maryam nikfard

A significant challenge in disaster response operations is the willingness of healthcare providers (HCPs) to engage and work in critical situations. Therefore, identifying the factors associated with the intention to participate in disaster response operations will lead to planning better and coping with such situations. 

This systematic literature review aims to determine the factors affecting the intention of HCPs to work in disaster response operations.

In this systematic literature review, a search strategy was developed using keywords in relevant articles to obtain relevant studies published between 1950 and November 1, 2020. Those keywords were obtained through consultation with experts’ opinions in disaster risk management and a medical librarian. This study was designed as a systematic review, following the PRISMA (the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) guidelines. Databases examined included Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. The relevant data (title, author/s, year of publication, country, population of HCPs, sample size, response rate, study design, tools, data collection method, and type of disasters) in the included studies were extracted using a checklist designed for this purpose. Then, the factors affecting staff intention were categorized by thematic analysis.

Out of 5721 retrieved articles, 16 were enrolled in this review. Extracted factors affecting the staff intention to work were classified into 3 main categories and 16 subcategories as follows: organizational factors (supply management, risk management, organizational environment, organizational climate, managerial support, financial incentives), personal factors (demographic, familial, beliefs and values, health status, individual experiences, knowledge and education, occupational, self-efficacy), and nature of disaster (type of disaster).

The results of this study showed that the intention and motivation of the HCPs to work in the disaster response phase depends on the type of disaster, the risks affecting their health and their families, commitment to the community, professional and financial issues, and responsibility.

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the lower rectum and anus, rarely dangerous, and typically treated within a few weeks. However, urgent medical care is required to avoid exacerbation of the condition. This study aimed to compare minimally invasive laser surgery with other common hemorrhoid surgical techniques and investigate the main outcome of these techniques.

Data sources: 

Four databases of PubMed (185), Scopus (59), ISI (143), CRD (10), and other resources (12) were explored.Study selection: All studies on laser surgery for patients with Grade 2 or 3 hemorrhoids examining pain outcome, reduction of hemorrhoids grade, and patient's quality of life after laser surgery were enrolled in this review.

Finally, 25 eligible articles were enrolled in the study. The results indicated that hemorrhoid was improved in the laser surgery group within the follow-up period with a higher average of quality-of-life self-assessment compared to other techniques. Overall satisfaction was higher in the laser group.

The evidence favored laser treatment in all studies, either clinical trials or studies without control groups. Ingeneral, laser surgery is considered an immune treatment for hemorrhoids with fewer postoperative complications such as bleeding, discomfort, and pain. Therefore, other than the cost, the rest of the evidence was in favor of laser surgery, and the laser technique is an appropriate alternative to conventional methods.

Resource management and efficiency analysis assist the hospitals in controlling the expenses and optimum utilization. Operating room (OR) is a critical department in a hospital and its performance highly affects the financial resources. The current study tried to measure OR utilization at a University Hospital of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd. This was a descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study in which 151 surgeries performed in four ORs were recorded in a total of 53 OR days. Data analysis was carried out using Microsoft Office Excel 2010. OR utilization was measured as 68% for Orthopedics OR, 61% for Ophthalmology, 89% General Surgery, and 86% for ENT. In general, 13400 minutes out of 19080 available min. were used for the surgeries and 1215 min. for turn-over-time or delay between two surgeries. Of the total 53 days, 7 days were used efficiently, 27 days were under-utilized, and 19 days were over-utilized. Data analysis showed that Orthopedics and Ophthalmology rooms were under-utilized, while General Surgery and ENT rooms were over-utilized. Regarding the importance of surgical suites efficiency, calculation of OR utilization could provide valuable and practical information for the managers to efficiently use the hospital resources. Therefore, it is highly recommended to insert the exact start and end time for each surgery in specified software. Further similar studies are suggested with larger records for more effective scheduling of the surgeries and improved OR efficiency.

Motor vehicles are known as an important artificial source of air pollution, where personal cars account for 90% of total consumed energy in transportation system. Human factors have a critical role in car-caused air pollution. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of drivers towards reduction of fuel consumption and control of car-caused air pollution in Yazd.
This cross-sectional descriptive-analytic study was conducted on drivers in Yazd city. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire including demographic variables, driver's knowledge, attitude and practice. A simple random sampling was used and 250 questionnaires were completed. The data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software.
According to obtained results, the driver's knowledge, attitude and practice significantly increase as age increases (P-value>0.05). The average score of the KAP towards reduction of fuel consumption and control of car-caused air pollution was higher in men compared to women. The knowledge of drivers with less than 2 years driving experience was significantly less than others and the attitude score of drivers with more than 5 years driving experience was significantly higher. The score of knowledge of 186 drivers (74.4%) was average, and 161 (64.4%) had an average score of practice towards reduction of fuel consumption and control of car-caused air pollution. There was a statistically positive correlation between the driver's KAP.
Regarding the results of the present study, the driver's knowledge, attitude and practice towards ways of reducing fuel consumption and control of car-caused air pollution was found to be average, hence further education is required.