A scoping review of COVID-19 economic response policies in the MENA countries: lessons learned for Iran for future pandemics.

Background: Given the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to examine the economic response policies implemented by governments. This study aims to review evidence from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, including Iran, on COVID-19 economic response policies designed to protect households, vulnerable groups, and businesses.

Methods: Utilizing Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review methodology, electronic search engines and databases were systematically searched to identify published studies within the timeframe of December 31, 2019, to 2022.

Compensation based on work relative value unit for cardiovascular surgeons in Iran: A mixed method study.

Background: Work relative value unit (wRVU) is a tool for assessing surgeons' performance, compensation, and productivity. It appears that wRVU for cardiovascular procedures does not consider complexity and its value for lengthy operations is low. The aim of the study is to determine wRVU for cardiovascular procedures in Iran according to the proposed approach.

Factors Affecting Inequality in the Quality Diets: A Scoping Review.

Objectives: the current dietary pattern is found increasingly unsafe, unstable, and unequal for a huge part of the populations. Disadvantaged populations were usually known by less healthy diets and were at a higher risk of disease in comparison with high socioeconomic groups. The current scoping review study aims at indicating the effective factors on inequality in the quality of diets.

Development of a local model for measuring the work of surgeons.

Objectives: The Relative Value Unit (RVU) is the main method of calculating surgeons' reimbursements and a tool for measuring the work of surgeons. Existing evidence shows that the work Relative Value Unit (wRVU) does not accurately represent surgeon's work. Therefore, the current study attempted to develop a local model to measure surgeons' work.

Is Newborn Hearing Screening Cost Effective? Economic Consideration for Policy Makers.

Backgroud: Hearing loss is the most common congenital disorder that appears as a unilateral or bilateral deafness. Early detection by screening and appropriate intervention lead to better oral communication and language development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost per new case identification of neonate hearing screening.

A review of appropriate indicators for need-based financial resource allocation in health systems.

Background: Optimal, need-based, and equitable allocation of financial resources is one of the most important concerns of health systems worldwide. Fulfilling this goal requires considering various criteria when allocating resources. The present study was conducted to identify the need indicators used to allocate health resources in different countries worldwide.

How Much Should We Pay to Deliver Comprehensive Mental and Social Health Services? Experiences from Iran.

Comprehensive mental and social health services is the new benefit package which had been aimed to provide mental health services to people who suffer from mental disorders. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost of plan and its drivers to provide evidence for decision-making by national policymakers. We used the bottom-up costing approach to estimate the cost of plan.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Colorectal Cancer Screening: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant health problem with an increasing incidence worldwide. Screening is one of the ways, in which cases and deaths of CRC can be prevented. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the different CRC screening techniques and to specify the efficient technique from a cost-effectiveness perspective.

Future Development Through the Past: Pathology of the Financing Dimension of Iran's Health Transformation Plan.

Background: In Iran, during the years, the budgeting model used for healthcare funding is affected by factors such as global oil prices and fluctuation in the exchange rates. So, developing or continuing to implement a plan in the health system depends on the current and future global and local economic trends.

Objective: To analyze the future of the recent significant reform called Health Transformation Plan (HTP), started on June 15, 2014, in the light of potential financial barriers and challenges.

The Study of Effective Factors on Iran's Pharmaceutical Export Supply and Demand.

The importance of drug as a valuable export product in the global economy becomes clearer every day. Understanding the problems of exports and factors affecting it, can be an important step to keep Iran's position in the world markets and further export development of this product. In this study, Iranian pharmaceutical exports' supply and demand functions were calculated using co-integration and error correction techniques through time series quarterly data of 2000-2014 in order to identify the factors affecting pharmaceutical exports (short run and long run relationships among the variables) and price and income elasticities.

Sustainable financing of health promotion services in selected countries: Best experience for developing countries.

Sustainable health financing is one of the main challenges of policymakers in the health system. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the sustainable financing of health promotion services in 7 selected countries and to analyze the related documents in Iran in 2018. This was a comparative and qualitative study (document analysis).

Forecasting health expenditures in Iran using the ARIMA model (2016-2020).

Accurate economic forecast has important effects on governmental policy and economic planning, and it can help policymakers to make decisions for future and create new infrastructures for the development of new forecasting methods. This study calculated total health expenditure, public health expenditure and out of pocket (OOP) payment for 2016-2020. Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Process (ARIMA) is one of the most important forecasting models.

Comparing selected countries using sin tax policy in sustainable health financing: Implications for developing countries.

Background: Sustainable health financing is one of the main challenges of policy makers and planners. This study aimed at comparing the experiences of countries in using the sin tax policies for sustainable health financing resources.

Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in two phases.

Social accounting matrix and the effects of economic reform on health price index and household expenditures: Evidence from Iran.

Socioeconomic indicators are the main factors that affect health outcome. Health price index (HPI) and households living costs (HLC) are affected by economic reform. This study aimed at examining the effect of subsidy targeting plan (STP) on HPI and HLC.

Linagliptin versus sitagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Background: Diabetes is one of the most common chronic and costly diseases worldwide and type 2 diabetes is the most common type which accounts for about 90% of cases with diabetes. New medication-therapy regimens such as those containing linagliptin alone or in combination with other medications (within the category of DDP-4 inhibitors) must be evaluated in terms of efficacy and compared with other currently used drugs and then enter the medication list of the country. Hence, this study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of the two drugs, i.

Cost effectiveness of type 2 diabetes screening: A systematic review.

Background: Although studies reported diabetes mellitus screening cost effective, the mass screening for type2 diabetes remains controversial. In this study we reviewed the recently evidence about the cost effectiveness of mass screening systematically.

Methods: We reviewed the MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science (WOS), and Cochrane library databases by MeSH terms to identify relevant studies from 2000 to 2013.

Cost effectiveness analysis of Avonex and CinnoVex in Relapsing Remitting MS.

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic and degenerative neurological disease characterized by loss of myelin sheath of some neurons in brain and spinal cord. It is associated with high economic burden due to premature deaths and high occurrence of disabilities. The aim of the current study was to determine cost effectiveness of two major products of interferon 1a in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Temperature measurement in WTE boilers using suction pyrometers.

The temperature of the flue-gas in the post combustion zone of a waste to energy (WTE) plant has to be maintained within a fairly narrow range of values, the minimum of which is prescribed by the European Waste Directive 2000/76/CE, whereas the maximum value must be such as to ensure the preservation of the materials and the energy efficiency of the plant. A high degree of accuracy in measuring and controlling the aforementioned temperature is therefore required. In almost the totality of WTE plants this measurement process is carried out by using practical industrial thermometers, such as bare thermocouples and infrared radiation (IR) pyrometers, even if affected by different physical contributions which can make the gas temperature measurements incorrect.

Geographic distribution of need and access to health care in rural population: an ecological study in Iran.

Introduction: Equity in access to and utilization of health services is a common goal of policy-makers in most countries. The current study aimed to evaluate the distribution of need and access to health care services among Iran's rural population between 2006 and 2009.

Methods: Census data on population's characteristics in each province were obtained from the Statistical Centre of Iran and National Organization for civil registration.