Designing a Development Model for the Healthcare System in Iran

Standards improvement for public health promotion demands healthcare system development (HSD) in all nations. Iran works toward improving its position among the developing countries. Therefore, the present study aimed to design a development model for the healthcare system in Iran.  This study with a mixed-methods research was in 2020-22 fulfilled cross-sectionally. Utilizing the grounded theory in the qualitative phase, the opinions of the top-level managers and policy makers of the Ministry of Health, and the faculty members at the universities of medical sciences across Iran were elicited (n=21). The data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire with the sample size of 217 top-level and middle managers affiliated to Khorasan Razavi University of Medical Sciences in Iran. The model was evaluated using the structural equation modeling (SEM) and the LISREL software package.  Analyzing the results of the data comprised of 14 categories and 40 concepts within 6 dimensions, including causal factors, governing system’s determination to develop the healthcare system, contextual/environmental conditions, intervening factors, strategies, and outcomes. The development model was further validated by the SEM, and confirmed via the goodness of fit index (GFI=0.97). The healthcare system in Iran was introduced among the most complex systems across the world. Therefore, designing and implementing a development model for the healthcare system in Iran requires much attention and willpower among policymakers and top-level managers in the governing system, and more emphasis on intersectoral collaboration at the highest political levels.