Corruption in Hospitals, Causes and Prevention

Background and Objectives: Corruption is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon emerging when people misuse their power for personal gain. The current study aimed to delve into the causes of corruption in hospitals and anti-corruption preventive measures. Methods: In this review study, national and international databases were searched using the keywords “corruption”, “health” and “hospital” and their English equivalents, both separately and in conjunction. Results: In both advanced and developing countries, corruption is on the rise in hospitals and related preventive measures are steadily getting more complicated. In addition, informal payments have affected hospitals and paying for officially free of charge services has led to patients’ distrust in the healthcare system. Conclusion: Allocation of different roles and responsibilities to regulators, payers, healthcare providers, suppliers, and consumers has made good decision-making difficult even with the absolute honesty of all the people involved. In other words, in organizations with underlying principles of secrecy and confidentiality, such consequences as corruption are inevitable.