Recruitment and Retention of Health Volunteers in Health Care Centers in Kerman City in 2013: A Qualitative Study

Health communicators with volunteer activities meet many people’s educational and informational needs in different aspects of health without additional costs. Despite the importance of communicators in health programs, the level of their cooperation or connection with our health centers has been reduced in recent years. So, this study was performed with the aim of affective factors on recruitment and retention of health communicators.
This study was an applicable study with the use of phenomenological qualitative methods. Data gathering tool was focus group discussions that were done in year 2014. A total of 39 health communicators, coaches, and experts of health communicators plan were selected using purposive sampling in Kerman city health center. Data achieved by focus group interviews were analyzed using framework analysis.
Three main concepts were extracted as the results of the analysis of the qualitative data. Factors related to the health care system weaknesses of the communicator's plan, weakness of human factors (coaches and communicators), and factors related to society were the three main concepts of recruiting and retaining the health communicators.
Setting up the supportive and supervisory regulation by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in conjunction with this program, allocating the appropriate budget to this program, documenting achievements and appreciating the better volunteers and their coaches in the country, and planning for education of volunteers according to the health needs of the society are the solutions proposed in this study.