Participation in Health Legislation: A Comparative Study of Participation Mechanisms in the Selected Countries and Iran

Health legislation provides a framework to implement various health policies. Participatory democracy in healthcare is inevitable. Citizens and health professionals should participate in participatory democracy, and health laws should be the result of a process in which participatory instruments and techniques have a prominent role. Health democracy can be achieved through the expansion of mechanisms for citizens’ participation in the legislative process. The health democracy enables citizens to participate in the decision-making process and to have equal access to services provided by the public health system.

The current study aims to assess participatory mechanisms used by selected countries to participate their citizens in legislative processes.

The current study is a comparative study of the legislative processes of selected countries. To select countries, four issues were evaluated: (a) overall legal system; (b) how laws enforce; (c) legislative backgrounds; and (d) health system basic model.

The number of legislative chambers, legislative initiatives, legislative authorities and institutions, legislative commissions, and citizens’ participation in the legislative process were analyzed in the selected countries. An analysis of the factors affecting public participation in healthcare legislation shows that participation in the legislative process is a complex phenomenon influenced by social, legal, cultural, political, and sovereignty factors. This phenomenon cannot be analyzed isolated from these factors. However, the way should be paved for citizens' participation. The selected countries use different methods for citizens’ participation, depending on their legal systems.

Research results show that there are various public participation mechanisms. In Iran, there is a huge potential for public participation, and members of the parliament can easily interact with the interest groups and relevant individuals. These conditions provide a golden opportunity for expert health legislation.