Empowering Healthcare Workers: Insight from an Interpretive Structural Model for Educational Needs in Iran

Healthcare workers are crucial in the healthcare sector, and understanding their educational prerequisites is of paramount importance. This study employed interpretive structural modeling to develop a comprehensive framework for elucidating these prerequisites in Iran.

We engaged 27 participants, including academic staff from the Universities of Medical Sciences and managers from the health and treatment network in Iran. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires. The identified educational needs underwent validation using the Lawshe content validity index, resulting in a substantial content validity ratio (CVR) of 98%. Interpretive structural modeling was then applied to categorize and prioritize these educational needs.

The study unveiled nine essential educational needs for healthcare workers in Iran, covering domains, including effective communication skills, internet resource utilization, responsibility, work ethics, healthcare-related laws and regulations, decision-making and problem-solving abilities, teamwork, legal and ethical principles, management skills, and specialized healthcare knowledge, of which communication skills, internet resource utilization, responsibility, and work ethics emerged as the most influential factors.

This research offers valuable insights for the improvement of healthcare worker education and training programs in Iran.