Journal of Medical Library and Information Science

Introduction: Scientific collaboration at the national and international levels influences papers' quality and quantity improvement. Accordingly, this research was designed to analyze the model of scientific collaboration among researchers in medical ethics.

Methods: The research was scientometric and conducted using scientific analysis and drawing indicators. The study population included 14333 documents indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) from 1975 to 2020. Therefore, BibExcel, SPSS, and VOSviewer software were used to analyze and draw the data. In addition, Pearson’s correlation coefficient statistical test was utilized to answer the research hypotheses.

Results: The coefficient of collaboration (CC), degree of collaboration (DC), and collaboration index (CI) were obtained to be 0.40, 0.59, and 2.32, respectively. In the last decade, authors have indicated more inclination toward the multiple authorship model; however, most of this type of collaboration is domestic (national), and only 17.8% is international. The highest co-authorship and international collaboration rates belong to the United States (US) among the 152 countries. Furthermore, Pearson’s correlation test between the number of papers and international collaboration at the significance level of (0.000) suggests a positive direct relationship (p-value< 0.05).

Conclusion: The dominant authorship pattern has been single authorship during the studied period. The tendency of researchers concerning co-authorship occurs within an average and growing level and is not in a favorable situation in terms of international collaboration.

Introduction: Health information is a basis for connecting societies with health and treatment systems, and people with a correct understanding of diseases can manage their health conditions. The present study aims to investigate the health information-seeking behavior of the Faculty of Nursing and Pre-Hospital Emergencies students in Abhar, Iran.

Methods: The present research used a descriptive survey- method and a quantitative approach. Of all Faculty of Nursing and Pre-Hospital Emergencies students in Abhar, Iran, 450 were chosen for the study. Using Morgan’s table, 208 people were chosen as the statistical population. A questionnaire was distributed to all students to collect data, and finally, 210 questionnaires were completed and collected. The collected information was analyzed using SPSS version 2021 and Excel 2016 software.

Results: The findings showed that 95.2% of the students have a bachelor’s degree. The smartphone is primarily used to search and access health information. Among printed sources, medical books were used more than other sources. Among the most important information channels for obtaining health information from the student’s point of view are TV/radio, the internet, social networks, physicians, colleagues, and universities or hospitals. Influential factors in evaluating health information acquisition channels include fresh and innovative content, up-to-date information, neutrality and lack of bias, comprehensibility of information content, mentioning scientific sources used, expertise and experience, and fame of the author of the content, the breadth and scope of the information, mentioning the publication date, considering the audience, the free access to the information, and the author’s affiliation with a well-known and reputable institution. In addition, uncertainty about the accuracy of information on websites and social networks and the large volume of information were among the most critical obstacles to searching for health information.

Conclusion: Students use print sources and health information acquisition channels (digital media, individuals, and organizations) to meet their needs to provide health information, and in this way, they face obstacles and problems. Therefore, paying attention to the quality, validation, trust, and up-to-dateness of information can help students find the right way to seek information.

Introduction: This study investigated the health information needs and risky health behaviors of pregnant women in Anambra State. The vast majority of maternal deaths could be prevented if women had access to health information on their risky health behaviors during pregnancy. The study’s specific objectives are to determine the risky health behaviors of pregnant women in Anambra State and identify their health information needs regarding these behaviors.

Methods: The descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study. The population comprised 8,984 pregnant women. Borg and Gall statistical tool was used to determine the sample size of 898. A questionnaire structured by the researcher was used as a data collection instrument for the study. Three experts validated the instrument. Data obtained were analyzed using mean ratings.

Results: The study revealed that pregnant women in Anambra State indulge themselves in so many risky health behaviors, and they have several unmet health information needs that could be attributed to their risky health behaviors.

Conclusion: Concerted efforts should be made as a matter of urgency to provide health information to pregnant women in bite-sized and self-explanatory formats (information repackaging), especially for vulnerable women (poor, illiterates), to help meet their health information needs. This can mitigate the rising effects of pregnancy-related complications in Nigeria.

Introduction: In providing evidence-based services, as well as easy access to the needed information, hospital libraries hold a significant position in serving various users, including healthcare practitioners, patients, and their family caregivers. This study aims to assess the hospital libraries affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME) in Iran, based on the national standard approved by the National Standard Organization in 2021.

Methods: This study is an applied research with a descriptive survey methodology. The statistical population comprises 213 hospital libraries from 60 universities of medical sciences affiliated with the MOHME of Iran. Data was collected using a researcher-developed checklist derived from the national standard book of hospital libraries. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software.

Results: The current research results indicate that most hospital libraries in medical universities across Iran meet the Resources Management. Conversely, the majority of hospital libraries do not meet Service Management standards. Specifically, more than half of these libraries comply with the requirements for Information Resources Management and Information Technology Resources Management, and less than half of the libraries Services Management standards.

Conclusion: MOHME-affiliated hospital libraries have fundamental weaknesses in the critical components of Service Management standards and have strength in Resources Management standards, i.e., Information Resources Management and most Information Technology Resource Management standards. In order to ensure the well-being of patients, their families, and users, it is imperative that officials and stakeholders take concrete steps to enhance services, improve the quality of patient care, and ultimately boost overall users’ satisfaction levels.

Introduction

Medical students are increasingly using smartphones for personal and professional purposes, making them suitable tools for advancing education in developing countries. To ensure the development of efficient and relevant applications with high user adherence and appropriate content creation, it seems necessary to identify the common uses of smartphones.

Methods

The population of this cross-sectional descriptive study was 416 medical students. The sample size was determined from Morgan's table, which includes 203 individuals. Proportional stratified random sampling and simple random sampling were used. The data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire, whose validity and reliability were confirmed. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. Descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation) and analytical (independent t-test) statistics were used for analysis.

Results

The average scores for using smartphones in general affairs, educational and specialized affairs, and clinical affairs were 4.07 ± 0.60, 3.81 ± 0.75, and 3.53 ± 0.84, respectively. The lowest scores in educational affairs were related to participating in conferences and scientific seminars, searching for library resources at the faculty library, and extending the electronic loan period of borrowed books from the university library. In clinical affairs, the lowest scores were related to preparing and sending educational content for hospitalized and discharged patients.

Conclusion

Training students to create appropriate and quality educational content for patients using smartphones that are available to most people and sharing it with patients can be an effective step in improving the quality of health and treatment of patients.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes is a significant health problem. Improving health literacy helps control complications in people with type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the impact of training on health literacy, self-care, and HbA1c blood tests of people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A semi-experimental study was conducted with a group before and after the intervention. Two hundred thirty-two patients from Tafihan Medical Center, Shiraz, Iran, were selected based on criteria. A clinical librarian conducted a three-month education. HELIA and SDSCA questionnaires measured health literacy, self-care, and HbA1c. Descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon test analyzed the data.

Results: Before the intervention, the health literacy of most of the participants was insufficient (46.1%). While after the intervention, the health literacy of most of the participants improved to an adequate level (52.2%). The HbA1c mean was 8.49±1.01 before and 6.88±1.42 after the  intervention. The self-care average was 47.5 before the intervention and 96.7 after the intervention. Before the intervention, the self-care level was 53.9% semi-optimal, and after the intervention, it was 79.3% optimal. Statistical tests on changes were significant. Improved health literacy enhances self-care and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes patients.

Conclusion: Providers must assess health literacy and develop interventions to enhance the health of type 2 diabetic patients, as health literacy influences self-care and HbA1c control. Health literacy should be crucial to education and healthcare in order to improve outcomes.

Introduction: One of the most pervasive and dangerous diseases that affected Iran and the world from December 2019 to May 2023 was the outbreak of COVID-19. People had an intense fear of the virus for a variety of reasons. One of the main concerns of people with Type 2 diabetes is their need for accurate and reliable information on how to deal with the virus. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to identify the information needs of patients with Type 2 diabetes against COVID-19.

Methods The present study was conducted using a qualitative approach and content analysis. The statistical population included 14 patients with Type 2 diabetes in Kermanshah. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews.

Results: The findings showed that 211 basic concepts, four primary categories, and thirteen subcategories are fundamental in meeting the information needs of patients with Type 2 diabetes. The main categories included information about COVID-19, mental health care, personal health care, and health care organizations.

Conclusion: In general, patients with Type 2 diabetes had limited information and knowledge about the types of care required against COVID-19. Therefore, professional nurses in hospitals need training on how to deal with COVID-19 and how to care for Type 2 diabetes patients against this virus and similar viruses. In order to meet patients’ information needs, hospitals should manage nurses and specialists and create a database. People’s health is the basis of all human life and is necessary for adequate care.

Background: Health guidelines are among the items submitted to the offices of different medical journals, and considering the need for checking and reviewing them before they are approved for publication in the journal, this study aimed to evaluate the latest World Health Organization (WHO) management/treatment guidelines in 2020-2021 using the AGREE II tool.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted in 2022, the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II Tool was used to assess 13 of the latest WHO management and treatment guidelines across different medical areas. AGREE II is a tool designed to assess guidelines based on six key domains: scope and purpose, stakeholder involvement, rigor of development, clarity of presentation, applicability, and editorial independence. The tool also evaluates the guideline overall and determines whether it is recommended for practice. Two appraisers assessed each guideline. One of them was a medical journalist with a good command of the English language, and the other was a general physician. Mean and standard deviations were used to analyze the gathered data. Microsoft EXCEL software (version 2016) was used to analyze the gathered data.

Results: Twelve of the assessed guidelines were assessed as having “high quality,” and one was assessed as having “average” quality. All the assessed guidelines were recommended, except five of them needed modifications in their development process.

Conclusion: The evaluations indicate that the process of guideline formulation and the quality of reporting in the assessed guidelines are sound and reliable for use in different health systems. Furthermore, the AGREE II tool will help improve the submitted guidelines in the offices of medical journals and provide a means for medical journalism students, reviewers of the submitted articles, and journal editors. The guidelines have been evaluated for their quality and impact on healthcare practice and policy based on the information provided. The high-quality ratings of the guidelines suggest that they can positively influence healthcare practice and policy. Furthermore, these guidelines can also influence future research and development in related fields, shaping the direction of healthcare policies and practices.

Introduction: Hematology plays a crucial role in investigating blood disorders and their treatment. Recognizing highly cited research can guide future studies in this field. This study aims to analyze the most highly cited articles in hematology from 2010 to 2020 to uncover key contributions and trends in this discipline.

Methods: This study searched the Web of Science Core Collection, focusing on the topic of hematology, to retrieve articles from 2010 to 2020. The top 100 highly cited hematological publications were then selected for additional examination, emphasizing original research papers and reviews. Finally, the data was transferred to R4.3.1 software and analyzed with Biblioshiny.

Results: The most cited articles in the field of hematology received citations in the range of 708 to 9886. Additionally, the “Blood” Journal was the primary contributor to producing highly-cited papers by publishing 41 articles. Döhner H. and Kantarjian HM. Contributed to four papers, claiming the largest share of individual authors of the highly-cited articles. Harvard University was the primary institution that contributed to producing highly cited hematology articles. Regarding the country of the corresponding author, the USA was the primary contributor to the published articles. Ultimately, these highly-cited hematology articles' most frequent keywords and essential topics were identified.

Conclusion: Research advances and trends can be seen in highly-cited hematology articles that can advance future research topics and directions in this field. It was also determined what specialized topics are significant among researchers worldwide.

Introduction: Libraries need effective branding strategies due to the challenges of competition with other information providers. Due to the rapid changes in information technology, branding is essential in these libraries. The present study investigated the level of familiarity of librarians and library managers of medical sciences universities in Iran with the factors that increased branding awareness in 2023.

Methods: This study used a descriptive survey method. The research community consisted of librarians and library managers from medical sciences universities in Iran. The sample size was 167 people using the available sampling method. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire containing twenty-one questions. Data were collected through Porsline and analyzed with SPSS software version 24.

Results: The results revealed that librarians and library managers are familiar with factors affecting awareness of the libraries’ branding, which are librarians’ abilities and characteristics (mean score of 28.41 equivalent to 93.3%), library services (mean score of 23.22 equivalent to 91.1%), library technologies (mean score of 22.12, equivalent to 85.6%), and architecture and equipment (mean score of 22.56, equivalent to 87.8%). The overall score of librarians’ familiarity with the branding was 96.21 (89.5%).

conclusion: Branding is an effective tool for achieving the goals of libraries and changing their image in users’ minds. Librarians are familiar with branding concepts but need more training in library technologies. Diverse services, new technologies, and appropriate architecture affect the promotion of branding awareness and the improvement of user experience. Therefore, using the latest technologies and holding training courses helps to improve branding and user satisfaction. The results can help managers to design branding improvement programs.

Introduction: Systematic review and meta-analysis articles are some of the most important sources for generating evidence in all medical science fields, including psychiatry. This study investigates the authorship characteristics and scientometric indicators of the sources of publishing systematic review and meta-analysis articles of Iran on psychiatry.

Methods: The present study used qualitative content analysis and scientometric methods. The research community included 206 systematic reviews and meta-analysis articles  of Iran on psychiatry published in Scopus in 2021. Authorship characteristics, publication sources, and scientometric indicators of the publication sources of these articles were the things that were investigated. Data analysis was done with the help of Excel software and Scopus analysis facilities.

Results: The study revealed that the subject of ​​10.6% of the articles was depression and depressive disorder. 25.25% of the articles had between one and three authors, and 74.75% had more than three authors. In most articles, an Iranian was responsible author (85.9%) and first author (90.3%). The authors mainly were affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences and Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The first authors of articles were mostly affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The Swiss journal Frontiers in Psychiatry was ranked first among the most productive publishing sources. United Kingdom had the most publications of articles among the countries. Among the sources of publishing articles, the Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology Journal of United Kingdom had the highest number of scientific indicators.

Conclusion: Depression and depressive disorders accounted for the most significant percentage of the subjects of the articles. More than half of the articles were favorable regarding the number of authors on the research team. The scientometric indicators of the sources of publishing articles were not favorable, and they need more attention from those in charge.

Introduction: University libraries play a crucial role in education and research, often serving as essential consultants. Foresight enables these libraries to pinpoint key challenges and actively shape their future. This study aims to outline possible scenarios for the future of libraries at selected medical universities in Tehran over the next 20 years.

Methods: The research unfolded in two stages: identifying fundamental uncertainties and developing scenarios. Initially, uncertainties were identified through a review of existing studies and expert opinions collected via questionnaires. The consensus and significance of each uncertainty were assessed, leading to the identification of two primary uncertainties. In the second stage, scenarios were crafted using the Intuitive Logics method based on these uncertainties.

Results: Ten uncertainties were identified in the initial phase. The uncertainties of “independent versus dependent administration” and “free vs. non-free services” emerged as fundamental. Four scenarios were then developed: “Library as a Center for Interaction and Implementation,” “Active Libraries,” “Library as a Center for Development and Support,” and “Productive Libraries.”

Conclusion: Depending on future developments, each of these four scenarios could potentially unfold. University libraries must be prepared to adapt to any of these possibilities.

Introduction: Bibliotherapy is one of the methods for solving mental and psychological problems. The main goal of this research is to identify the impact of bibliotherapy on the mental health of sexually abused women and girls, including four dimensions: Physical symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, depression, and disruption of social functioning.

Methods: This research is an AB design (semi-experimental case study). A pre-intervention stage (A) was planned for each patient to determine the baseline, followed by the therapeutic intervention implementation stage (B). The statistical population comprised five sexually abused women and girls from the social emergency. Sampling was done in a targeted manner using the available sampling method. The General Mental Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) was used to evaluate the mental health of the samples. The bibliotherapy process was carried out in eight sessions of 45 minutes, two sessions a week. Graphical and statistical analyses were used to analyze the data. In addition to graphical analysis, recovery percentage, and stable change index were used.

Results: Bibliotherapy has impacted the mental health of four out of five participants, with an overall improvement rate of 0.57 and a reliable change index greater than 1.96. Furthermore, bibliotherapy has positively influenced subscales of physical symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, depression, and social functioning, with an overall improvement rate of over 50% and a reliable change index greater than 1.96, indicating clinical and statistical significance (P ≤ 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that bibliotherapy has positively impacted mental health and its subscales.

Conclusion: Bibliotherapy is efficacious in improving the mental health of sexually abused women and girls, and it seems to be a suitable option for the mental health of sexually abused women and girls as a complementary treatment method.

Introduction: Health literacy encompasses the capacity of individuals to obtain, comprehend, assess, and apply health-related information, which is crucial for making informed health choices. Accordingly, the phenomenon of information-seeking anxiety among graduate students, along with the potential influence of health literacy in alleviating this anxiety, underscores the importance of exploring these two areas and their interconnection. This study aims to evaluate the health literacy levels of graduate students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences and to investigate the correlation between health literacy and health information-seeking anxiety.

Methods: This study follows a descriptive survey approach. The research focuses on all postgraduate students from the medical and allied medical schools at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, for the academic year 2023-22024. A sample of 220 students was chosen from this group through a combination of stratified and convenience sampling methods. This study utilized questionnaires assessing health literacy and information-seeking anxiety to gather data. Descriptive statistics (such as mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, skewness, and kurtosis) and inferential statistics (including the one-sample t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient) were employed for data analysis. The analysis was conducted using SPSS software, version 26.

Results: The average health literacy score was 68.43, while the overall information-seeking anxiety score was 89.90. Participants demonstrated the highest level of health literacy in "decision-making skills in behavior," with a mean of 60.16 and a standard deviation of 415.4. Conversely, "reading skills" marked the lowest level of health literacy, with a mean of 76.5 and a standard deviation of 100.2. In terms of information-seeking anxiety, the highest levels were associated with “barriers related to information sources,” having a mean of 67.24 and a standard deviation of 262.7. The lowest anxiety levels were found in “barriers related to information seeking,” with a mean of 10.8 and a standard deviation of 131.3. Furthermore, a significant negative relationship was found between health literacy levels and students’ anxiety about seeking health information (P<0.05, r= -0.84). This indicates that as students’ health literacy improves, their anxiety about seeking health information tends to decrease.

Conclusion: Enhancing health literacy and refining information-seeking behaviors are crucial for alleviating health information-seeking anxiety among graduate students. Libraries significantly mitigate health-related anxiety and foster self-care practices by offering educational workshops, creating trustworthy health resources, and delivering counseling services.

Introduction: To enhance the sexual health literacy of young people, particularly students, it is essential to focus on how they seek health information online. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sexual health literacy level and web-based health information-seeking behavior of Iranian medical students.

Methods: This cross-sectional research employed stratified random sampling method for the distribution of questionnaires to Bushehr University of Medical Sciences students in Bushehr, Iran. A total of 422 questionnaires were distributed, and 387 were completed, representing a response rate of 91.7%. Data were collected using the normalized questionnaires of web-based health information-seeking behavior and sexual health literacy of Iranian adults and analyzed using Pearson’s correlational test and linear regression analysis in SPSS 22 software.

Results: The research showed that students have relatively higher rates of sexual health literacy and web-based health information-seeking behavior. Despite the desirability of sexual health literacy and web-based health information-seeking behavior, as a whole, the analysis and evaluation component of sexual health literacy and the sharing and application components of web-based health information-seeking behavior of students were at an average level. In addition, there was a direct and meaningful relationship between web-based health information-seeking behavior and sexual health literacy (P<0.001). All web-based health information-seeking behavior components, but familiarity with the Internet, predicted sexual health literacy (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Health officials and policymakers in the country must develop appropriate and written educational programs to improve the level of health information-seeking behavior, specifically in sharing and appliying sexual information, as well as sexual health literacy, particularly in the analysis and evaluation aspects among the visited groups.

Introduction: Disaster management refers to preparedness, response, and recovery from disasters, encompassing a broad spectrum of activities, including risk assessment, emergency planning, communication, and resource management. Artificial intelligence (AI) can potentially enhance our disaster management capabilities, ranging from prediction and detection to impact assessment and recovery monitoring. This study aims to provide an overview of the role and application of AI in disaster management in Iran.

Methods: This study adopts a narrative review approach. Full-text articles and reports were retrieved from databases SID and Magiran, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar, using the keywords “Iran,” “Disaster Management,” and “Artificial Intelligence.” Selection criteria focused on relevance to the study objective and the timeframe of 2020-2023. Then, the articles underwent a review process that evaluated their title, abstract, introduction, methodology, results, discussion, and references.

Results: Out of the 314 retrieved studies, seven articles met the inclusion criteria for the study. The most commonly utilized algorithms were artificial neural networks (ANN) and random forests (RF), and the performance of the AI-based algorithms was reported to be satisfactory.

Conclusion: The occurrence of disasters is inevitable, and it may be impossible to prevent events such as earthquakes, floods, and other disasters. However, studies have shown that AI can be utilized for more efficient disaster management, reducing and minimizing damages and enabling more effective responses to such incidents.

Introduction: The accident and disaster team's access to reliable and up-to-date information can mean faster crisis management, requiring specialist forces in this field. Therefore, this research aims to determine the characteristics and skills medical librarians need to be disaster and disaster information experts.

Methods: The current research is descriptive and has been conducted using a narrative review method. In this study, 46 articles were found based on searches conducted in databases and websites of journals, which met the researchers’ criteria for inclusion in the study. In the next step, to achieve the main goal of the research, the content of these articles was examined and analyzed in-depth, and as a result, the characteristics and skills needed by librarians of accidents and disasters were extracted.

Results: The results showed that the characteristics and skills needed in the order of abundance in the sources include the provision of information services, the use of information technology tools, collection managers, training in disaster response activities, institutional supporters, internal planners, government partners, mental health support, safe shelter, community resilience, familiarity with crisis management topics, and meeting needs.

Conclusion: The results of the source review showed that librarians can play an influential role in the field of accidents and disasters. For this purpose, they must have the required characteristics and skills acquired through workshops or training courses, which add lesson units to educational topics.

Introduction: Smart libraries represent a new generation of libraries whose use is growing. This study aims to provide a narrative review of the implementation requirements needed for their development.

Methods: This paper used a narrative approach to collect and review studies. In this review, published documents from 2000 to 2023 were retrieved by searching the following three electronic scientific databases: Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus using keywords including “smart library,” “intelligent library,” “concept,” “infrastructure,” “resource,” “service delivery,” and “implement challenge.” Endnote software was used to manage search results and data collected using a form based on content analysis.

Results: A smart library integrates advanced technologies and user-centered services to provide automated resource access. Smart libraries rely on technologies like the Internet of Things (IOT), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and data mining to enhance services. Smart libraries prioritize user satisfaction by integrating intelligent human and material resources, leveraging artificial intelligence and metadata to automate resource procurement and decision-making based on user characteristics and open resource analysis. Smart libraries deliver physical and remote services through the Internet, allowing users to interact with the library at any time and location. Smart libraries face security, infrastructure integration, financial costs, and staff training challenges.

Conclusion: Libraries and information centers must comprehend the functions and requirements of a smart library and facilitate the transition to the new generation of smart libraries and their effective implementation. This demands increased attention from information center managers and officials.

The integrity of scientific research is crucial for advancing knowledge, and the retraction of articles has emerged as a vital mechanism for upholding this integrity. However, the implications of retracted articles on researcher evaluations-particularly concerning academic scores, H-index calculations, and journal impact factors-remain contentious. This commentary offers a comprehensive overview of how article retractions should be assessed concerning researcher and journal metrics. By synthesizing existing literature, the researcher highlighted the need for improved research evaluation practices and proposed recommendations to mitigate the adverse effects of retractions on these metrics. In addition, the researcher emphasizes the importance of transparency, contextual evaluation, and institutional policies to ensure fair academic assessments. Additionally, the present commentary discusses the underlying causes of retractions, their frequency, and the potential consequences for researchers whose work has been retracted. Finally, the researcher invited mathematicians, statisticians, ethicists, and researchers from various disciplines to develop new formulas and metrics considering retractions' consequences.

During the outbreak of a new epidemic, the scarcity of reliable information and understanding often drives organizations and individuals to actively seek out knowledge to recognize better and respond to the situation. As time passes, numerous studies emerge focusing on the experiences and insights gained from the epidemic. Over time, these diseases reveal many similarities in their effects on global health and society. This commentary aims to explain the importance of patients’ lived experiences during the pandemic.

Understanding the lived experiences of patients during pandemics is critical for healthcare providers, policymakers, and the general public to help address the unique challenges of patients (especially vulnerable populations) and design interventions and support systems for them.

Useful information derived from understanding patients' lived experiences plays an essential role during epidemics. By using this information, communities and healthcare systems can be more responsive, fair, and flexible in the face of future health crises and meet the needs of most patients.