Hadis Ashrafizadeh, Mahmood Maniati, Mohammad Adineh, Nasrin Elahi, Shahram Molavynejad, Safa Najafi,
Volume 5, Issue 4 (Autumn 2019)
Abstract
Background: As an essential principle, the collective life of human beings can constitute a human society only when human rights are respected. Demanding and respecting the rights of patients, as an inevitable part of human society, requires familiarity with patient-involved individuals. The present study aimed to determine the awareness level of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS) students about the Charter of Patients’ Rights (CPR).
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 200 senior university students who had been in contact with patients during their undergraduate program. They were invited from different faculties of the university. The data collection tool was a two-section questionnaire. The first section covered the demographic information, and the second included 29 questions about the 5 principles of the CPR. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS by descriptive statistics, and analytical tests, including Independent Samples t-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Spearman’s correlation coefficient.
Results: From the 200 study participants, 103 (51%) were female. The Mean±SD of students’ awareness was 14.50±2.3. The highest and lowest mean scores belonged to the areas of access to services and confidentiality. There was no statistically significant difference between the awareness score of students from different faculties (P=0.359).
Conclusion: This study results suggested that the awareness level of the medical students about the CPR was unsatisfactory. Instituting ethical codes among students and providing them knowledge of their professional lives is an essential part of the university’s responsibilities.
Laleh Raygan, Simin Jahani, Nasrin Elahi, Elham Maraghi, Mohammad Fakoor, Safa Najafi,
Volume 9, Issue 4 (Autumn 2023)
Abstract
Background: People with knee osteoarthritis have a low quality of life due to joint pain and stiffness, severely limiting their daily activities. This study aims to investigate the impact of self-acupressure on the pain, joint stiffness, and physical functioning of patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 78 patients aged 50 to 70 with knee osteoarthritis, referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital and private orthopedic clinics in Ahvaz City, Iran, in 2018. The patients were recruited based on the inclusion criteria and then randomly assigned to three groups: self-acupressure (n=26), sham (n=26), and control (n=26). Patients in the intervention group applied daily self-acupressure to 5 specific points around their knees for 8 consecutive weeks. The sham group applied pressure on the points different from those used by the intervention group. The control group received no intervention. The study data were collected using the Western Ontario and McMaster osteoarthritis index (WOMAC), visual analog scale (VAS), and a checklist for daily recordings of pain medication. The obtained data were analyzed using the chi-square test and analysis of variance in SPSS software, version 20. The significance level was set at P<0.05.
Results: The comparison of changes within the group showed that the intensity of pain in the intervention group decreased over time (P<0.0001). Also, the joint stiffness, physical functioning, and total WOMAC score significantly decreased in the intervention group (P<0.0001). The frequency of analgesic use was also reduced in the intervention group over time (P=0.026).
Conclusion: According to the results, self-acupressure effectively reduces the intensity of pain and joint stiffness and improves the physical performance of older adults with knee osteoarthritis. Overall, this easy and affordable intervention is recommended for this group.
