Problems of health care systems and disease reporting for communicable diseases and surveillance in hospitals and the potential solutions: A qualitative study

Report of communicable diseases is an essential component in control and early detection of epidemics. Hospitals which admit patients for treatment can be the start point of an epidemic. Considering different problems in the hospital reporting system in Iran, this study was conducted to determine these potential problems and develop potential solutions in the reporting systems of communicable diseases. In this phenomenological qualitative study, 54 people were assessed using structured interviews and focused group discussions. The participants were managers, nurses, professional experts of hospitals and health networks in Kurdistan and East Azarbaijan, and country disease control center. The results were reported using content analysis. The results showed that there were lack of feedback and incentives, lack of instructions and duty assignment programs and lack of a clear reporting system in the hospitals. In addition, we found differences in reporting methods, unfamiliarity of managers with reporting levels, inconsistencies between the health and treatment departments. The absence of a clear process for reporting infectious diseases in the Iranian hospitals require development of guidelines for reporting these communicable diseases. This process calls for collaboration of the health care department at all administrative levels.