A Qualitative Study on Health Experts’ Utilization Pattern of Medical Images

• Main Authors: M Kiani, Y Mansourian
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: Iran University of Medical Sciences 2015-01-01
• Series: مدیریت سلامت
• Subjects: Medical Sciences Experts; Visual Information; Grounded Theory
• Online Access: http://jha.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1643-en.html

Introduction: In health sector, image functions as a form of document that can convey a considerable amount of information. Employing this type of information can increase the effectiveness of the performance of medical experts. This study aimed to survey how health experts use medical images in their practice. Methods: This applied qualitative study was carried out in 1392 (2013). The study population constituted 25 medical experts from 17 disciplines in basic sciences and clinical sciences at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interview and were analyzed based on the Grounded Theory approach. Results: Participants described various advantages for using images. They considered image as a kind of document that can convey a maximum amount of information in a minimum amount of time. These experts considered images as an integral part of medical education especially in the way images can objectify various concepts. Among content and structural features, color attraction and three-dimensional structure of images as well as the attractiveness of the texts were found to be effective in practice. Conclusion: As the experts understand the significance of images as part of medical education and for this reason, they emphasize using them in their teaching, research, and treatment activities. Keywords: Medical Sciences Experts, Visual Information, Grounded Theory