The Quality of Health Services Provided to People Living with HIV/AIDS in Iran: A Qualitative Study

In the early decade of 2000, HIV/AIDS was introduced as the main cause of death from infectious diseases and the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. This study aimed to assess the quality of services provided to individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Iran. This qualitative study was conducted in Iran, in 2012. In this study, purposive sampling method was used. Data was collected during the interview via taking participants’ views about the quality of services provided to people living with HIV/AIDS. Data was analyzed through qualitative content analysis method and using open code software. The most common issues raised by participants in this study were:, the need for continuous training of personnel, low awareness of physicians and medical staff, the need for consulting services, inappropriate treatment by health staff, inadequate medical care tools and facilities, dissatisfaction with hospital services, inadequate number of staff in health centers, and dissatisfaction with the quality of methadone maintenance treatment in some centers. Overall, it can be said that the quality of services for people living with HIV/AIDS in Iran is low and is not satisfactory. Recommendations: It seems that the following items are needed to improve the quality of services provided to people living with HIV/AIDS: careful planning and continuous evaluation of services, increased funding, better distribution of human power, employing skilled and experienced staff, continuous training, increased coverage of insurance for people living with HIV/AIDS, controlling and reporting the status of service delivery to improve the quality of provided services.