Mahboobeh Hojati; Vajiheh Hojati; Asadolah Shams
Abstract
Introduction: Today, the implementation of electronic health records has caused great changes in the implementation of health industry services. Experts believe that use of electronic health records is the appropriate way to improve the quality of health services and reduce medical faults. Accordingly, ...
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Introduction: Today, the implementation of electronic health records has caused great changes in the implementation of health industry services. Experts believe that use of electronic health records is the appropriate way to improve the quality of health services and reduce medical faults. Accordingly, this study endeavored to determine the role of electronic health records in quality of services of health centers in Najafabad City, Iran.Methods: This observational study was cross-sectional in terms of time. The population included the recipients of Najafabad health network services. 400 individuals were selected via Morgan table, and the quality (accuracy) of services, speed of service delivery, waiting time, and service continuity (percentage of services provided) were recorded for them in paper and electronically. Data were analyzed using t and ANOVA tests.Results: The comparison of paper and electronic services revealed that with the implementation of electronic health records, there had been no change in the speed of service delivery and continuity; however, it reduced the quality (accuracy) of the services provided and increased the waiting time for receiving services.Conclusion: The two factors of speed of service delivery and waiting time have fundamental role in the satisfaction of service recipients; the implementation of electronic health records has not changed speed of service delivery, but has increased waiting time. Plans should be made to reduce waiting time and increase recipient satisfaction.
Hamed Fallah-Tafti; Mahdieh Zahmatkesh-Saredorahi
Abstract
Introduction: Many cities in Iran have specialized human resources and appropriate medical facilities, and have the potential to attract tourists. What is essential in realizing these capacities is the recognition of tourists' mental image of the potentials of therapeutic tourism destinations. The purpose ...
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Introduction: Many cities in Iran have specialized human resources and appropriate medical facilities, and have the potential to attract tourists. What is essential in realizing these capacities is the recognition of tourists' mental image of the potentials of therapeutic tourism destinations. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting the development of therapeutic tourism.Methods: The study was a descriptive survey in Tehran, Iran, during summer and autumn of 2018 and winter of 2019. First, 38 factors influencing the development of therapeutic tourism were identified, and then by Delphi method, 34 factors were identified for formulating a questionnaire. With the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, a sample of 432 health tourists in Tehran with a history of frequent referral were selected randomly. Data analysis was performed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis methods.Results: By factor analysis, six main components were identified as factors affecting the development of therapeutic tourism. The factors affecting the development of tourism were as the quantity of health services (human resources and facilities available), quality of health services, living conditions, amenities and tourism, socio-cultural characteristics, advertising, and information.Conclusion: Despite the importance of quantity and quality of health services, due to the increasing demand for travel, patients traveling to receive treatment need more services, and consider the level of service development in different aspects. One-dimensional attention to the expansion of health care cannot guarantee the development of this type of tourism, and the supply of other tourist needs, such as recreation, favorable living conditions, and pleasant memories, is a sufficient condition for development.
Zahra Yavari; Majid Mohammad-Shafiee; Fatemeh Ghauor
Abstract
Introduction: Nowadays, health care organizations face many challenges in terms of service quality. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the quality of services in these organizations. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of service of specialized clinics in Shiraz City, Iran, using SERVQUAL model ...
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Introduction: Nowadays, health care organizations face many challenges in terms of service quality. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the quality of services in these organizations. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of service of specialized clinics in Shiraz City, Iran, using SERVQUAL model and specify the effects of service quality on the responses of service recipients during 2016.Methods: This was a descriptive research and the study population included all customers of 6 specialized medical clinics in Shiraz City. The sample size was determined to be 201, using stratified sampling. The data-gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire and the data were analyzed using structural equations modeling.Results: There was a congruity between customer expectations and perceptions of clinic performance in terms of the dimensions of service quality (tangibles, assurance, empathy, reliability, and responsiveness). In addition, the impact of service quality of these clinics on the reactions of service recipients was confirmed. This effect could explain 83 percent of service recipients’ reactions.Conclusion: Data analysis confirmed this model. Clinics managers using this model will be able to evaluate the quality of service, specify its effect on service recipients’ responses, and make plans for improvement of weaknesses.
Fatemeh Fahimnia; Mahboobeh Momtazan
Abstract
Introduction: Health literacy has been attended by UNESCO and all human societies from years ago. Due to the importance of this kind of literacy in individual and society health status, many studies have been conducted on the development of this type of literacy in various fields of health and medicine. ...
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Introduction: Health literacy has been attended by UNESCO and all human societies from years ago. Due to the importance of this kind of literacy in individual and society health status, many studies have been conducted on the development of this type of literacy in various fields of health and medicine. Self-efficacy can help the people to promote their health literacy, and on the other hand, is related to the ability of individuals to maintain their own, family, and community health. This study reviewed the self-efficacy of health literacy and affecting factors in previous studies.Methods: The present study used a far-reaching approach to analyze the findings of qualitative studies on health literacy. After identifying the keywords and searching the internal and external databases including Magiran, Scientific Information Database (SID), and PubMed, 649 articles were found. By reviewing articles and applying language, years, and study type filters 25 papers were selected, and the categories were extracted using Shannon's table and Cohen's Kappa coefficient.Results: Codes were classified into three categories and eight concepts. The category of psychological factors included three concepts of self-management, individual skills, and social skills, the category of communication components included two concepts of communication and health information exchange, and the category of educational factors included three concepts of educational content and resources, educational barriers and constraints, and educational effectiveness. Codes such as self-efficacy, self-management, awareness of disease symptoms, and awareness of preventive measures had the most prevalence among various categories.Conclusion: In this study, factors affecting the self-efficacy of health literacy were identified, that could be used to plan effective health literacy training programs to promote health status.
Masoud Ferdosi; Mohammad Reza Rezayatmand; Abbas Feizbakhsh; Hamid Reza Dehghani; Golnoosh Aghili-Dehkordi
Abstract
Consuming medical services is labeled as utilization. Utilization studies are used by insurance companies to study the behavior of medical service consumers. Currently, insurance companies focus more on caregivers' behavior, and neglect the consumers’ side. This was a narrative review study carried ...
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Consuming medical services is labeled as utilization. Utilization studies are used by insurance companies to study the behavior of medical service consumers. Currently, insurance companies focus more on caregivers' behavior, and neglect the consumers’ side. This was a narrative review study carried out in year 2018 to emphasize the necessity of utilization reviews and their importance. In this study, we used ProQuest, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science databases without any time limitation. We chose 50 articles and reviewed them to found 5 essential questions about utilization reviews, and their importance, differences, and challenges, as well as factors affecting them. Our study revealed that having standardized data formats for service providers, integrated data pools, and relevant software sensitive to unusual service consumers, facilitate the utilization review studies.
Seyed Mohammadbagher Jafari; Gholamreza Jandaghi; Sahar Rafiee
Abstract
Introduction: Despite the vast benefits of Iran in the field of medical tourism, the number of tourists entering the country for medical reasons is still negligible. The aim of this study was to identify and prioritize the factors affecting the choice of medical tourism destination.Methods: This was ...
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Introduction: Despite the vast benefits of Iran in the field of medical tourism, the number of tourists entering the country for medical reasons is still negligible. The aim of this study was to identify and prioritize the factors affecting the choice of medical tourism destination.Methods: This was a descriptive study using survey method. The study population consisted of experts familiar with the subject of medical tourism, among which a sample of 12 individuals was selected. A questionnaire was used to measure the importance and priority of the extracted factors influencing the selection of medical tourism destination. Data analysis was performed by utilizing analytical hierarchy process (AHP).Results: Twenty-four indicators in four dimensions were identified, affecting the choice of medical tourism destination. Among the identified dimensions, the medical technology was more important than the other dimensions.Conclusion: According to the importance level, the affecting factors on the choice of medical tourism destination are medical technology, staff and treatment process, economic dimensions, and tourism dimensions. Paying attention to these factors and indicators for each of them will increase the attractively of medical tourism to Iran.
Azarnoush Ansari; Farzaneh Mohammadi
Volume 13, Issue 4 , November 2016, , Pages 297-303
Abstract
Introduction: The special brand equity is an important factor in marketing of health services especially in hospitals. The aim of the current study was to provide a model for evaluating the brand equity in Isfahan city hospitals, Iran.Methods: In this descriptive correlational survey, data were gathered ...
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Introduction: The special brand equity is an important factor in marketing of health services especially in hospitals. The aim of the current study was to provide a model for evaluating the brand equity in Isfahan city hospitals, Iran.Methods: In this descriptive correlational survey, data were gathered using a questionnaire. The reliability and the content validity of the questionnaire were proved through the methods of Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.91) and factor analysis, respectively. The study was done in 10 medical centers in Isfahan city in 2015. The number of questionnaires was 380 including 24 questions. SPSS software was used for describing the demographic variables and Amos software was used for approving the fitting of model with structured equations.Results: Hospital brand equity was directly affected by ‘satisfaction’, ‘experience’ and ‘loyalty’ of patients to the hospital brand. The factor of ‘loyalty’ with the impact of 0.91 played the most important role in enhancing hospital brand equity. ‘Trust’, ‘tendency to maintain the relations’ and ‘commitment’ were the other factors which positively affected making patients ‘loyal’. The factor of ‘pervious experiences’ had no significant impact on loyalty to hospital. The result of fitting model with the index of goodness of fit index (GFI) = 0.955, normed fit index (NFI) = 0.930, and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.071 showed validity of the proposed model for evaluating the hospital brand equity.Conclusion: According to the results, since enhancing patients’ loyalty and trust on service quality and increasing their commitment to maintain the relations with hospital are effective in hospital’s special brand equity, necessary actions should be done in order to reinforce and promote these variables. In addition, appropriate strategies should be considered in hospital policy in order to have better and more effective relations with patients during hospitalization and after discharging from hospital.
Hoda Moradi; Maryam Razavi
Volume 13, Issue 1 , May 2016, , Pages 11-18
Abstract
Introduction: The queue is one of the most complex social systems in which human lives are inevitably associated with the activities of organizations. Due to the characteristics of healthcare organizations and the critical role that planning plays in such organizations, research in this regard ...
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Introduction: The queue is one of the most complex social systems in which human lives are inevitably associated with the activities of organizations. Due to the characteristics of healthcare organizations and the critical role that planning plays in such organizations, research in this regard can be of great help. This paper was an attempt to demonstrate the role and use of the branches of the operations research discipline in healthcare centers. Methods: The current research was a cross-sectional study conducted on 2614 patients referred to the paraclinic ward of Hafez Hospital, Shiraz, Iran. In order to collect data, the patient code, time of arrival, work start time, serving start and end time were recorded with the help of staff and two assistants at the time of arrival of the patients. Then, modeling and optimization of patient flow were conducted using queues and simulation techniques. The data was analyzed using SPSS software and Input Analyzer Software and the system was simulated using Arena software. Results: The results showed that 30% of the patients no longer wished to be referred back to the center. The findings also revealed that there was a significant difference between the standard waiting time and the time spent in the hospital to recive a service. Among the 6 different scenarios, the mixed scenario reduced waiting time of the first service for sonography patients to 75.04 minutes and for radiology patients to 65.573 minutes. Conclusion: The results showed that the suggested model, in comparison to the current model of health centers, can improve the quality of services and reduce the duration of time patients must wait until receiving the first service.
Ali Kazemi; Ali Asadi; Javad Khazaei Pool
Volume 12, Issue 3 , June 2015, , Pages 347-355
Abstract
Introduction: Patients perceived price fairness for the service provided an important element of marketing hospitals or health care provider organizations. To establish a fair system of pay for performance in a healthy market, a stable income and high performance centers is essential. The aim of this ...
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Introduction: Patients perceived price fairness for the service provided an important element of marketing hospitals or health care provider organizations. To establish a fair system of pay for performance in a healthy market, a stable income and high performance centers is essential. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of perceived price fairness on satisfaction and loyalty through the services offered price acceptance the city's private hospitals.Methods: This research according to purpose is the application and the descriptive – survey based on structural equation model. The study population consisted of patients (customers) of the private medical centers in the Isfahan city that questionnaires are randomly distributed among the 345 people of these customers. Tool for data collection was based on standard questionnaire these validity and reliability were confirm based at expert and Cronbach’s alph. Method for data collecting was randomly classified and kind of result analysis was based on critical value and fitness index. In addition, the data were analyzed using SPSS18 and Amos 20.Results: The results is supporting of the effect of perceived price fairness on customer satisfaction (β= 0.48) and loyalty (β= 0.34). The data analysis showed that customer satisfaction (β= 0.39) and loyalty (β= 0.42) are two factors to predicting for price acceptance.conclusion: Regarding the effect of perceived price fairness on satisfaction, loyalty and acceptance price of medical services provided by the centers, it is recommended that the management of this center have required considering and comprehensive the price health care provided and as possible by providing marketing guidelines providing feel the price acceptance for patients through Satisfaction and loyalty.
Majid Goodarzi; Masoud Taghvaei; Ali Zangiabadi
Volume 11, Issue 4 , November 2014, , Pages 485-496
Abstract
Introduction: Medical tourism refers to an international phenomenon of an individual’s travel in which most tourists travel long to access to treatment-therapeutic services who because of high cost, long waits, lacking in insurance, and use of services and lack of access to health services in the ...
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Introduction: Medical tourism refers to an international phenomenon of an individual’s travel in which most tourists travel long to access to treatment-therapeutic services who because of high cost, long waits, lacking in insurance, and use of services and lack of access to health services in the destination. domestic medical tourism also refers to the domestic travels of patients in pursuing better specialists, cheaper services with higher quality. This kind of travel is directly related to medical issues Methods: The dominating approach in the present study is developmental-applied and the method is analytical and survey study. The population includes domestic medical tourists (from other provinces) who traveled to Shiraz and according to the Statistical Center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, they were 70000. In the present study, to calculate the sample size of tourists, Cochrane Method was used. Concerning the population in the present study, the sample size which was calculated using Cochrane Method, for the domestic tourists 382 samples were identified, which because of more validity and reliability, it increases to 400 samples. The questionnaires were completed by the domestic medical tourists after achieving credibility and having reliability of 87% measured using Cronbach alpha. To measure the validity of questionnaires, they were given to some faculty members and professors including the supervisor and advisor of the thesis and their ideas and suggestions were employed. Some of the questions were deleted and also some others were added as suggested by the professors. In addition, some of them were modified. To analyze the data and test the research hypothesis, the linear Pearson correlation, multi variant regression and ANOVA were used. The statistical analysis was done by SPSS 19.0 software. Results: There was a significant correlation (p< 0.05) between the price treatment and tourist services, the quality of treatment and tourist services, culture, facilities, treatment and tourist equipment, ICT with the development of medical tourism in megalopolis Shiraz. Also, there was difference between medical tourists from various provinces regarding satisfaction with (price, quality, culture, facilities, equipment, and ICT). Conclusion: Untangling the price of medical and tourist services, enhancing the quality of medical and treatment services, increasing and enhancing the culture of attracting tourists, applying facilitates, treatment and tourist facilities and equipment having high technology and international standards, and applying ITC in order to advertise and market in the medical and tourist fields results in improving and enhancing medical tourism in megalopolis Shiraz.
Javad Zarei; Amir Abbas Azizi; Khosro Keshavarz; Elham Seyavashi
Abstract
Introduction: Every year, the considerable amounts of hospital income are deducted by the insurance organizations as deductions. The aim of this study was to survey the deductions applied by medical services and social security insurances organizations on bills of teaching hospitals affiliated to Ahvaz ...
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Introduction: Every year, the considerable amounts of hospital income are deducted by the insurance organizations as deductions. The aim of this study was to survey the deductions applied by medical services and social security insurances organizations on bills of teaching hospitals affiliated to Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This is cross-sectional study which was conducted in 2009-2010. All of the bills sent by five teaching hospitals affiliated to Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, to medical services and social security insurance organizations in years 2008-2009 were studied. Instrument for data gathering was checklists designed according to the bills sent to insurance organization. The Checklist validity was confirmed by expert's opinions. Data analyzed by using descriptive statistics in SPSS software. Results: The total deduction for outpatient and inpatient bills applied by Medical Services Insurance organization was 6.62 %. The total deduction for outpatient and inpatient bills applied by Social Security Insurance was 4.9%. In comparison, the deductions of inpatient hospital bills were more than outpatient hospital bills (6.99% to 3.36%). Conclusion: Results showed that although small percentage of accounts involves deductions but the low amount of this deduction had significant financial imposes to hospitals. Thus, planning to reduce deductions is recommended by the Universities of Medical Sciences. Keywords: Insurance; Social Security; Health Services; Hospitals
Masoud Taghvaie; Elaheh Zakeri
Volume 10, Issue 4 , November 2013, , Pages 581-591
Abstract
Introduction: In most cities, the proportional allocation of space, the optimal switching elements and services Physical and city services, especially health services (hospitals and clinics) and factors affecting the location of these centers, increasing urban problems for citizens. Our aim in this paper ...
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Introduction: In most cities, the proportional allocation of space, the optimal switching elements and services Physical and city services, especially health services (hospitals and clinics) and factors affecting the location of these centers, increasing urban problems for citizens. Our aim in this paper was to determine the allocation of health care services in deprived areas is the priority. Methods: Analytical methodology was used and the population of research was the health services centers (hospitals and clinics) at Isfahan in 2011. Field method is used for data collection. The possibilities of using geographic information system (GIS) and the radius of the function a land spatial distribution of hospitals, clinics and analysis-analyzing data and using the overlap index was attempted in this city. And finally to rank areas of the tactics used Tapsis Results: The differences between the three regions of Isfahan in hospital services and clinics there. Conclusion: Results showed that the services in Isfahan are adequate, but there is not good spatial distribution. . Keywords: Geographic Information Systems; Health Services; Hospitals
Saeed Karimi; Mahmood Keyvanara; Mohsen Hosseini; Marzie Jafarian; elahe khorasani
Volume 10, Issue 6 , December 2012, , Pages 862-875
Abstract
Introduction: Health literacy is the degree to which people understand the health information and can operate in the health care system. Consequences of low health literacy occur both directly and indirectly. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine health literacy, health status and health ...
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Introduction: Health literacy is the degree to which people understand the health information and can operate in the health care system. Consequences of low health literacy occur both directly and indirectly. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine health literacy, health status and health services utilization and their relationships in adults in Isfahan. Methods: This study was a descriptive analytical survey on 300 (18-64 years old) people in Isfahan, multi stage sampling was performed. For collecting the data, questionnaire adapted from CHAP (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) health literacy questionnaire was used. Health status was measured by self-assessment of physical and mental health over the last 6 months. Health services utilization was asked by six areas that include the number of GP visits, number of special physician visits, number of outpatient or clinic visits, number of the emergency department visits, number of diagnostic services use of the last 3 months and the hospitalization in the past year. For data analysis SPSS18 software, descriptive statistics and Chi-square test was used. Results: Average health literacy score was 2.4, which was moderate. The average health status score was 3.1, which was good and the average health services utilization score was 2.1, which was weak. Health literacy, health status and health care utilization were not statistically significant. Levels of education and place of residence were effective on health services utilization. Conclusion: According to the average prevalence of health literacy in adults in Isfahan and low health services utilization, more attention to the improvement of health literacy and doctor-patient relationship and awareness of community through health programs and media was recommended. Keywords: Health Literacy; Health Status; Health Services; Utilization
Amir Ashkan Nasiripour; Pouran Raeissi; Mohammad Reza Maleki; Mohammad Javad Akbarian Bafghi
Volume 9, Issue 7 , December 2012, , Pages 1158-1168
Abstract
Introduction: The mixed marketing is an important issue in providing the healthcare that the healthcareprovider organizations need it to survive in the contemporary era and have more market shares, revenueand to increase customer service efficiency and effectiveness. The present study aimed to provide ...
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Introduction: The mixed marketing is an important issue in providing the healthcare that the healthcareprovider organizations need it to survive in the contemporary era and have more market shares, revenueand to increase customer service efficiency and effectiveness. The present study aimed to provide apractical model of the factors influencing the mixed marketing in Iranian public hospitals.Methods: This was an applied and analytical study. Considering the field of health care services, 7PService Marketing Mix Model of "Booms and Bitner" was used and the conceptual research model wasdetermined. The dimensions of conceptual model were in the seven dimensions that included theproduction (services), price, place, promotion, physical evidence, processes and peoples. Then, using thelibrary studies, the variables relevant to each dimension were collected. Data collection tool was aquestionnaire that regulated base on five-item Likert scale. The research community was formed frompublic and private hospital administrators in Tehran, and experts of Ministry of Health and MedicalEducation. Data analysis was done through Lisrel version 8.50 and SPSS version 18 and using exploratoryand confirmatory factor analysis.Results: The fit indexes of Lisrel confirmed and acknowledged the healthcare mixed marketing modelwith seven dimensions. The dimensions that had the greatest impact included the place with factor of 0.82and six components affecting it. The price with factor of 0.81 and eight components affecting it were alsoidentified. Meanwhile, other aspects of the research in terms of impact were identified: i.e. "services" withnine components, "promotion" with eight components, "physical evidences" with ten components,"peoples" with eight components and "process" with six components.Conclusion: Healthcare centers can use the mixed marketing service model with confirmed sevendimensions in marketing management through concentration on place and price.
Amir Ashkan Nasiripour; Mohammad Ali Afshar Kazemi; Ahmad Reza Izadi
Volume 9, Issue 7 , December 2012
Abstract
Introduction: Balanced scorecard is one of the most successful and widely used models of performance assessment in healthcare organizations, especially in hospitals. The model is a framework for designing a set of performance measures for organization strategies. The study was conducted aiming ...
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Introduction: Balanced scorecard is one of the most successful and widely used models of performance assessment in healthcare organizations, especially in hospitals. The model is a framework for designing a set of performance measures for organization strategies. The study was conducted aiming to yield a performance assessment model for Iranian social security hospitals with balanced scorecard approach. Methods: In this adaptive and descriptive research, 11 theory and practical models of balanced scorecard with successful experiences were studied. A model for Iranian social security hospitals was designed. A questionnaire was designed as a data collection tool. It was validated using expert's survey in Delphimethod. Reliability coefficient for this questionnaire was relatively high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94). Independent t-test was used to identify significance of expert responses. Results: The mean score of experts opinion about the proposed model was 4.02 (out of 5) for mission statement and 4.5 for continuous improvement in healthcare quality and safety policy, 4.66 for optimization of current resources and facilities utilization, 4.66 for team working for satisfying ourpatients/clients policy, and 4.32 for responsible for environment and employee health and safety policy. The mean score was 11.66 for clinical perspective, and 11.5 for patient perspective, 11.66 for internal processes perspective, 10.78 for financial perspective and 11.46 for employee growth perspective. Totally, 27 measures were designed for these perspectives one of which was excluded. Conclusion: The model can be implemented in one or all the social security hospitals and also can be used for comparing the performance of the hospitals. Because of the dynamic nature of the balanced scorecard, the model is a flexible framework that could be adjusted by local situations based on differences in targets.
Sogand Torani; Mohammad Khammarnia; Bahram Delgoshaei,
Volume 8, Issue 6 , January and February 2012, , Pages 785-794
Abstract
Introduction: The rate of access to health care is known as the main index of community health. Teleconsultation is defined as using comminuting equipments to connect physicians and patients. This study aimed to survey the readiness of specialized hospitals to implement teleconsultation, focusing ...
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Introduction: The rate of access to health care is known as the main index of community health. Teleconsultation is defined as using comminuting equipments to connect physicians and patients. This study aimed to survey the readiness of specialized hospitals to implement teleconsultation, focusing on manpower readiness, as well as communicational equipments and procedures. Methods: The present descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 2010. Research population consisted of hospital management unit, information technology (IT) unit, matron, supervisors, etc. The research sample included 106 top and middle managers of the studied hospitals. Data was collected by a self-developed questionnaire that researcher. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire was determined by the researcher. Data was analyzed by SPSS. Results: Among the 8 studied hospitals, 4 cases scored more than average (29). Hasheminezhad Hospital was in the best condition than the other hospitals in the study. In addition, Hasheminezhad and Shahid Fahmide Hospitals scored higher than average on awareness of managers and required standards. Conclusion: Implementation of teleconsultation could facilitate community accessibility to health services. It would also lead to a considerable reduction in health expenditures. Therefore, hospitals are suggested to do the necessary interventions for establishing teleconsultation network.
