there is no correlation between self-care behaviors and quality of life in which, this may be attributed to Iranian cultures and perspectives such as valuing live with the children and importance of their attention to elderly patients, which demanded more studies.

A Comparative Study of the Efficacy of Cognitive Group Therapy and Aerobic Exercise in the Treatment of Depression among the Students.

BACKGROUND: Depression is one of the most common mental disorders. Finding effective treatments for such a disorder with higher efficiency lower side effects and affordability is an active area of research in psychiatry. This study aimed to comparatively analyze the effects of the cognitive group therapy and aerobic exercises on depression, automatic negative thoughts and dysfunctional attitudes of students at Kermanshah University of Medical Science. METHODS: In this clinical trial, 46 associate and undergraduate students at Kermanshah University of Medical Science were randomly divided into three groups: cognitive therapy, aerobic exercise, and control. The data was gathered both before and 8 weeks after the intervention. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), automatic negative thoughts (ATQ), and the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) were used as the data collection instruments. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 15 using paired samples T-test, chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: Cognitive therapy caused a significant decrease in depression, belief in automatic negative thoughts, and dysfunctional attitudes in comparison to the control group (p<0.05). Although aerobics compared to the control group causes more reductions in the variables, however, It was only meaningful for the depression variable (p=0.049). Cognitive therapy also reduced the variables more than the aerobic exercise, but the decrease was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive group therapy and aerobic exercise are effective in treating depression. For treating depression, aerobic exercise can be used as a therapy itself or along with cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy.