Comparing the Health Care System of Iran with Various Countries

Abstract

Background: Gaining health is an inalienable right of every human being; therefore, governments are required to provide a minimum of health care services for all people who live in the society. Objectives: This study was conducted to compare the health care system of Iran and some selected countries around the world. Methods: This was a descriptive-comparative study, which was conducted to compare the health care system of Iran and a number of selected countries with a focus on the service provider and payment method. In this research, nine countries including Norway, Australia, United States of America, Germany, Italy, Canada, England, Denmark and Japan were selected and studied based on the availability of data. These data were compared to that of Iran. The required information from selected countries was collected in 2014 using the "health system review: health system in transition", and "international profiles of health care systems", as well as well-known websites such as the world health organization, the world bank and the health department. Results: The findings of this study showed that in most selected countries, primary care services were provided by the private sector and the public sector has been mostly functioning as a supervisor in this area, but in Iran, primary care services were provided by the government. The findings of this study also showed that hospital services in Iran and selected countries (second and third level services) were provided by both public and private sectors, yet the public sector had a bigger share. Moreover, payment in primary health care (PHC) in the majority of the selected countries was mostly capitation and FFS payments, or a combination of the two. Payment in hospital care (secondary and tertiary levels) in most of the studied countries and even Iran was mostly through governmental budgets. Conclusions: According to the findings of this comparative study indicating the successful experiences of health systems around the world, it seems that the implementation of the process of decentralization of the government in some sections and different levels of health care is the best option for the health care system of Iran.

Participation in Health Legislation: A Comparative Study of Participation Mechanisms in the Selected Countries and Iran

“…The website of "Iranian Virtual Parliament" (www.ir-vp.ir) intends to involve various interest groups in the national legislative process of the Islamic Parliament of Iran. According to the Medical Council Law and the Sixth National Development Plan of the country, the Medical Council of Iran is obliged to submit its expert opinions about plans and bills (27,28).…”

Foresight Based on MADM-Based Scenarios’ Approach: A Case about Comprehensive Sustainable Health Financing Models

“…; however, it is mostly public. Primary care payments mostly are based on subsidy and capitation, while hospital payments are considered according to the general costs and services of physicians (Almaspoor Khangah et al, 2017) [27]. In Iran, primary health care is financed and delivered predominantly by the government.…”

Compliance with design principles: a case study of a widely used laboratory information system

“…The health system of the Islamic Republic of Iran functions in an environment with rapidly changing social, economic and technical factors (1). The private and public sectors both provide healthcare services; however, the public sector, especially the Ministry of Health, plays a more important role in this regard (2).…”

“…The private and public sectors both provide healthcare services; however, the public sector, especially the Ministry of Health, plays a more important role in this regard (2). Comparative studies of healthcare systems in successful countries, introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO), and using their experiences, will assist the Islamic Republic of Iran to achieve a prosperous health system (1). Hospital information systems (HISs) are some of the most important and widely used information systems in health care (3).…”