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BackgroundIn 2015, the Iranian Urban Family Physician Program (UFPP) was implemented in urban health centers. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the trend of health indicators across a ten-year period in an Iranian population and to measure the possible effects of this intervention on health indicators.MethodsAn interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) was performed on a ten-years (from 2009 to 2018) of annual data set covering all healthcare indicators associated to the UFPP in Bonab County, Iran. The time of intervention was at the 7th data point in 2015. Health indicators were divided into two groups including process indicators (Modern Contraceptives Use (MCU), Prenatal and Postpartum care visits, Clinical Breast Examinations (CBE), brucellosis and tuberculosis (TB) incidence), and outcome indicators (Total fertility rate (TFR), Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Stillbirth Rate (SBR), Infant mortality Rate (IMR), Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR), 1–59 months old Mortality Rate, Low Birth Weight (LBW), crud birth rate (CBR) and the rates of Infants fed by Formula milk.ResultsThe ratio of some process indicators, including the MCU (b = -5.13. 95% Confidence Interval (CI): -8.01 to -2.26), incidence of tuberculosis (b = .016. 95% CI: -1.01 to 1.34) and brucellosis (b = 3.04. 95% CI: -3.4 to 9.50) had a decreasing trend from 2008 to 2018. However, the CBE (b = 0.60. 95% CI: -4.97 to 6.18), prenatal care visits, (b= -4.25. 95% CI: -10.4 to 1.5) postpartum care visits (b = -22.83. 95% CI: -31.44 to -14.21), and first time care visits during pregnancy (b = -5.59. 95% CI: -14.52 to 3.32) were found with increasing trends. In contrast, the rate of at least six-time care visits during pregnancy was found to be in a decreasing trend (b = -10.32. 95% CI: -16.82 to -3.82). A series of outcome indicators including MMR (b = 24.78. 95% CI: 2.88 to 46.61), TFR (b = 0.07. 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.13), 1–59 Month old Mortality Rate (b = − .16. 95% CI: − .45 to .12), LBW (b = .33. 95% CI: − .08 to .40), Formula-fed infant rate (b = .48. 95% CI: − .007 to .97), Delivery rate in high-risk groups (b = 1.85. 95% CI: 1.22 to 2.49) and CS (b = -3.43. 95% CI: -5.73 to -1.12) had increasing trends from 2008 to 2018. In contrast, SBR (b = − .04. 95% CI: − .21 to .12), NMR (b = − .77. 95% CI: -2.91 to 1.36), IMR (b = -1.05. 95% CI: -2.99 to .89) and CBR (b = − .97. 95% CI: -1.85 to − .09) were in decreasing trends.ConclusionThe UFPP was found with positive impacts on some process, proximal and distal outcome indicators, but its positive impacts on the trends of some critical indicators, including MMR, NMR and IMR remained questionable. Our findings may shed light on the role of some other factors like social determinants of health in the programs like the UFPP.

Background Family physician program plays a crucial role in promoting community‐based primary healthcare quality. This study aimed to explore the challenges and obstacles of implementing family physician program in an Iranian urban community context.Methods A qualitative study with conventional content analysis approach was conducted. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews until data saturation, and were concurrently analyzed. MAXQDA 10 was used to manage the data. The study was conducted between February and July 2019 in urban health centers of Bonab, Iran. Participants were nineteen healthcare recipients and healthcare providers from urban health centers in Bonab, Iran.Results Three main categories including ‘socio-cultural and economic challenges’, ‘interpersonal communication difficulties’ and ‘inefficient management’ emerged as the challenges of implementing urban family physician program in the community.Conclusions The implementation of family physician program is a long process that is influenced by various factors and elimination of barriers requires developing infrastructures and culture growth and improving the professional settings and interpersonal relationship.

Background: In 2015, the Iranian Urban Family Physician Program (UFPP) was implemented in urban health centers. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the trend of health indicators across a ten-year period in an Iranian population and to measure the possible effects of this intervention on health indicators.Methods: An interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) was performed on a ten-years (from 2009 to 2018) of annual data set covering all healthcare indicators associated to the UFPP in Bonab County, Iran. The time of intervention was at the 7th data point in 2015. Health indicators were divided into two groups including process indicators (Modern Contraceptives Use (MCU), Prenatal and Postpartum care visits, Clinical Breast Examinations (CBE), brucellosis and tuberculosis (TB) incidence), and outcome indicators (Total fertility rate (TFR), Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Stillbirth Rate (SBR), Infant mortality Rate (IMR), Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR), 1-59 months old Mortality Rate, Low Birth Weight (LBW), crud birth rate (CBR) and the rates of Infants fed by Formula milk.Results: The ratio of some process indicators, including the MCU (b = -5.13. 95% Confidence Interval (CI): -8.01 to -2.26), incidence of tuberculosis (b = .016. 95% CI: -1.01 to 1.34) and brucellosis (b = 3.04. 95% CI: -3.4 to 9.50) had a decreasing trend from 2008 to 2018. However, the CBE (b = 0.60. 95% CI: -4.97 to 6.18), prenatal care visits, (b= -4.25. 95% CI: -10.4 to 1.5) postpartum care visits (b = -22.83. 95% CI: -31.44 to -14.21), and first time care visits during pregnancy (b = -5.59. 95% CI: -14.52 to 3.32) were found with increasing trends. In contrast, the rate of at least six-time care visits during pregnancy was found to be in a decreasing trend (b = -10.32. 95% CI: -16.82 to -3.82). A series of outcome indicators including MMR (b = 24.78. 95% CI: 2.88 to 46.61), TFR (b= 0.07. 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.13), 1-59 Month old Mortality Rate (b = -.16. 95% CI: -.45 to .12), LBW (b = .33. 95% CI: -.08 to .40), Formula-fed infant rate (b = .48. 95% CI: -.007 to .97), Delivery rate in high-risk groups (b = 1.85. 95% CI: 1.22 to 2.49) and CS (b = -3.43. 95% CI: -5.73 to -1.12) had increasing trends from 2008 to 2018. In contrast, SBR (b = -.04. 95% CI: -.21 to .12), NMR (b = -.77. 95% CI: -2.91 to 1.36), IMR (b = -1.05. 95% CI: -2.99 to .89) and CBR (b = -.97. 95% CI: -1.85 to -.09) were in decreasing trends. Conclusion: The UFPP was found with positive impacts on some process, proximal and distal outcome indicators, but its positive impacts on the trends of some critical indicators, including MMR, NMR and IMR remained questionable. Our findings may shed light on the role of some other factors like social determinants of health in the programs like the UFPP.