Mobile Health Applications to Support COVID-19 Self-management: Review and Evaluation

Aim: During the epidemic and with an increase in coronavirus (COVID-19) disease prevalence, emergency care is essential to help people stay informed and undertake self-management measures to protect their health. One of these self-management procedures is the use of mobile apps in health. Mobile health (mHealth) applications include mobile devices in collecting clinical health data, sharing healthcare information for practitioners and patients, real-time monitoring of patient vital signs, and the direct provision of care (via mobile telemedicine). Mobile apps are increasing to improve health, but before healthcare providers can recommend these applications to patients, they need to be sure the apps will help change patients' lifestyles. Method: A search was conducted systematically using the keywords "Covid-19," "Coronavirus," "Covid-19, and Self-management" at the "Apple App Store". Then we evaluated the apps according to MARS criteria in May 2020. Results: A total of 145 apps for COVID-19 self-management were identified, but only 32 apps met our inclusion criteria after being assessed. The overall mean MARS score was 2.9 out of 5, and more than half of the apps had a minimum acceptability score (range 2.5-3.9). The "who academy" app received the highest functionality score. Who Academy, Corona-Care and First Responder COVID-19 Guide had the highest scores for behavior change. Conclusion: Our findings showed that few apps meet the quality, content, and functionality criteria for Covid-19 self-management. Therefore, developers should use evidence-based medical guidelines in creating mobile health applications so that, they can provide comprehensive and complete information to both patients and healthcare provider.

Medical Students Viewpoints towards Development of Telemedicine Methods at Army University of Medical Sciences

Aim: The study aimed to investigate the viewpoints of medical students towards the development of telemedicine methods at the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran (AJA) University of Medical Sciences. Method: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study, which lasted 4 months, was performed on 117 medical students of AJA University of Medical Sciences in 2021. In doing so, a Stratified sampling method and researcher-made questionnaire were used to collect data. Thus, the inclusion criterion was being a medicine student and the exclusion criterion was the incomplete completion of the questionnaire. Results: Students showed the most positive view (90.6%) regarding organizational factors to having a codified program in telemedicine development, and the most positive view towards high-speed Internet access (92.3%) concerning technology factors. In addition, as far as the stakeholders were concerned, they had the most positive view (70.1%) on community support for telemedicine development. As for information literacy, 88.9% emphasized computer and Internet skills. Also, 83.8% had the most positive view on raising awareness for telemedicine development regarding environmental factors. Conclusion: To sum up, the students had the most positive attitudes towards comprehensive telemedicine development plan, high-speed Internet access, and community support for telemedicine development, computer skills, Internet, and awareness. Hence, it is recommended to enhance these factors to help the development and implementation of telemedicine in medical education.

Internet Addiction and COVID-19

The article's abstract is not available.

Usability Evaluation of the Electronic Medical Record of the Rapid Response Team: a Case Study

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the usability of the rapid response team (RRT) electronic medical records (EMRs) system at an Abu-Ali-Sina organ transplant hospital, Shiraz, Iran. Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out in partnership with 25 direct members of RRT includes nurses and anesthesia technicians who were on the shift during the data collection for two months. To evaluate, the Questionnaire for User Interaction Satisfaction (QUIS) version 7 was used. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 19. Results: A total of 20 out of 25 questionnaires were obtained. Seven (25.0 %) of 27 sections were higher than seven, and all areas were higher than five. The highest rankings were for 1) reading characters on the computer screen 2) highlighting on the screen simplify task 3) overall reactions: wonderful and learning to operate the system. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the usability of the hospital RRT for the EMRs system and over the moderate. However, the flexibility and capability of the rapid response for EMRs tool require to be improved.

Assessing the Willingness of School Students to Choose the Field of Health Information Technology

Aim: The study aimed to, first, provide the students with some information about the field of Health Information Technology (HIT) and its professional status and, second, to investigate the university applicants' willingness to choose this field. Method: The present study is a quasi-experimental study on two groups of subjects, i.e. a control group and a test group. This study was conducted on the high school students in twelfth grade. The sample size in each group contained 116 subjects, who were randomly selected and placed in one of the groups. The data collection tool in this study was a questionnaire prepared based on the previous literature. SPSS version 26, descriptive and analytical statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: The participants' familiarity with the field of health information technology was 11%, 5.7% of whom had obtained only a little information about the field through mass media and social networks. Comparing the willingness of the two groups of participants to choose the field of information technology, showed a statistically significant difference, with 99% probability. Conclusion: The importance of informed decision-making and interest regarding the university major has been shown because it is very effective in teaching specialized human resources, especially in health care education. In this regard, the education and familiarity of high school students with academic fields can be useful. It is necessary to introduce the field of HIT and the scientific and practical capabilities of its graduates to the community.

Designing and Evaluating an Educational Website for Osteoarthritis

Aim: Using educational websites can be effective in enhancing the health-related knowledge of patients suffering from osteoarthritis. This study aimed to design and evaluate an educational website to improve the awareness of patients with osteoarthritis. Method: This is a descriptive-applied study. Having reviewed valid scientific articles retrieved from Medline (through PubMed), Scopus, and Google Scholar databases, the contents required for the website were identified and classified. Then, the scientific content extracted from the articles was evaluated by general physicians and Ph.D. of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Different sections of the website were designed by "Google sites," and the content was published. In the last stage of the research, the osteoarthritis educational website was evaluated by students of medicine and health information technology in terms of technical performance by a standard questionnaire. Results: In this study, an educational website was designed to educate patients with osteoarthritis. Users can log in to the website and learn about symptoms, consequences, predisposing factors, pain relief exercises, nutritional information, and self-care programs. The content provided on the website includes three main sections of general disease information, clinical information, and disease self-care information, which physicians evaluated in the first phase. According to the content evaluation results extracted from the studies and the questionnaire's analysis, the designed website had a good quality. The average scores of the questions related to website usability, screen capabilities, terminology and information, learning ability, and overall website capability were 7.79, 8.15, 8.4, 8.08, and 8.03, respectively, which were at a "good" level. Conclusion: At the end of this research, an educational website for osteoarthritis was created. Patients can access the site via the link and receive educational information about symptoms, consequences, predisposing factors, exercises to reduce pain, self-care, and nutritional information.

Design and Evaluation of an Electronic Educational Multimedia Package for Patients with Pyelonephritis

Aim: Pyelonephritis is a subset of urinary tract infections that occurs by the ascent of bacteria from the lower urinary tract to the upper tract, such as kidneys. The purpose of this study is to create an introductory multimedia educational package for pyelonephritis. Method: The required information was retrieved from Medline (through PubMed), Web of sciences, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases by searching "Educational package" or "Training package" and "Pyelonephritis" keywords. In the next step, AutoPlay Media Studio software was selected to build an electronic educational multimedia package, considering the features of different Autoruns. In the usability evaluation stage, the isometric questionnaire 9241 part 10 was used. Four kidney and urinary tract specialists and eight experts in health information technology gave their views to us by completing the stated questionnaire. The results collected from the questionnaires were entered into SPSS-23 software for analysis using descriptive statistics. Results: The content of the educational multimedia package, i.e., the definition of pyelonephritis, types of pyelonephritis, the causes of pyelonephritis, the underlying factors, clinical signs and symptoms, and methods of diagnosis and treatment are presented on different pages of the electronic package, respectively. The results of this usability evaluation showed that the items; "after not using the system for a long time, it is easy for the user to re-learn how to use the system" and "the user can use the system properly without asking his/her colleagues for help" had the lowest mean value (4.2) and the item; "explanations provided help the user to use the system more skillfully" had the highest mean value (4.9). Conclusion: The use of educational multimedia packages by patients can improve awareness and affect public health. Our educational multimedia package is superior to traditional training due to easy access and not being limited to a specific time and place, increasing the quality of learning and awareness.

Usage of Smartphone Apps in Self-care of Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis: A Scoping Review

Aim: Using smartphone apps can be a valuable tool for self-managing dialysis patients. This study aimed to review the usage of smartphone apps in the self-care of patients undergoing hemodialysis. Method: Resources were searched on three bibliographic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL, investigated from May 2005 through May 2021, using key terms, such as smartphone apps, mobile health, hemodialysis, chronic kidney disease, self-care, and self-management. Selecting articles were based on the PRISMA flow diagram. Results: The smartphone apps used for undergoing hemodialysis patients were categorized into five main categories. These categories included dietary monitoring, treatment adherence, lifestyle management, symptoms monitoring, and patient training. Conclusion: Smartphone apps must be developed by cooperation and supervision of healthcare agencies to improve patient adoption and ensure confidentiality. Further research efforts are needed to assess the impact of apps on quality of life outcomes through randomized controlled trials and cohort studies. In developing apps, the needs and preferences of patients must be considered.

A Model for the National Mental Health Information Network

Aim: Accurate information can be accessed in a timely manner through the Integrated Mental Health Information Network (MHIN). As Iran has no MHIN, this study was undertaken to propose an architectural model. Method: This research is a sequential mixed method. The organizational structure and database structure of the MHIN was identified, and the architectural model of the NMHIN was presented in two main phases. In the first phase, a quantitative study was conducted in a scoping review with an extensive review of the background, documents, information, and available resources about the mental health information network. In the second phase, to validate the proposed architecture, the Delphi technique was implemented. Questionnaires were distributed and collected both in person and by e-mail, and finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS-19. Results: The model of national MHIN was provided in five dimensions: MH entities, organizational ownership of databases, data elements of each database, linkage among databases, and exchangeable data elements among the databases. Conclusion: This model can be applied as a suitable platform to effectively and efficiently store and use mental health information. So, the available information can be used for providing mental health services more comfortably and appropriately. The results showed that connecting mental health entities can create a flow of information, coordinate MHIN activities, and improve performance, efficiency, and quality of mental health.

Readiness for RFID Technology Implementation: A Feasibility Study in Ophthalmology Hospital

Aim: Since the readiness study is considered a basic step in implementing various technologies, this study was conducted to assess the readiness of Al-Zahra Ophthalmology Hospital for implementing RFID technology. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Al-Zahra Ophthalmology Hospital in Zahedan (the eastern province of Iran). Personnel of departments including emergency, management, information technology, and health information management formed the research population. A researcher-constructed questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire consisted of two parts with 37 questions for assessing the hospital readiness and the barriers of using RFID technology. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 23. Results: The mean scores of humans, technical and organizational readiness of Al-Zahra Hospital for RFID technology were: 29, 45.14, and 33.5, respectively. In other words, technical readiness was assessed at a good level and human and organizational readiness at a moderate level. The overall readiness of Al-Zahra Hospital for RFID technology has been at a moderate level (mean score of 35.88). The mean score of barriers to using RFID technology was 37.82. Conclusion: Based on the findings, although there are positive points about RFID technology in terms of technology acceptance, organizational and technical issues, the lack of technical manpower, radio waves equipment, and budget are among the major challenges of RFID technology implementation in Al-Zahra hospital. Therefore, allocating the budget and employing specialized human resources, and creating the necessary technical infrastructure are necessary for implementing RFID technology.