Policy requirements in promoting older people health care in Iran: A qualitative study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The demographic structure of Iran as a developing country has undergone various changes in recent years. Therefore, the present study sought to analyze policy and upstream documents related to the older people health in Iran in order to identify and analyze the requirements considered by health policymakers to promote the older people health in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a qualitative study conducted in 2021 through national qualitative document analysis. All upstream documents published and related to older people health were reviewed between February 1979 and October 2021. The Scott's four-step method was used to extract the related documents. RESULTS: Policy requirements for promoting older people healthcare in Iran were categorized into 4 main themes in the form of a conceptual framework and 15 sub-themes. Thus, in order to ensure the health of the older people in Iran, it is necessary to take into account the four categories of managerial requirements, financing, infrastructures, and providing older people services. In other words, the sustainable financing requirements and the infrastructural requirements should firstly exist together as basic requirements. Then, geriatric health management requirements are needed to provide the older people health services along with the previous requirements and finally ensure the health of the older people in Iran. CONCLUSION: The results of this study can be helpful in the review of upstream older people health policy documents by policy makers in order to better promote the health of the older people and pave the way for new policies to enter the agenda of policy makers.