Efficiency of COVID-19 Testing Centers in Iran: A Data Envelopment Analysis Approach
AbstractObjective:The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficiency of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) in managing their nonmonetary resources involved in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response.Methods:For this purpose, the data envelopment analysis approach was used to measure the efficiency, considering the number of personnel and vehicles and screened passengers as the input and output parameters, respectively. It was examined the efficiency of 10 IRCS’s branches given 17 d of screening operation. For the analysis, the DEA SolverPro software 15a version was used.Results:The results show that only 1 branch had been fully efficient in using the resources, while 5 bra…
Rapid Assessment of COVID-19 Screening Program for Travelers in Iran: A Qualitative Study
AbstractObjective:Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) screening stations set up by Iranian Red Crescent Society have been available for 17 d with the aim of identifying and treating people with coronavirus, reducing road trips, and sensitizing people to the problem. This study aims to investigate the challenges of the procedure.Methods:A qualitative study was used to find the challenges of the COVID-19 screening centers. Volunteers, branch managers, and headquarter managers of the Iranian Red Crescent Society participated in this study applying snowball sampling. Data were collected by means of in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews in April 2020 after completion of the fever screeni…