Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Science Communicator Platform

Stay connected! Follow us on X network (Twitter):
Share this content! By
A Descriptive-Comparative Study of Implementation and Performance of Family Physician Program in Iran and Selected Countries



Sepehri B1 ; Ghaffari R2 ; Jeddian A3 ; Salek F2 ; Emrouzi R4 ; Ghaffarifar S2 ; Baghban Rezvan F4
Authors

Source: Iranian Journal of Public Health Published:2020

Abstract

Background: The implementation of Family Physician Program (FPP) in Iran during the past decade, despite of its numerous achievements, has faced many challenges. We aimed to compare the implementation and the performance of FPP in Iran with selected countries, in order to analyze those challenges and suggest potential solutions. Methods: This current descriptive-comparative study was conducted in 2015. The implementation and the performance of the FPP in Iran and six countries (Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Denmark, United States and the Netherlands) were described and compared. The criteria for selection of these countries were the existence of well-established FFPs and ease of access to data required to conduct the research. A documentation checklist of the implementation status and FPP practice was prepared. The checklist’s content validity was established by an independent 10 member expert panel, specializing in the field of Family Medicine. The conclusive checklist was finalized for each country, based on inter-rater agreement of the three researchers and used as a basis for this comparative study. Results: This study revealed significant differences in implementation of the FPP and relatively low differences in FPP performance between Iran and the selected countries. Conclusion: Implementation and performance of FPP and patient referral system in Iran struggles with serious challenges and burdens, in contrast with the selected reviewed countries. As such, modification of the FPP in Iran seems to be a must. Such modification may include developing educational programs for FPs, clearly defining the duties and practices of FPs, and revising their reimbursement and employment status. © 2020, Iranian Journal of Public Health. All rights reserved.
Related Docs
View other Related Docs
1. Effect of Two Major Health Reforms on Health Care Cost and Utilization in Fars Province of Iran: Family Physician Program and Health Transformation Plan, BMC Health Services Research (2020)
2. Evaluation of Urban and Rural Family Physician Program in Iran: A Systematic Review, Iranian Journal of Public Health (2019)
3. Family Physician Model in the Health System of Selected Countries: A Comparative Study Summary, Journal of Education and Health Promotion (2020)
Experts (# of related papers)
View all Related Experts
Arash Rashidian (3)
Haniye Sadat Sajadi (2)
Other Related Docs
4. Impact of Rural Family Physician Program on Child Mortality Rates in Iran: A Time-Series Study, Population Health Metrics (2017)
5. Expanding Fiscal Space for Healthcare System Through Efficiency: A Qualitative Study From Iran, Iranian Journal of Public Health (2020)
6. The Challenges of the Family Physician Policy in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Researches, Family Practice (2018)
7. The Impact of Urban Family Physician Program on Health Service Access and Utilization in Iranian Children and Adolescents: Results of the National Health Services Utilization Survey in 2015, Medical Journal of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (2024)
8. The Effect of Access to Primary Care Physicians on Avoidable Hospitalizations: A Time Series Study in Rural Areas of Tehran Province, Iran, Korean Journal of Family Medicine (2020)
9. Iran’S Health System Performance in Achieving Goals Based on the World Health Organization’S Framework: A Scoping Review, Journal of Research and Health (2022)
10. Organizing Palliative Care in the Rural Areas of Iran: Are Family Physician-Based Approaches Suitable?, Journal of Pain Research (2019)
11. Policies and Laws Related to the Integration of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Into the Iranian Health System Based on the Who Definition: A Document Analysis, Journal of Education and Health Promotion (2019)
12. Prioritizing Implementation Solutions for the Urban Family Physician Policy in Iran: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Study, BMC Health Services Research (2025)
13. The Causal Effect of Family Physician Program on the Prevalence, Screening, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus in an Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Causal Difference-In-Differences Analysis, BMC Public Health (2023)
14. Health Complaints in Individual Visiting Primary Health Care: Population-Based National Electronic Health Records of Iran, BMC Health Services Research (2022)
15. Using an Analytical Framework to Explain the Formation of Primary Health Care in Rural Iran in the 1980S, Archives of Iranian Medicine (2016)
16. The Experience of Purchaser-Provider Split in the Implementation of Family Physician and Rural Health Insurance in Iran: An Institutional Approach, Health Policy and Planning (2015)
17. Telepediatric Assistance in Iran: Specialist and Subspecialty Challenges, EAI Endorsed Transactions on Pervasive Health and Technology (2020)
18. Systematic Review and Policy Dialogue to Determine Challenges in Evidence-Informed Health Policy-Making: Findings of the Sasha Study, Health Research Policy and Systems (2021)
19. Family Medicine Program in Iran: Swot Analysis and Tows Matrix Model, Iranian Journal of Public Health (2019)
20. Progress Toward the Implementation of General Health Policies in Iran, Archives of Iranian Medicine (2024)