Health Information and Communication System for Emergency Management in a Developing Country,Iran |
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Authors: | Seyed Hesam Seyedin Hamid R Jamali |
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Institution: | (1) School of Health Services and Information Management, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;(2) Department of Library and Information Studies, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Tarbiat Moallem University, No 49, Mofateh Ave, P.O. Box 15614, Tehran, Iran |
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Abstract: | Disasters are fortunately rare occurrences. However, accurate and timely information and communication are vital to adequately
prepare individual health organizations for such events. The current article investigates the health related communication
and information systems for emergency management in Iran. A mixed qualitative and quantitative methodology was used in this
study. A sample of 230 health service managers was surveyed using a questionnaire and 65 semi-structured interviews were also
conducted with public health and therapeutic affairs managers who were responsible for emergency management. A range of problems
were identified including fragmentation of information, lack of local databases, lack of clear information strategy and lack
of a formal system for logging disaster related information at regional or local level. Recommendations were made for improving
the national emergency management information and communication system. The findings have implications for health organizations
in developing and developed countries especially in the Middle East. Creating disaster related information databases, creating
protocols and standards, setting an information strategy, training staff and hosting a center for information system in the
Ministry of Health to centrally manage and share the data could improve the current information system. |
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Keywords: | |
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