Ahmad Ameryoun

Bio: Ahmad Ameryoun is an academic researcher from Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences. The author has contributed to research in topics: Population & Gini coefficient. The author has an hindex of 9, co-authored 26 publications receiving 226 citations.

Empowering Education: A New Model for In-service Training of Nursing Staff.

Abstract: Introduction: In-service training of nurses plays an indispensablerole in improving the quality of inpatient care. Need to enhancethe effectiveness of in-service training of nurses is an inevitablerequirement. This study attempted to design a new optimal modelfor in-service training of nurses.Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in two stagesduring 2015-2016. In the first stage, the Grounded Theory wasadopted to explore the process of training 35 participating nurses.The sampling was initially purposeful and then theoretically basedon emerging concept. Data were collected through interview,observation and field notes. Moreover, the data were analyzedthrough Corbin-Strauss method and the data were coded throughMAXQDA-10. In the second stage, the findings were employedthrough Walker and Avant’s strategy for theory construction so asto design an optimal model for in-service training of nursing staff.Results: In the first stage, there were five major themes includingunsuccessful mandatory education, empowering education,organizational challenges of education, poor educationalmanagement, and educational-occupational resiliency.Empowering education was the core variable derived from theresearch, based on which a grounded theory was proposed. Thenew empowering education model was composed of self-directedlearning and practical learning. There are several strategiesto achieve empowering education, including the fostering ofsearching skills, clinical performance monitoring, motivationalfactors, participation in the design and implementation, andproblem-solving approach.Conclusion: Empowering education is a new model for in-servicetraining of nurses, which matches the training programs withandragogical needs and desirability of learning among the staff.Owing to its practical nature, the empowering education canfacilitate occupational tasks and achieving greater mastery ofprofessional skills among the nurses.Keywords: Grounded theory; Model; Nurse; Training

The Assessment of Inequality on Geographical Distribution of Non-Cardiac Intensive Care Beds in Iran

Abstract: Background: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the inequality of geographical distribution of noncardiac intensive care beds in Iran using the Gini coefficient. Methods: The population information of Iran’s provinces in 2006 was obtained from The Statistical Center of Iran and the number of non-cardiac intensive care beds (including ICU, PostICU and NICU beds) in all provinces was taken from published information of Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran in the current year. The number of beds per 100,000 populations of each province and the Gini coefficients for each bed were calculated. Results: Iran’s population was 70,495,782. The total number of ICU, PostICU and NICU beds were 3720, 291 and 1129, respectively. Tehran had the highest percentage of each bed among all provinces. The number of each bed was 5.3, 0.4 and 1.6 per 100,000 populations of country, respectively. The calculated Gini coefficients for each bed were 0.17, 0.15 and 0.23, respectively. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that, according to the Gini coefficients, non-cardiac intensive care beds have an almost equal geographical distribution throughout the country. However, the numbers of beds per population are less than other countries. Since such studies can be used as a base for health systems planning about correction of inequality of health services distribution, similar studies in other health care services are recommended which can be conducted at the national or provincial level.

Impact of Game-Based Health Promotion Programs on Body Mass Index in Overweight/Obese Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Abstract: Background: Sedentary lifestyle is growing among children and adolescents that may contribute to problems such as overweight and obesity. Consequently, interventions to improve weight loss in this population are necessary. The aim of this current review was to evaluate the effectiveness of game-based interventions to reduce body mass index (BMI) among children who were overweight or obese. Methods: All randomized controlled trials with a game-based approach for lowering weight in obese/overweight youths aged 5–18 years old were identified from January 2005 to June 2017 across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. Two independent reviewers completed data extraction sheets on information such as sample size, country of origin, age of participants, type of interventions, and BMI change from pre- to posttest. A consensus on collected data was obtained, and a final list of studies meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria was arrived at. Data were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-...

Outpatient and Inpatient Services Satisfaction in Iranian Military Hospitals

Abstract: Results: We found that 96% of the study population was satisfied with clinic services and more than 98% of the respondents were satisfied with inpatient ward services. In clinic services, the satisfaction level in numbering and waiting time, access to the clinic, physical environment, welfare and helping facilities, and personnel and physicians' behavior were 78.2%, 80.6%, 89.1%, 91.2% and 93.6% respectively (P < 0.001). With regard to inpatient services, the satisfaction level of patients with physician services, nursing routine services, behavior of nurses, nutritional condition, welfare facilities, reception unit services, discharge unit services and accounting unit services were 94.7%, 91.9%, 91.9%, 91.5%, 91.5%, 91.2%, 90.8% and 88.2%, respectively (P = 0.013). Conclusions: On the basis of the findings, most respondents reported having a favorable satisfaction with clinic and hospital health services. However, planning to reduce patient's waiting time in clinics and training physicians to offer more instructions to the patients seems necessary. Since discharge and accounting unit services had the lowest satisfaction levels of inpatients services, responsible managers must have special attention to these official processes.

Prioritization of Factors Affecting Time Management among Health Managers

Abstract: Introduction: In today's world, having principle and targeted management is one of the progress and development factors of any organization. Effective use of time for each manager is the most important base for managing current affairs and controlling daily activities. The present study aimed to investigate and analyze the relationship between factors affecting time management among the senior, middle and first-line managers of the hospitals in Kermanshah in 2015. Methods: This was a cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study conducted in 2015 in ten hospitals of Kermanshah. The study population consisted of all senior, middle and first-line managers of the studied hospitals (N=240) which were selected using census method. The required data were collected using a researcher-made pair-wise comparison questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using the DEMATEL technique through Matlab8.1.0.604 software. Results: The results showed that, from the studied managers’ viewpoints, the variables of goal setting and prioritization of objectives and activities were certainly affecting variables and located in the cause group. Also, the variables of planning, delegation, communication management, and meetings management were affected variables and located in the effect group. Furthermore, in the hierarchy of affecting and affected variables influencing time management, goal setting and meetings management with the coordinates (1.23, 1.23) and (1.06, -1.05) were identified as the highest and lowest priorities and were considered as the most affecting and most affected variables, respectively. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that among the studied variables influencing time management, goal setting was the highest priority and most affecting variable, and meetings management was the lowest priority and the most affected variable. It is recommended to increase the hospital managers’ knowledge about time management and the need for accurate goal setting through providing management and time management courses, and requiring them to develop a time management plan in order to improve their time management.

Organization and management.

Abstract: Organization and Management is a comprehensive text and is structured to meet the syllabi requirements of various universities and professional institutes, particularly the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. It fills the need for a systematically-organised quality text, written in an easy-to-read style. It adopts the basic approach of treating an organization as a system and management as an art. It presents concepts and principles as guides for management and not as rules of thumb, and emphasizes the need for managers to relate decisions to operating situations.

Multi-expert performance evaluation of healthcare institutions using an integrated intuitionistic fuzzy AHP&DEA methodology

Abstract: Healthcare management and healthcare industry have been one of the popular and complex topics that many researchers and professionals have focused on. This paper proposes a new multi-expert fuzzy approach integrating intuitionistic fuzzy Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and intuitionistic fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (IF-AHP) for solving the performance evaluation problem of healthcare institutions. In this paper, intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFS) have been preferred since they simultaneously provide information on the membership, non-membership, and hesitancy functions. A real life problem is demonstrated to validate the proposed methodology. A total number of 16 hospitals operating in Istanbul have been analyzed based on a broad set of inputs and outputs. Then, a comparison with crisp DEA has been performed.

Unintended Pregnancy and Its Adverse Social and Economic Consequences on Health System: A Narrative Review Article

Abstract: Unintended pregnancy is among the most troubling public health problems and a major reproductive health issue worldwide imposing appreciable socioeconomic burden on individuals and society. Governments generally plan to control growth of births (especially wanted births as well as orphans and illegitimate births) imposing extra burden on public funding of the governments which inevitably affects economic efficiency and leads to economic slowdown, too. The present narrative review focuses on socioeconomic impacts of unintended pregnancy from the health system perspective. Follow of Computerized searches of Academic, 53 scientific journals were found in various databases including PubMed, EMBASE, ISI, Iranian databases, IPPE, UNFPA (1985-2013). Original articles, review articles, published books about the purpose of the paper were used. During this search, 20 studies were found which met the inclusion criteria. Unintended pregnancy is one of the most critical challenges facing the public health system that imposes substantial financial and social costs on society. On the other hand, affecting fertility indicators, it causes reduced quality of life and workforce efficiency. Therefore lowering the incidence of intended pregnancies correlates with elevating economic growth, socio-economic development and promoting public health. Regarding recent policy changes in Iran on family planning programs and adopting a new approach in increasing population may place the country at a higher risk of increasing the rate of unintended pregnancy. Hence, all governmental plans and initiatives of public policy must be regulated intelligently and logically aiming to make saving in public spending and reduce healthcare cost inflation.