Document Type : Original Article(s)
Authors
- Mohammad Esmaeil Motlagh 1
- Seiyed Davoud Nasrollahpour Shirvani 2
- Mohammad Reza Maleki 3
- Shahram Tofighi 4
- Mohammad Javad Kabir 5
- Nahid Jafari 6
1 Associate Professor, Pediatrics, Jondishapour University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
2 PhD Student, Health Services Management, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Health Services Management, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Assistant Professor, Health Services Management, Baghiatolah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5 Lecturer, Health Services Management, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
6 Assistant Professor, Social Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: In the current world of business, benefiting from information technology is considered as one of the main factors to develop and improve the performance of organizations. This study was performed to identify access to infrastructures of information technology among the managers and executive experts of health departments in Iranian universities of medical sciences. It also tried to explore the related individual and organizational factors.Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in 2010. Using stratified systematic random sampling, 13 Iranian universities of medical sciences were selected. All available managers and executives in the vice-chancellery of health of the selected universities were interviewed and inquired using census method. A valid and reliable questionnaire was filled out to assess individual and organizational variables. The collected data was analyzed by chi-square, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal Wallis, and Fisher's exact tests and Spearman's correlation coefficient.Results: Among the 293 studied managers and executives, 288 people (98.3%) had computers in their office and 281 people (97%) had access to the Internet. While 30% of the participants were completely satisfied with the Internet speed, 46% were moderately satisfied. The automation system was available for 205 subjects (70%). Having access to the Internet was significantly related with the availability of the automation system (P ≤ 0.045). Satisfaction with the Internet speed had significant relationships with university rankings (P ≤ 0.013), having access to the automation system (P < 0.001), and age (P ≤ 0.015; r = -0.143). Moreover, 220 persons (75%) had active email accounts.Conclusion: We found a good quantity of having access to information technology. Therefore, designing and implementing interventional programs to promote the quality of the provided services seem to be necessary.Keywords: Information Technology; Computers; Internet; Universities.
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