Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health Researchers Describe Recent Advances in Data Systems (Qualitative analysis of Iranian sixth five-year economic, social, and cultural development plan from universal health coverage perspective): Information Technology – Data Systems

2021 OCT 06 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Current study results on data systems have been published. According to news reporting out of Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health by NewsRx editors, research stated, “This research analyzed the Sixth Five-Year Economic, Social, and Cultural Development Plan of the Islamic Republic of Iran (6NPD) to shed light on how the plan addresses the Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This research was a qualitative study.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health: “We systematically analyzed ‘Secs. 14 -Health, Insurance, Health & Women, and Family’ in the 6NPD. Through a content analysis, we converted this section into meaning units and coded them. Coding was guided through the conceptual framework ‘Six Building Blocks of Health System’ and the key principles of UHC. Six themes and twenty-one subthemes were identified. The subthemes of financing include a fair and secured process of resource pooling, payment methods, revenue generation for the health sector, and a definition of a basic benefits package. The subthemes of governance and leadership consist of social insurance policies’ integration, compliance of providers, a designation of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME) as the regulator and the steward of health resources, a payer-provider split, and stakeholders’ participation. The subthemes of health workforce emphasizes balancing the quality and quantity of the health workforce with populations’ health needs and the health system’s requirements. The subthemes of health information systems consist of the electronic health records for Iranians, information systems for organization and delivery functions, and information systems for the financing function. The subthemes of the organization and delivery consider improving effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare delivery, strengthening the family physician program and referral system, and extending the pre-hospital emergency system. Lastly, access to medicine focuses on the design and implementation of an essential drug list and drug systems for approving the coverage and provision of generic medicine.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “The 6NPD introduced policies for strengthening the 6 building blocks of the health system. It introduced policies to improve financing particularly resource pooling and the sustainability of financial resources. As mandated by 6NPD, centering the health system’s governance/leadership in MoHME may exacerbate the existing conflict of interests and provoke various arguments, which impede the enforcement of rules and regulation. The 6NPD is a step forward in terms of improving financial protection, yet several other policies need to be made to adequately meet the requirement of UHC regarding equity and effective coverage.”

For more information on this research see: Qualitative analysis of Iranian sixth five-year economic, social, and cultural development plan from universal health coverage perspective. BMC Health Services Research, 2021,21(1):1-9. (BMC Health Services Research - http://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com). The publisher for BMC Health Services Research is BMC.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06985-1.

Our news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Mahdi Mahdavi, Bernard Lown Scholar in Cardiovascular Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Additional authors for this research include Haniye Sadat Sajadi.

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