Applying Shannon's Entropy Index in Explaining Corruption Prevalence in Iran's Healthcare System

Considering the destructive consequences of corruption in Iran’s healthcare system, the present study aimed to explain the roots and causes of corruption prevalence in this system.

This was a qualitative study with quantitative content analysis conducted in Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MHME). Data were collected based on in-depth interviews with 13 experts in the MHME headquarters selected by theoretical and snowball sampling. The unit of analysis of the interviews was the sentence and the conducted interviews were analyzed through thematic analysis using the Shannon Entropy index.

Data analysis showed that legislative fields with an importance coefficients (IC) of 0.293 ranked first, followed by social and cultural fields (IC 0.26), economic fields (IC 0.175), decision-making fields and organizational factors (IC 0.174), and, finally, individual factors and micro-level fields (IC 0.102).

Considering the importance coefficient of individual factors and micro-level fields, it can be concluded that the personality and individual characteristics of the experts/relevant persons are less important in the corruption occurrence, while the legal, social and cultural variables paly crucial roles in explaining corruption in the Iran’s healthcare system.