Title of article :
How do primary care providers work together in the Iranian PHC system?
Author/Authors :
Poursheikhali, Atousa Health Foresight and Innovation Research Center - Institute for Futures Studies in Health - Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran , Dehnavieh, Reza Health Foresight and Innovation Research Center - Institute for Futures Studies in Health - Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Abstract :
Background: Providing coordinated services and forming appropriate cooperation among the members of the health team have a
significant impact on other aspects of service provision, including accessibility and continuity of services.
Methods: In this study information was obtained from a national study titled, "Evaluation of Primary Health Care in Ir@n", and
framework analysis was conducted from the perspective of interprofessional cooperation status using the Amour model based on 5
underlying concepts of sharing, partnership, power, interdependency, and process. This is a mixed-method study of the transformative
sequential type. In this study triangulation method was used, and data were collected by the Primary Care Evaluation Tool (PCET),
interviewing experts and executive directors, and systematic review of the Primary Health Care (PHC) challenges in Iran.
Results: The challenges of the PHC system in Iran are analyzed for providing coordinated care in the form of multidisciplinary
teamwork based on the Amour model. The corresponding solutions for improving challenges of the concept are also presented.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study the followings are suggested: sharing a collective specialized outlook; designing an
integrated information system; improving the educational system through providing on-the-need academic education; strengthening the
cooperation of community representatives and people's trustees in providing care; developing interdepartmental partnerships with related
organizations with collective interests; moderating the workload of human resources; using electronic health records and automated
referral of individuals in addition to appropriate training and promoting the culture from the existing philosophy of primary health care;
highlighting the role of service providers as members of the care team; eliminating factors causing instability of suppliers, plans, and
programs; and stability in the management approach despite changes in senior management.
Keywords :
Cooperation , Amour model , Primary health care evaluation , Teamwork , Iran
Journal title :
Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran