Background: Despite huge advances in improving most health indicators, Iranian primary health care (PHC) has faced several problems in improving the quality of care inside the health care system. Developed countries with similar problems have used various models of PHC governance for improving quality in their PHC system. This study aimed to obtain health professionals’ perspectives about the suitable pillars and components of Iran's PHC governance model. Methods: A purposeful sampling method was used to select seven participants who had a minimum of five years of experience in PHC and background education in the field of medical sciences. Between Jan and Jun 2015, three focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with seven PHC experts in Tabriz. Data were analyzed using the conventional content analysis method. Results: The eight main categories including quality improvement, management and leadership, community involvement and customer participation, effectiveness of PHC, human resource development, safety, health care evaluation and audit, and health information management plus 51 sub-categories were identified according to participants' expects about the essential pillars and components for Iranian PHC governance model. Conclusion: Pillars that suggested for designing Iran’s PHC governance model are presented according to internal informed expert’s opinions and taking into account PHC system real status. By adding the degree of importance for each component and proper performance indicators to this collection, assessing the progress of the PHC system towards excellence will be possible and it will prevent any mental judgments about system performance.

Background This study aimed to reflect on scientific experts’ and executive stakeholders’ opinions on how charitable organizations can participate in the health care system properly and cope with problems, challenges, strategies, and executive requirements at three major levels of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. Methods A total number of 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with scientific experts and executive stakeholders, selected for this qualitative study, based on an interview guide. Using the purposeful sampling method, we selected scientific experts with 5 years of experience in the health care system and executive stakeholders who had 5 years of experience in charitable activities. We applied a framework method for data analysis, and the main themes were extracted through MAXQDA software. Results Our findings revealed that charitable organizations at the major levels of the health care system, i.e., prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation, possessed the necessary capacities to provide services effectively. Nevertheless, charities encountered some problems, e.g., financial instability, non-recognition of donors’ legal status, non-involvement in policy-making, inadequate cooperation from other agencies, absence of transparent programs and goals, together with weaknesses in advertising and attracting donations. It was noted that the government should take more operational steps towards supporting such organizations, e.g., by granting special facilities and exemptions, engaging charities in policy-making and training processes, and empowering them in terms of the production of resources. Charitable organizations are also recommended to establish external communications with other bodies such as municipalities, secretaries of state, governorate offices, welfare organizations, relief committees, and medical sciences universities. Conclusions Charitable organizations have the potentials to provide health care services at prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation levels. Thus, it is of utmost importance to adopt strategies such as creating sustainable funding sources, training charity managers with a wide variety of scientific management techniques, and implementing their intellectual capacities in legislative and planning processes.

Objective: This study aimed to reflect on the participation status of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at different levels (i.e., prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation) of Iran’s health care system. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was fulfilled in 2019 based on 40 charitable organizations involved in health care services delivery, which were randomly selected from the Iranian Charities Portal (ICP). Data were collected via a valid and reliable researcher-made questionnaire. SPSS software version 16.0 was used to analyze data. Results: Direct and indirect methods of service delivery were used in 63% of organizations. The most important sources of funding were associated with public donations. Furthermore, 94% of charities were evaluating the health care services with internal and external evaluation and customer satisfaction surveys. Conclusions: The NGOs could be a precious contribution to the health care system. To use this potential as a synergistic factor of the health system, adopting such strategies as creating sustainable funding sources and establishing more coordination between organizations are essential.

Context: Risk management in hospitals is essential for improving healthcare quality. This study analyzed the characteristics of risk management programs implemented in operating rooms of hospitals across countries worldwide. Evidence Acquisition: This study was a scoping review of online database studies, including Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Springer, ProQuest, Iranian SID, and Magiran databases and the Google Scholar search engine. Three people independently performed the study selection, quality assessment, data extraction, and analysis among studies that reviewed risk management programs in health systems and those conducted outside the health system. Articles in non-English languages (including Persian) were excluded. Results: A total of 21 studies with similar purposes and data collection methods were included. The characteristics of risk management programs were classified into six main factors: Objectives, components, steps, results, prerequisites, facilitators of risk management programs, and 35 sub-factors. Conclusions: The conceptual framework of any risk management program should include at least the objectives: Risk eradication, safety promotion, quality improvement and prevention and reduction of risks, component: Communication and monitoring; steps: (1) Preoperative evaluation during (logging); (2) evaluation during surgery; (3) post-surgery evaluation (logout); and the results: Achieving effective methods in reducing errors; prerequisites: Human resource, knowledge and information, and facilitators such as the use of monitoring technologies and error detection and reporting in the operating room.

Introduction: Counseling by experienced, interested and motivated professors helps students in facing educational problems and achieving educational goals and is considered a necessary action in the educational system. The aim of this study is to improve the status of academic advisor and mentoring system in order to meet the educational needs of students of management and medical informatics faculty of Tabriz University of medical sciences. Methods: This is an action research study that was conducted during two semesters of the academic year of 1401-1400. First, a quantitative study was conducted regarding students' satisfaction with the academic advisor system, and then during numerous meetings in the form of focus group discussions with the main owners of the process, academic advisor systems problems and solutions to improve it were identified. In the last stage, after the implementation of interventions and solutions, the degree of improvement of the process was checked. Result: The participation rate of students in completing the satisfaction questionnaire was 65%. The degree of students' satisfaction with the professor's performance before the process improvement was 42.4%. After identifying the main problems and challenges of the academic advisor and mentoring system (4 main themes and 7 sub-themes), actions aimed at increasing students' awareness, clarifying the process of the academic advisor and mentoring system, increasing the motivation of faculty members to cooperate in the academic advisor system and satisfaction survey of students was conducted in order to improve the process and adjust the problems of this system. With the implementation of the proposed interventions, the overall satisfaction level increased to 66.7%. Conclusion: The promotion of this process increased the satisfaction of students, improved interactions between students and professors, and reduced the distance between the educational environment and students during the epidemic of Covid-19.