Doshmangir L^1,2,3 (MSc, PhD), Doshmangir P⁴ (Msc, PhD Student), Abbasi M⁵ (MSc), Rashidian A*^5,6 (MD, PhD)

¹ School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical sciences, Tabriz, Iran

² Iranian Center of Exellence in Health Management, Tabriz University of Medical sciences, Tabriz, Iran

³ Tabriz Health Services Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical sciences, Tabriz, Iran 

⁴ Department of Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

⁵ Department of Health Mangement and Economics, School of Public Health,

Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁶ Knowledge Utilization Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Original Article

Received: 1 Nov 2014, Accepted: 4 Feb 2015

Abstract

Introduction: Development of a referral system based on family medicine is an important aim of health policymakers and planners to achieve health system goals. Knowledge regarding infrastructures for implementation of a policy is a pivotal step in implementing the policies. Along with the implementation of urban family medicine in Iran, local and national electronic websites and newspapers reflected the viewpoints of experts and stekeholders about this national policy. The aim of this study was to assess the experts’s views via analyzing related national web documents.

Methods: In this study, we analyzed the contents of the identified documents. We gathered data from national websites during December 2011 until November 2012. Collected data were analyzed using the thematic approach in the MAXQDA-10.

Results: Six main themes and 28 sub-themes can describe the infrastructures for family medicine implementation in Iran. The main themes include “stewardship and governance", "legal infrastructure", "structural infrastructure", "technical infrastructure and required resources", "policy actors and stakeholders" and "communication infrastructure".

Conclusion: Considering the principles of policy implementation and providing appropriate infrastructures are requirements for implementation of urban family medicine. The main infrastructures for implemention of the urban family medicine in Iran include stewardship in health system, adequate funds, cooperation and coordination of all stakeholders, avoiding power conflicts and setting tariffs rationally and covering people across the country.

Key words: family medicine, document analysis, content analysis, policy implementation, Health system, Iran

Please cite this article as follows:

Doshmangir L, Doshmangir P, Abbasi M, Rashidian A. Infrastructures for Implementation of Urban Family Medicine in Iran: a Qualitative Document Analysis. Hakim Health Sys Res 2015 18(1): 1- 13.