Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS) in Adult Patients With Cancer.

Background: Measuring the outcomes of palliative care plays an important role to improve the quality, efficiency, and availability of these services in patients with cancer. Using valid, reliable, and culturally appropriate tools has a considerable role to measure these outcomes. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the translated version of the Palliative care Outcome Scale (POS). Methods: This methodological study was conducted in two outpatient clinics related to Shohada Tajrish and Baqiyatallah hospitals in Tehran in 2019-2020. The translation was done using the Forward-Backward approach after gaining permission from the developer. Face validity was tested with 10 patients with cancer through cognitive interviewing, as well as content validity with four experts. Construct validity was performed by (n = 203) exploratory factor analysis and confirmation (N = 150). To assess the reliability, internal consistency was assessed by using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and relative stability was assessed using the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Furthermore, interpretability and ceiling and floor effects were assessed. Results: A total of 353 patients with cancer under palliative care were included in the study. Then, three psychological (30%), physical (12.25%), and social factors (12.08%) with a cumulative variance of 54.34% were extracted in exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model has a good fit of information. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for scale was 0.719. Furthermore, the ICC was 0.812. The scale was interpretable, and ceiling and floor effects were 0%. Conclusion: Persian version of the POS was evaluated as a valid and reliable tool. Therefore, it can be used by the clinician to monitor the consequences of palliative care in Iranian cancer patients.

Translation, Cross-cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire: Persian Version.

Introduction: The Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire (NBQ) is being used widely in various countries. This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Persian version of NBQ. Methods: This methodological study investigated 170 patients with chronic neck pain (NP). The psychometric properties of NBQ were evaluated in two stages. First, the standard scale was translated based on Guillemin's guidelines for cross-cultural adaption and face validity tested in a pilot group (N=25). Second, it was conducted on a sample of 170 diverse chronic pain patients. Construct validity was determined with convergent validity by short-form McGill pain questionnaire. Then, the reliability was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: The instrument demonstrated a good face validity and the participants made minor changes. A slight change was applied on content validity. In construct validity, Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.85, which was statistically significant and showed strong correlation. A Cronbach's alpha of 0.87 was obtained. This confirmed the remarkable internal consistency and stability (0.92). Conclusion: The Persian version of NBQ showed a good internal consistency and reliability and it could be considered as a valuable tool for assessing patients with cervical pain in Iranian population.

The Effect of the Teach-Back Method on Knowledge, Performance, Readmission, and Quality of Life in Heart Failure Patients.

BACKGROUND: Among chronic diseases, heart failure has always been a serious challenge imposing high costs on health systems and societies. Therefore, nurses should adopt new educational strategies to improve self-care behaviors and reduce the readmissions in heart failure patients. This study aimed to determine the effect of the teach-back method on knowledge, performance, readmission, and quality of life in these patients. METHODS: This clinical trial was conducted in patients with heart failure (n = 70) hospitalized in the internal wards of the Baqiyatallah al-Azam Medical Center in Tehran (2019). Routine discharge educations were provided in control patients. Self-care topics were taught to the intervention groups by the teach-back method. A cardiac self-care questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and practice of patients immediately after intervention and three months after patient discharge. Also, SF-36 was presented to each patient. Readmission(s) and quality of life were followed up by telephone interviews three months after patient discharge. Repeated measures analysis of variance and related post-hoc tests were performed for within-group comparisons before, immediately after, and 3 months after teach-back education. Wilks' lambda multivariate tests were conducted for simultaneous comparison of quality of life subscales between intervention and control groups. Also, logistic regressions were after controlling for baseline measures and confounders. RESULTS: Findings showed significant improvement in the patients' knowledge and performance immediately after teach-back education, though this effect was slow in the long term after discharge. Also, the frequency of readmissions decreased and the quality of life (except physical function) increased in the patients through teach-back education. By controlling for the pretest effect, the posttest scores for the relevant components of the quality of life suggested improvement in both intervention and control patients. This improvement in the quality of life was confirmed by controlling for baseline measurements using binary logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Teach-back education improved patients' knowledge and performance, readmission frequency, and quality of life.

Non-adherence to Treatment Among Iranian Dialysis Patients, A Systematic Review.

Non-adherence to treatment is a common problem among hemodialysis (HD) patients and was considered as a reliable factor in patients deteriorating, increasing admission chance and inappropriate responding to HD treatment. According to multiple factors related to Non-adherence with HD treatment and its importance in patients' quality of life, this study aims at a systematic reviewing of Non-adherence to treatment among Iranian dialysis patients. Treatment with adherence status is one of the problems that patients encounter during dialysis. This study aims at detecting the most important causes of Non-adherence in patients on dialysis according to previous studies. First, all of the studies related to our title were searched using main keywords (dialysis, hemodialysis, adherence, and non-adherence) for English and Persian databases; Iranmedex, Magi ran, SID, Iran doc, Google, Google scholar, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Database of Systematic that covering the period from 2010 to 2018 was reviewing following a predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. As a result, 40 papers related to inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified and analyzed. Data were collected according to study features, measures of Non-adherence, prevalence rates and factors related to Non-adherence. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed to conduct this systematic review. According to the results of present study six main categories were found. The main reasons for Non-adherence with treatment in dialysis patients listed in the papers included: Patient related factors, socioeconomic factors, psychological factors, health care related factors, therapy related factors and disease-related factors.Trying to improve adherence is very important and can play a significant role in increaseing the health status among patients on dialysis.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the Treatment Adherence Questionnaire for Patients with Combat Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

PURPOSE: Treatment adherence is one of the major strategies in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans. This study developed and psychometrically assessed the Treatment Adherence Questionnaire for Patients with Combat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: This methodological study was conducted in Tehran, Iran, during 2016-2017 in two phases. First, the concept of treatment adherence in combatants with PTSD was analyzed using a hybrid model. This model consisted of three phases: literature review phase, fieldwork phase, and final analysis phase. The consequences and attributes of the concept of treatment adherence in combatants with PTSD were identified, and based on the findings, the Treatment Adherence Questionnaire for PTSD veterans was developed. In the second stage, the face and content validities of the questionnaire were investigated both quantitatively and qualitatively. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to determine the questionnaire's validity. Internal consistency correlation coefficient of the questionnaire was estimated with Cronbach's alpha coefficient, while the reliability of the questionnaire was established using intra-class test-retest correlation coefficient. Study participants were selected from inpatients and outpatients referred to a hospital, clinic, and health center in Tehran and Kashan, Iran. All patients were diagnosed with combat PTSD by a psychiatrist, based on psychiatric interview and other clinical findings. RESULTS: The Persian version of the Treatment Adherence Questionnaire for Patients with Combat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder included 17 items. Exploratory factor analysis identified three factors which accounted for a total of 87.57% of the total variance of treatment adherence score. The identified factors were labeled as "maintenance of treatment", "follow-up and treatment contribution", and "purposefulness and responsibility". The Cronbach's alpha correlation coefficient was 0.92 and the intra-class correlation coefficient of the questionnaire's reliability was estimated at 0.92 (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The data obtained confirmed the hypothesis of the factor structure model with a latent second-order variable. The final version of the Treatment Adherence Questionnaire for Iranian combatants with PTSD can be applied as a valid and reliable questionnaire for measuring treatment adherence in these patients.

The Effect of Social Support Skill-training Group Intervention on Perceived Social Support in Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic events related to war have long effects on psychiatric psychopathologies. From these disturbing conditions, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is considered to be the most characteristic feature of psychiatric traumatic experience. The current study was designed to assess the effect of two social support skill-training group interventions on perceived social support in veterans with PTSD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted with the clinical trial method. According to the inclusion criteria, 60 of 367 veterans with PTSD were selected and randomly allocated into two intervention groups and a control group. The two training programs on social support skills consisting of three sessions, each being 1.5-2 h, were held weekly for 3 weeks. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support was filled by samples before and 6 weeks after intervention. The data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistics using PASW Statistics 18. RESULTS: The ANOVA results showed that after intervention, there were significant differences in perceived social support between intervention groups and control group (F = 1.06, p = 0.001), but there was no significant difference between intervention groups by t-test (t = 28.05, p < 0.10). The paired t-test showed a significant difference in all subscale scores of perceived social support between two intervention groups before and after intervention (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study agreed with the positive effects of social support skill training on perceived social support in veterans with PTSD. It is suggested that these training courses should be included in the community re-entry programs of veterans with PTSD.

Comparing the Effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Physical Activity on Pregnant Women's General Health.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is important because maternal health and well-being directly affects another person's life. This study aimed to compare the effects of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) and physical activity (PA) on the general health of pregnant women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized clinical trial was conducted among 96 primiparous women enrolled in a prenatal clinic in Tehran (Iran) between May 3, 2013 and August 7, 2013. The participants were selected through convenience sampling over 3 weeks and randomly assigned to the PMR, PA, and control groups, comprising 32 participants each. Six participants did not complete the follow-up measurement (N = 90). The PMR group underwent three sessions of 1.5-2 h in theoretical and practical training, and in the PMR group, training was given in groups of three to four persons. Both groups performed exercises at home for 8 weeks and recorded them in daily report sheets. The general health of all three groups was assessed before and after intervention by using the General Health Questionnaire-28. RESULTS: Differences in the mean (SD) general health scores obtained before and after intervention in the PMR, PA, and control groups were 15.63 (5.73), 19.11 (7.79), and 8.27 (2.14), respectively. One-way analysis of variance test showed a significant difference between the three groups (F = 28.10; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: As the study results confirm the positive effects of PMR and PA on the subscales of the general health of pregnant women, the two techniques are recommended to promote the general health of pregnant women.

Validity and reliability of the Cohen 10-item Perceived Stress Scale in patients with chronic headache: Persian version.

BACKGROUND: The Cohen Perceived Stress Scale is being used widely in various countries. The present study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Cohen 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) in assessing tension headache, migraine, and stress-related diseases in Iran. METHODS: This study is a methodological and cross-sectional descriptive investigation of 100 patients with chronic headache admitted to the pain clinic of Baqiyatallah Educational and Therapeutic Center. Convenience sampling was used for subject selection. PSS psychometric properties were evaluated in two stages. First, the standard scale was translated. Then, the face validity, content, and construct of the translated version were determined. RESULTS: The average age of participants was 38 years with a standard deviation (SD) of 13.2. As for stress levels, 12% were within the normal range, 36% had an intermediate level, and 52% had a high level of stress. The face validity and scale content were remarkable, and the KMO coefficient was 0.82. Bartlett's test yielded 0.327 which was statistically significant (p<0.0001) representing the quality of the sample. In factor analysis of the scale, the two elements of "coping" and "distress" were determined. A Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.72 was obtained. This confirmed the remarkable internal consistency and stability of the scale through repeated measure tests (0.93). CONCLUSION: The Persian PSS-10 has good internal consistency and reliability. The availability of a validated Persian PSS-10 would indicate a link between stress and chronic headache.

Effect of Job Specialization on the Hospital Stay and Job Satisfaction of ED Nurses.

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, the increasing crowdedness of the emergency departments has posed various problems for patients and healthcare systems worldwide. These problems include prolonged hospital stay, patient dissatisfaction and nurse burnout or job dissatisfaction. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of emergency department (ED) nurses' job specialization on their job satisfaction and the length of patient stay in the ED. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This before-after quasi-experimental study was conducted from April to May 2014 at the Baqiyatallah Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Initially, 35 patients were recruited as controls and the length of their stay in the ED was measured in minutes via a chronometer; Moreover, nurses' job satisfaction was evaluated using the Mohrman-Cooke-Mohrman job satisfaction scale. Then, a job specialization intervention was developed based on the stabilization model. After that, 35 new patients were recruited to the treatment group and received specialized care services. Accordingly, the length of their stay in the ED was measured. Moreover, the same nurses' job satisfaction was re-evaluated after the study. The study intervention lasted one month. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 20 and statistical tests such as the Kolmogrov-Smirnov, the paired and the independent t, and chi-square tests. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the two groups of patients concerning the length of their stay in the ED (P < 0.001). Moreover, compared with the pretest readings, nurses had greater job satisfaction after the study (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The job specialization intervention can improve nurses' satisfaction and relieve the crowdedness of the EDs.

The effect of progressive muscle relaxation on pregnant women's general health.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy may be accompanied by serious physiological and psychological changes as it is a stressful period in a woman's life. So, this study was conducted to determine the effect of progressive muscle relaxation on pregnant women's general health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this clinical trial, 60 primigravida women admitted to the prenatal clinic of selected hospitals in Iran constituted the study population. Using purposive sampling method, the level of general health of the women was measured with General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28). Then, the samples were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. Three 1.5-2 h relaxation training sessions were held for the experimental group. After 8 weeks, the level of general health of both groups was measured again. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using Chi-square and paired t-test (P < 0.05). RESULTS: Total mean score of general health of the experimental group and the control group before the intervention was 35.83 (6.92) and 29.46 (8.3), respectively, and after the intervention, the respective scores were 20.2 (5.61) and 27.85 (8.24). Although after the intervention both groups showed an increased level of general health, the difference in general health between before and after intervention was significant in the experimental group (P < 0.001). Furthermore, comparison of variations in mean scores of general health level before and after intervention in the two groups showed a significant difference (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Given that the results showed the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation on pregnant women's general health, the prenatal clinics can include a training program for progressive muscle relaxation in the routine training programs for pregnant women.

Spiritual experiences of war veterans who suffer from combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder: a qualitative study.

Recognition of the spiritual experiences of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder may be helpful in their rehabilitation. Accordingly, the present study has been carried out to determine the spiritual experiences of Iranian Muslim warriors who suffer from the previously mentioned disorder. In this qualitative study, 22 patients were selected using an objective-based sampling method and underwent an individual, semi-structured thorough interview. The data were analyzed using content analysis. The spiritual experiences of the participants were divided into two main categories as follows: (1) religious attitude consisting of three sub-categories known as "religious beliefs," "religious sentiments," and "religious behaviors" and (2) a national sensibility that includes the two sub-categories of "patriotism" and "proud" of being injured for my homeland. The analysis of the participants' spiritual experiences showed that their specific religious orientation and feelings of nationalism assisted with their improved ability to cope with the consequences of their disorder. Therefore, it is recommended that caregivers use patients' spiritual values to help them cope more efficiently.