A SWOT analysis of the development of health technology assessment in Iran.

Background: Health systems need to prioritize their services, ensuring efficiency and equitable health provision allocation and access. Alongside, health technology assessment (HTA) seeks to systematically evaluate various aspects of health technologies to be used by policy- and decision-makers. In the present study, we aim to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in developing an HTA in Iran.

Health policy analysis in Eastern Mediterranean region using a health policy triangle framework: Historical and ethical insights from a systematic review.

Background: Health policy can be defined as an agreement and consensus on a health-related program and set of actions taken to achieve the goals expected by programs in the area of policy. Policy analysis involves a wide range of methods, techniques, and tools in a way to reach awareness of the impacts of the developed and implemented policies. Whereas policy analysis in developed countries has a long history, in developing countries, it is instead in its first developing stages.

Quality Assessment of Services in Primary Healthcare in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Primary healthcare (PHC) plays an important role in achieving universal health coverage (UHC). The SERVQUAL instrument is the tool for evaluating the quality of services in the health sector. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of services provided in PHC in Iran using the SERVQUAL instrument.

Strategic planning, components and evolution in zoonotic diseases frameworks: one health approach and public health ethics.

Zoonotic diseases are seen as a major public health concern. Routes of the rapid transmission of zoonotic diseases and the economic damage they cause to communities are all reasons why health institutions and systems need to pay more attention to these diseases. Strategic planning is one of the important tasks of policymakers in every organization and system.

Effect of COVID-19 on the Number of CT-scans and MRI Services of Public Hospitals in Iran: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

Background: In February 2020, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in Iran announced the first case of COVID-19. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the number of CT-Scans and MRI services in public hospitals in western Iran.

Methods: We collected CT-scans and MRI services data from 18 public hospitals via Vice-Chancellor Office, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences from January 2017 to February 2021.

The effect of COVID-19 on public hospital revenues in Iran: An interrupted time-series analysis.

Background: The "Coronavirus Disease 2019" (COVID-19) pandemic has become a major challenge for all healthcare systems worldwide, and besides generating a high toll of deaths, it has caused economic losses. Hospitals have played a key role in providing services to patients and the volume of hospital activities has been refocused on COVID-19 patients. Other activities have been limited/repurposed or even suspended and hospitals have been operating with reduced capacity.

Recommendations to improve insurance coverage for physiotherapy services in Iran: a multi criteria decision-making approach.

Background: High toll of traffic-related injuries, climate change, natural disasters, population aging, as well as chronic diseases have all made considerable demands on receiving physiotherapy services in Iran. Nevertheless, there is an assortment of complications facing utilization of such services, particularly poor insurance coverage. Therefore, the present study investigated and identified gaps in insurance coverage in order to inform future policy reforms and the design of a more comprehensive and universal benefits package for physiotherapy services in Iran.

A policy analysis of agenda-setting of Brucellosis in Iran using a multiple-stream framework: health policy and historical implications.

Background: Brucellosis, a major zoonotic disease, is highly present in Iran, especially in Lorestan province. The aim of this study was to understand the issues related to Brucellosis utilizing the multiple streams framework.

Methods: A two-step method was adopted: 1) assessment of brucellosis-related documents and 2) interviews with stakeholders.

Financial Protection Indexes and the Iranian Health Transformation Plan: A Systematic Review.

: On May 5, 2014, the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education launched the Health Transformation Plan (HTP) as a major healthcare reform to curb out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses and protect people from catastrophic health expenditures (CHEs). Therefore, in this study, we conducted a comprehensive literature search with the aim of systematically investigating the impacts of HTP on OOP and CHE after the implementation of the plan. : Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Iranian bibliographic thesauri and repositories such as MagIran, Elmnet, and Scientific Information Database were searched.

The Impact of the Social Distancing Policy on COVID-19 Incidence Cases and Deaths in Iran from February 2020 to January 2021: Insights from an Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

: In December 2019, a viral outbreak occurred in China, and rapidly spread out worldwide. Due to the lack of immediately available vaccines and effective drugs, many policy- and decision-makers have focused on non-pharmacological methods, including social distancing. This study was aimed at assessing the effects of the implementation of this policy in Iran, one of the countries most affected by COVID-19.

Universal Health Coverage to counteract the economic impact of the COVID-19 infection: current practices and ethical challenges.

In late December 2019, the first case of an emerging coronavirus was identified in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, in mainland China. The novel virus appears to be highly contagious and is rapidly spreading worldwide, becoming a pandemic. The disease is causing a high toll of deaths.

Assessing Iran's health system according to the COVID-19 strategic preparedness and response plan of the World Health Organization: health policy and historical implications.

Background: The role of health systems in the management of disasters, including natural hazards like outbreaks and pandemics, is crucial and vital. Healthcare systems which are unprepared to properly deal with crises are much more likely to expose their public health workers and health personnel to harm and will not be able to deliver healthcare provisions in critical situations. This can lead to a drammatic toll of deaths, even in developed countries.

Mapping Research Trends of Universal Health Coverage From 1990 to 2019: Bibliometric Analysis.

Background: Universal health coverage (UHC) is one of many ambitious, health-related, sustainable development goals. Sharing various experiences of achieving UHC, in terms of challenges, pitfalls, and future prospects, can help policy and decision-makers reduce the likelihood of committing errors. As such, scholarly articles and technical reports are of paramount importance in shedding light on the determinants that make it possible to achieve UHC.

One health approach to tackle brucellosis: a systematic review.

Background: Brucellosis is the most significant and common bacterial zoonosis and is recognized as a re-emerging and neglected disease. Tackling zoonosis is very important for the health and the economy. One Health is an approach characterized by the integration of human and animal health, plants, and ecosystems and encourages joining local, national, and global multidisciplinary efforts to achieve optimal levels of health and collaboration among different disciplines to address complex health problems.

Ensuring adequate health financing to prevent and control the COVID-19 in Iran.

On February 19 2020, the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME) has announced the first 2 cases of SARS-CoV-2, a novel emerging coronavirus which causes an infection termed as COVID-19, in Qom city. As such, the Iranian government, through the establishment of the "National Headquarters for the management and control of the novel Coronavirus", has started implementing policies and programs for the prevention and control of the virus. These measures include schools and universities closure, reduced working hours, and increased production and delivery of equipment such as masks, gloves and hygienic materials for sterile environments.