ContextIn spite of the high prevalence and consequences of much workplace violence against emergency medical services personnel, this phenomenon has been given insufficient attention. A systematic review can aid the development of guidelines to reduce violence.ObjectivesThe research question addressed by this paper is, “What are the characteristics and findings of studies on workplace violence against emergency medical services personnel”?Data SourcesA systematic literature review was conducted using online databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Magiran) with the help of experienced librarians.Study SelectionInclusion criteria comprised studies in the English or Persian language and researcher’s access to the full text. There was no limit to the entry of the study design. Exclusion criteria included lack of access to the full text of the article, studies published in unreliable journals or conferences, and studies in which the results were shared with other medical or relief groups and there was no possibility of breaking down the results.Data ExtractionA “Data extraction form” was designed by the researchers based on the goals of the study that included the title and author(s), study method (type, place of study, sample size, sampling method, and data collection/analysis tool), printing location, information related to the frequency of types of violence, characteristics of victims /perpetrators, and related factors.ResultsThe papers reviewed utilized a variety of locations and environments, methods, and instrument samplings. The majority of the studies were performed using the quantitative method. No intervention study was found. Most studies focused on the prevalence of violence, and their results indicated that exposure to violence was high. The results are presented in six major themes.ConclusionsWorkplace violence and injuries incurred from it are extensive throughout the world. The important causes of violence include the shortage of training programs dealing with violence, lack of violence management protocols, and delays in response times. Therefore, afterthought and resolve are more crucial than ever. Workplace violence reduction strategies and suggestions for future studies are also discussed.

BackgroundHepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the major public health problems both in developed and developing countries. Prison represents a high-risk environment for prisoners, in that it is characterized by high-risk behaviors such as injecting drug use (IDU), tattooing, unprotected sexual intercourses, or sharing syringes. The aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the prevalence of HCV among Iranian prisoners conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsWe searched different scholarly databases including Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, ISI/Web of Sciences, the Cochrane library, Scopus, CINAHL, and PsycINFO as well as Iranian bibliographic thesauri (namely, Barakatns, MagIran, and SID) up to December 2017. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of the studies included. HCV prevalence rate with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated using the DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model, with Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation. Egger’s regression test was used to evaluate publication bias.ResultsFinally, 17 articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Overall, 18,693 prisoners were tested. Based on the random-effects model, the prevalence of HCV among Iranian prisoners was 28% (CI 95% 21–36) with heterogeneity of I2 = 99.3% (p = 0.00). All studies used an ELISA test for the evaluation of HCV antibodies. The findings of this study showed that the highest prevalence rate (53%) was among prisoners who inject drugs.ConclusionThe findings of our study showed that the prevalence of HCV among Iranian prisoners is dramatically high. Managing this issue in Iran’s prisons requires careful attention to the availability of health facilities and instruments, such as screening, and harm reduction policies, such as giving sterile syringes and needles to prisoners. An integrated program of training for prisoners, prison personnel and medical staff is also needed to improve the level of health condition in prisons.

BackgroundLoss of human resources in the health sector through migration has caused many problems in the delivery of healthcare services in developing countries.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine factors influencing intention to migrate in skilled human resources in Iran’s healthcare sector.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was carried out in 2016 in Iran. The study population included health sector human resources at the Tehran and Iran University of Medical Sciences. Using multi-stage cluster sampling, 827 people were selected for participation. Participants included four groups: hospital staff, health workers, medical students, and postgraduate students (Masters and PhD). Data were collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire and analyzed by descriptive parameters, chi-square and logistic regression test using SPSS version 18.ResultsInclination to migrate, in the study population, was 54.77%. There was a significant relationship between inclination to migrate and age, work experience, employment status, marital status, familiarity with a foreign language, foreign language skills, foreign language courses, having relatives or family living abroad, and prior experience of being abroad (p<0.05). The most important factors influencing inclination to migrate were: reaching out for better life (81.92±21.95), interdisciplinary discrimination (80.83±20.75), and experience of living and studying abroad. (80.55±18.12),ConclusionConsidering the high rate of intention to emigrate in the studied population (54.77%), a lot of whom will emigrate if their situation is ready, it can be a serious problem for the health system in the near future in which it will face lack of skilled health workers, and so requires more attention of health sector authorities.

Background Brucellosis is the most significant and common bacterial zoonosis and is recognized as a re-emerging and neglected disease. Tackling zoonosis is very important for the health and the economy. One Health is an approach characterized by the integration of human and animal health, plants, and ecosystems and encourages joining local, national, and global multidisciplinary efforts to achieve optimal levels of health and collaboration among different disciplines to address complex health problems. Objectives The present study aimed to review published scientific literature related to the use of the One Health approach to tackle human brucellosis. Methods Web of Science (WoS), PubMed, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched from inception until 30 January 2020. The reference lists of all relevant papers were hand-searched. Two authors extracted data from published studies independently. The Joanna Briggs Institute tool was used to assess the quality of studies. Results Of 2297 studies, 10 studies were deemed eligible, which were conducted between 2013 and 2019. Studies were performed in Uganda, Malta, Serbia, Greece, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Israel, India, Ethiopia, and the USA. All studies suggested that brucellosis is still a major public health problem and that the most important aspect of the One Health approach is the interdependence of humans, ecosystems, and animals .Some studies have focused on livestock vaccination as the most effective way to prevent disease, and others have focused on the biology of Brucella infection and its transmission patterns. Some studies have pointed to the effectiveness of the One Health approach in all the phases of disease management as well as to its role in reducing health costs. Conclusion The success of the approach depends on the willingness of the decision-makers to implement the necessary policies. Due to the heterogeneity of current practices, and organizations involved in One Health approach-based programs, it will be incomplete without proper planning. To better implement the approach, strategies should be appraised and disseminated by experts and relevant stakeholders.

Background:During the last two decades, the trend of out-of-pocket payments (OOP) for health services by Iranian households has been a matter of concern and it has exposed a significant proportion of them to catastrophic and impoverishing health expenditures.Objectives:The current study aimed to investigate three objectives: First, the mean of out-of-pocket payments among Iranian households for health services; second, the headcount and overshoot measures of catastrophic health expenditure; and finally the level of inequality in its distribution.Materials and Methods:This descriptive study on Iranian rural and urban households was conducted from April to June 2015. The sample sizes were 19437 rural and 18888 urban households that Iranian Statistical Centre (ISC) selected them through a three -step randomized clustered sampling. The headcount and overshoot measures for catastrophic health expenditure were calculated. Also, the concentration index was calculated in order to investigate the inequality in distribution of the mentioned measures.Results:The catastrophic health expenditure headcount ratio varied from 0.5% to 14.3% and from 0.48% to 13.27% for rural and urban households, respectively. Also, the overshoot of catastrophic health expenditure varied from 9.62% to 18.72% and from 8.8% to 17.74% for rural and urban households, respectively.Conclusions:Considering Iran’s economic condition during the last five years, the catastrophic health expenditure headcount ratio was more than 2% in Iran.