Designing a new paradigm for evaluating Iranian medical record departments

• Main Authors: R Safdari, Z Meidani, A Hajavi, M Ghazi Saeedi, R Sharifian
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: Iran University of Medical Sciences 2007-04-01
• Series: مدیریت سلامت
• Subjects: Model; Evaluation; Medical record; Medical sciences universities; Iran.
• Online Access: http://jha.iums.ac.ir/article-1-69-en.html

Introduction: According the studies that revealed the absence of specific and applied appropriate standards related to medical records, incompatibility of medical record departments with standards are prevalent, and also according consensus opinions of Iranian experts -wide universities of medical sciences on medical records activities, conducting a research on determining, confirming, and approving medical records standards and finding an evaluation mechanism and appropriate tools according to pioneer countries and through the national appears to be necessary. Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, we collected performance standards, evaluation mechanisms, and evaluation checklist for health information (medical record) of USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Lebanon, Zambia, and Southern Africa through the email, literature review, Fax and Internet. Also we asked views of faculty members of medical record departments in 17 Iranian universities and Health Deputy experts about evaluation of medical record departments through a questionnaire related to proposed model (2005- 2006). Results: Our findings showed that maximum agreements were focused on staffing and directing standards (66/7%). Staff development and education standards accounted for the minimum agreements (52/67%). More than 50% of experts believed that the current evaluation system is not desired and 99% were agreed on developing special sub- committees. Nearly all of experts (96/9%) agreed on adopting self-assessment process before on-site survey. Conclusion: Consensus of some medical records experts and faculty members to proposed model for medical records evaluation standards -despite availability of medical record standards determined by Iran Ministry of Health- should be attributed to shortcoming in available standards, evaluation mechanisms, and evaluation checklist.