Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Lecturer, Medical Records Education, School of ParaMedicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran (Corresponding Author) Email: nmirabootalebi@hums.ac.ir

2 Associate Professor, Health Information Management, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Health Care Management, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

4 Lecturer, Biostatistics, School of Paramedicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran

5 Medical Records Education, Health Management and Economics Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Recording the reasons of death especially its underlying causes are considered to be the
most important data in modifying health-care programs of countries. Therefore, a comprehensive
computer system, related databases is necessary in analyzing and understanding the main processes in
health-care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the electronic death registration system in Iran based on
its requirements.
Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical study conducted in 2011 in 12 medical universities of Iran.
The study population consisted of two groups of users and officials of the electronic death registration
system in medical sciences universities of our country (n = 50). The data collection Tools of this study is a
researcher-constructed questionnaire based on the Likert scale, and a checklist. The questionnaire was
based on 3 requirements (user requirements, general requirements, and security requirements). The
checklist was designed to assess technical requirements. The validity of the questionnaire was approved
by the content validity method (opinions of teachers and scholars of health information management and
computer sciences). Its reliability was approved using Cronbach’s alpha. Data analysis was conducted by
SPSS statistical software version 20 and descriptive statistics.
Results: 84.6%, 75.7%, 40.9% of users and experts of medical sciences universities, type 1, respectively
approved the existence of user, general, and security requirements. 34.8%, 66.7%, and 22.7% in type 2,
and 35.7%, 33.3%, and 20.7% in type 3 universities, respectively, approved the existence of user, general,
and security requirements. Moreover, technical requirements are approved by 64.7% of software experts.
According to these results, with a mean of 51.7% in user requirements, 58.5% general requirements, and
64.7% technical requirements the electronic death registration system is at an acceptable level. However,
it is at a weak level in terms of security requirements (28.1%).
Conclusion: Weak results of the security requirements show the inefficiency of this system’s software.
Therefore, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education should plan to improve the performance of this
software in terms of security requirements.

Keywords

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