IAJPS 2017, 4 (12), 4566-4579 Abdolreza Gilavand et al ISSN 2349-7750

CODEN [USA]: IAJPBB ISSN: 2349-7750

INDO AMERICAN JOURNAL OF

PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1119231

Available online at: http://www.iajps.com Review Article

EVALUATION OF THE HEALTH SYSTEM REFORM PLAN IN

IRANIAN UNIVERSITIES OF MEDICAL SCIENCES IN TERMS OF
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT: A REVIEW
Yadollah Mehralizadeh 1, Abdolreza Gilavand*2, Morvarid Sheykhi alizadeh3,
Kiamars Hajizadeh4
1
Professor, Department of Educational Administration, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid
Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
2
Expert on Faculty Appointments, Department of Education Development Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur
University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
3
PhD Student, Department of Educational Administration, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz,
Iran
4
PhD Student, Department of Educational Administration, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz,
Iran
Abstract
Introduction: The main mission of the health system is to raise the level of health and respond to the needs of the people and
society. Therefore, this research is evaluating the Health System reform Plan in Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences in terms
of community empowerment.
Materials and Methods: This is a simple overview in 2017. The criteria and indicator of community empowerment are based on
patient satisfaction (before and after health reform). Research data were collected by means of searching through published
articles in Internet resources and scientific databases such as (SID, MAGIRAN, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science) and by
searching the 3 words and terms of "healthcare reform plan, patient satisfaction, and Iran" without linguistic and time
restrictions. In the initial search, 47 related studies were found, of which 21 of the research papers that were completely r elated
were used in this study.
Results: The findings of the reviewed studies showed that the health system reform plan has successfully achieved its first and
most important goal, namely, reducing the amount of payment from patients pocket. And ultimately achieve satisfaction and
empowerment of the community in this regard.
Discussion and Conclusion: Implementation of the Health Development Reform Plan on the condition of sustained growth,
evaluation and continuous improvement, as well as understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing it, and ultimately
the development of sustainable financial resources and the allocating sufficient financial resources to the insurance funds c an
improve the quality of health services while increasing the empowerment of the community.
KeyWords: Health System Reform Plan, University of Medical Sciences, Empowerment, Iran.
*Corresponding author:
QR code
Abdolreza Gilavand,
Expert on Faculty Appointments,
Department of Education Development Center,
Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences,
Ahvaz, Iran. Email: [email protected]
Please cite this article in press as: Mehralizadeh Y., Gilavand A., Sheykhi alizadeh M., Hajizadeh K. Evaluation of
the Health System Reform Plan In Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences in Terms of Community
Empowerment: A Review, Indo Am. J. P. Sci, 2017; 4(12).

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INTRODUCTION: behavior change, which can be modulated

Health is a valuable asset that its maintenance and individually in order to improve the performance of
promotion should be considered as one of the most the health system of each of the control levers, but to
important efforts of everyday life of humans. A make fundamental amendments, changes in all
healthy person is the focus of sustainable control levers are necessary (5).
development and health is essential for the benefit of
human beings from divine beneficence. Therefore, The empowerment movement of patients began in the
attention to health and efforts to maintain and early 1970s with the Patient Rights plan.
promote it has always been an important priority (1). Empowerment was established with the aim of
Principles- of -43, 30, 29, 21, and 3 Constitution capacity building in patients, so that it be an active
emphasize the issue of health and education. member in the self-care process and can be involved
Principle- of- 29 Constitution considered the fair in making self-clinical decisions. Patients are also
access to health services as the government duty and widely involved in the health system (6).
states: "Having social security in terms of retirement, Empowerment is a positive conceptual refers to the
unemployment, aging, disability, accidents and the facilities, abilities of individuals and their
need for health care and medical care in the form of surroundings to identify problems, failures and
insurance, etc., is a general right, the government is interventions in them. It is a process by which people
obligated to provide services and financial support to are empowered to transfer power from one person to
the people of the country according to the rules from another or among groups. (6). In the empowerment
the public revenues and the income from the model, the health -field professionals help individuals
participation of the people. " Principle-of-43 make appropriate and necessary decisions according
Constitution emphasizes the basic needs of housing, to their specific circumstances. Patients are
food, clothing, health and education, as well as the encouraged to participate in the treatment process by
facilities for forming a family in paragraph 12 of the sharing information and cooperating in decision
Principle 3, eliminating any restrictions on nutrition, making. Empowering, discovering and developing
housing, work and health. The protection of mothers, the individual's intrinsic capacity to accept his or her
especially during pregnancy and child custody, and own health responsibilities. The main concept of this
the protection of unaccompanied children are change is the tendency to change. Empowerment is
mentioned in principle-of 21 -Constitution. Principles more than a particular health behavior and has the
3 and 30 of the Constitution emphasize the provision potential for overall health promotion, expansion of
of free higher education to the degree of self- resources in other individuals and different scopes of
sufficiency of the country (2). On the other hand, due communities. Empowering is mainly an intervention
to the basic belief of the Islamic Revolution in the or strategy to help people change their behavior in
provision of social justice and health for all, in the compliance with the treatment plan (7).
major policies of the country in the first to sixth Empowerment is a functional strategy for health
development plans of Iran after the Islamic promotion (8). Craig and Lindsay define
Revolution, special attention has been paid to health empowerment as the process through which
issues (3). Health systems play a very important role individuals dominate their own state of affairs (9).
in improving the quality of life of people in the Jones and Meleis defined the concept of
community and having an effective health system is empowerment as "the social process of cognition,
essential for the healthy growth of families and promoting and increasing the ability of individuals to
communities. The main mission of the health system meet their needs, solving their problems, and
is to raise the level of health and respond to the needs mobilizing the resources necessary to control their
of the people and society. These needs are constantly own lives". In other words, patient empowerment is a
changing due to the economic, social, political and process to help them control the factors that affect
environmental conditions. On the other hand, health- their health (10). Empowerment is also referred to as
related diseases and risk factors are constantly a skill and ability to participate. Empowerment skills
changing, and especially in the present era, they are include problem solving, self-confidence, and
experiencing very rapid changes. Responsiveness to confidence-building strategies (9). Funnell and
these changes is the most important argument on colleagues consider empowerment as the
which the health system should be reformed and development of self-confidence, critical analysis of
promoted (4). Reforms in the health system are done the world, the involvement of community members
through changes in control levers. The most and their organization for environmental change.
important levers of control of the health system are: According to their writings, educating empowers
mechanisms for financial providing, payment, people in challenging groups, enabling them to
organizing, establishment of rules, regulations and examine the historical social roots of the problem and

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to think of society with higher health. So they been done on the effect of this project on patient
empower them to develop their problem-solving satisfaction (21-49). The main goal of the health care
strategies. In such a society, one believes that he is reform project in Iran is the satisfaction of most
able to change. So empowerment targets change of patients and their fellows. Patient satisfaction seems
individuals, groups and structures. To empower to be a continuous structure due to the emotional and
individuals, they expand the motivation and skills cognitive responses of patient assessment during
that enable them to change behavior. According to hospital stay. Today, the assessment of patient
this definition, empowerment includes prevention, satisfaction is recognized as an important indicator of
community issues, self-development, improvement of the quality of health care and the planning for its
life quality and social justice. Funnell et al. stated that improvement has increased (44). Anthony Giddens
empowerment includes self-reliance, personal offered a theory in terms of social deprivation. In this
responsibility and self-care, but the most commonly research, it is assumed that community patients are in
reported is in relation to health behaviors (11). There critical situations due to financial disability, but the
is a strong link in the concept of empowerment and start of the health system reform plan has increased
development in societies. The World Health the trust and hope among patients and the community
Organization's health promotion glossary varies that are not concerned about their own health (50).
between individual and social empowerment. Therefore, in this research, the criterion of
Individual empowerment is one's ability to make community empowerment, patient satisfaction from
decisions and control their own lives. While social health system reform plan and based on Giddens
empowerment involves individuals in maximizing the social deprivation theory is considered. Because the
impact and control of determinants of health and higher the satisfaction is, the patient's physical and
quality of life in the community (12). The results of mental improvements are better, faster and has more
empowerment include positive self-confidence, satisfactory for patients and their fellows. On the
ability to have and reach the goal, having a sense of contrary, patient dissatisfaction leads to anxiety,
control over life and processes of change and a sense delay in recovery, increased hospitalization time,
of hope for the future (13). In early 2015, in Iran, medical expenses, and occupancy of hospital beds
with the introduction of the second phase of targeting (51-52).
subsidies, a large part of the incomes from targeted MATERIALS AND METHODS:
subsidies as well as one percent of value added tax This study was a simple overview in 2017 in order to
was allocated to the health sector. Based on the assess the health system reform plan in Iran's medical
obtained sources, a plan called the Health System sciences universities in terms of community
Reform Plan was implemented at various stages in empowerment. In this research, the criteria and
the country, the common goal of these steps and indicators of community empowerment are based on
implementation plans was to achieve comprehensive patients' satisfaction (before and after the health
coverage of health. Therefore, the health system system reform plan). Research data are collected
reform plan in the following eight service packages through search of published articles in Internet
presented: reduce the amount of hospitalized patients, sources and scientific databases such as (SID,
supporting the remain of physicians in deprived MAGIRAN, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science)
areas, the presence of doctors residing in government and with searching, 3 words and the term "health care
hospitals over 64 beds, improving hotel reform plan, patient satisfaction and Iran" with no
accommodation quality in government hospitals, linguistic and time limitations. In the initial search,
improving the quality of hospital care services, 47 related studies were found, of which 21 of the
natural child delivery promotion program, Financial research papers that were completely related were
Protection Program. (14). used in this study.

The universities of medical sciences have been RESULTS:

trained to provide specialist and dedicated personnel According to Table 1 (1), out of 21 researches
in the health and medical fields (15-16). And every conducted in this review study in medical universities
year, many elites continue to study (17-18), as well as and health centers affiliated to the Ministry of Health
to recruit as a faculty member, to the Iranian and Medical Education of Iran, only 2 of them have
universities of medical sciences (19-20). Evaluation shown unsuccessful implementation of this project,
of performance and efficiency as one of the factors and other 19 studies have confirmed its successful
influencing the effectiveness of the Health System implementation in the terms of satisfy patients and
Reform Plan can help policymakers and executives to ultimately empower the community. Therefore, the
better understand their strengths and weaknesses and healthcare reform plan, aimed at protecting people's
work to improve them. So far, many studies have health costs, improving quality and increasing access

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to health care services, has managed to address most evaluating the positive effects of the health system
of the health problems of people.Other studies have reform plan from the viewpoint of managers and
examined the impact of the health system's reform heads of hospitals showed that the implementation of
plan on other indicators. the health reform plan in the treatment part had a
positive effect on the performance of the
Pirozi and colleagues with the aim of evaluating the implementation centers (46). Heydarian and Vahdat
response rate of the health system after one year from in their study aimed at examining the effect of
the implementation of the Health System Reform implementing the health system reform plan on
Plan did a survey in Sanandaj city and concluded that pocket payments from patients in selected state
the dimensions of communication, independence and hospitals of Isfahan concluded that the health care
quality of the environment as priority dimensions for reform plan has been able to achieve its first and
corrective actions In order to improve the most important goal of reducing pocket payments of
accountability of the health system, have a potential patients (47). Friedfar et al., in their study, aimed at
role (43). Razm Ara and colleagues, while claiming investigating the effect of implementation of the
increasing satisfaction with the implementation of the health system reform plan on hospital indicators
health system reform plan among all sectors of including clinical, paraclinical, and surgical
society, have stated that the implementation of this parameters as well as the patients' satisfaction level in
plan is have problems, such as the over-involvement Hazrate Rasoul-e-Akram research and therapeutic
of faculty members in the process of treatment and training complex, concluded that the implementation
neglect of medical education, as well as the of the reform plan Increasing the acceptance of
impressing of educational programs from policies in clinics and paraquinicans, and increasing patient
the treatment sector, especially when they are satisfaction (48).The results of the study by Alidadi et
implemented regardless of its educational aspects, are al. with the aim of identifying the opportunities and
among the most important of these cases (44). challenges of the health system reform plan
Akhondzade has stated that despite the realization of executives showed that the project budget did not
the goal of the health system's reform plan to reduce correlate with the goals of reforming the health
the cost of paying, special attention to healthcare system. Also, the findings of this study indicated that
providers, doctors and medical personnel, especially there was no proper policy making and the study of
doctors in the public sector is still oppressed (45). inappropriate tariff setting and structure (49).
The study of Sajjadi and Zaboli with the aim of
Table 1: Main characteristics of included studies
Dissa satisfa final conclusion Nu data Article title Authors Year of University
tisfac ction mbe gathering researc of Medical
tion r of tools h Sciences
stati or Faculty
stica
l
sam
ples
⃰ After the implementation of the 366 questionn Comparison Baratlou 2014 Shahid
Health reform Plan, satisfaction 5 aire of et al., Beheshti
with pre-discharge training, the Satisfaction University
status of the hospital room, the Rate of of Medical
cleaning of health services, the Emergency Sciences
timely visits of doctors, the Centers in Tehran -
accuracy and time for Tehran Shohadaee
examination, recommendations Mortar Tajrish
for the recovery and well-being Center and Hospital
of the patient, the status of after the
treatment The financial affairs, Establishment
as well as the observance of of Health
religious standards and ethical System
principles, had diminished reform Plan
significantly.

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⃰ In comparison with age, gender, 400 Patient Epidemiologi Haji 2013 Shahid
marriage, the way of referring File c review of adine et and Beheshti
patients before and after the Archive referral of al. 2015 University
implementation of the plan for emergency -
the reform of the health system department Emergenc
has not changed significantly. before and y Hospital
Also, after the implementation after the of
of the project, despite a small development Shohadae
increase in the number of of health Tajrish
referrals related to cancer, the system
pattern of the referrers was
consistent with the type of
disease. However, there was a
significant change in the status
of appointment of patients for
clearance.
⃰ Of the 1,200 patients 120 questionn Assessment Godarzia 2015 Mazandar
participating in the project, most 0 aire of satisfaction n et al., an
patients had a satisfactory level rate of Education
of satisfaction. The mean of hospitalized al
satisfaction score of patients was patients in Hospitals
statistically significant with educational
marital status, education level hospitals of
and occupation. Mazandaran
province and
its related
factors from
the health
care reform
plan of 2014

⃰ Information is provided from a 601 Library A Maharlou 2014 Alzahra

bill of 601 cardiovascular studies Comparative et al. Cardiac
patients referred to Al-Zahra and Study on the Hospital,
heart surgery hospital in Shiraz document Cost of Shiraz
before and after implementing a ary Hospital University
health reform plan. The average methods Services for of Medical
of the total payment from the Cardiac Sciences
pocket of the patient after the Patients
implementation of the reform before and
plan for the operation of the after the
coronary artery with a implementati
significant difference was on of Health
reduced and the average share of reform Plan
basic insurance from the total (Case Study
cost of a surgical unit after of Alzahra
coronary artery disease, Gave Heart
Hospital in
Shiraz)
⃰ The reform plan has affected -- Question Performance Nabi lou 2013 West
technical, managerial, and scale naire. Evaluation of et al. Azarbaijan
performance, which indicates The data the Health University
improved performance through collection System of Medical
the implementation of the health vote was reform Plan Sciences
system reform plan. Before the taken in Hospitals hospitals
establishment of the plan, from a Affiliated

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74.17% of the hospitals were blacklist with West

operating non-cooperatively, containin Azerbaijan
and after the implementation of g hospital University of
the plan, the rate had dropped to profiles Medical
70.8%. In addition, after the and Sciences
implementation of the health variables
promotion plan, the performance required
of some hospitals was reduced for
analysis
⃰ Considering the good 176 questionn Evaluation of Kazemi 2014 3
satisfaction of patients from the 0 aire satisfaction of et al. specialize
specialized clinic of the patients d clinics
specialized clinic of Yazd, due referring to and
to the increase of facilities and three specialty
benefits that are provided during specialized of Yazd
the implementation of the and sub- city
development plan for patients in specialty
the clinic, and the increase in the clinics in
presence of non-native patients Yazd after
in Yazd province, it seems that implementati
in the coming years more on of health
patients Refer to the relevant care reform
clinics plan
⃰ The reform plan in the health Analytica The Effect of Dadgar et 2014 Hospitals
system has positively changed l Health al. affiliated
the performance indicators of descriptiv System to
hospitals affiliated to Lorestan e reform Plan Lorestan
University of Medical Sciences. on University
Performance of Medical
Indicators of Sciences
Hospital
Centers
Covered by
Lorestan
University of
Medical
Sciences
⃰ In general, patients had a 208 Question Patients' Gholipou 2013 East
positive and satisfactory view on 1 naire and Viewpoints r et al. Azarbaijan
the implementation of the plan, interview on Province
but timely access to the Implementati Hospitals
physician and the welfare on of the
facilities of the hospitals was not Health
satisfactory. System
reform Plan
in the
Hospitals of
East
Azarbaijan
Province
⃰ In the years after the 43 Analytica Evaluating Hashemi 2014 Hospitals
implementation of the reform l and an et al. in Isfahan
plan, the number of effective descriptiv comparing province
centers has been increased and e the efficacy
the number of inefficient centers of hospitals in
has decreased, which is a further Isfahan

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increase in academic centers and province in

changes in private photo centers. the years
Increasing the number of before and
effective centers in the academic after
centers of the city center from implementati
the first year (2013) and in the on of the
academic centers of the cities health system
since the second year (2014) reform plan
after the implementation of the using the
development plan. The number Pabon-Lasso
of centers located in the fourth model
quarter was fixed in the study
years.
⃰ Health reform plan has a -- questionn The effect of Zandian 2014 Ardabil bu
positive effect on reducing the aire health system et al. ali medical
delivery of cesarean section and reform plan center
has reduced the proportion of on prevalence
cesarean delivery to normal and costs of
delivery by 79.90. Investigating natural child
the effect of health reform plan delivery and
on labor costs showed that the cesarean
cost of all services related to
cesarean section has decreased
after health reform plan.
However, the cost of nursing
services has also increased
significantly. Based on this, it
can be concluded that the health
promotion plan in the field of
natural vaginal delivery has
somewhat achieved its
developed goals.
⃰ The majority of the research 900 questionn A Survey on Shariati 2014 Ahwaz
samples (patient and aire the et al. Education
companion) were satisfied with Satisfaction al
the implementation of the health of Nurses, Hospitals
care reform plan, but most of the Patients and
nurses were dissatisfied with the Patients'
implementation of the health Companions
care reform plan. in
Implementati
on of Health
reform Plan
in Ahvaz City
Hospitals in
2014
⃰ The variables of the Health 331 Librarian Investigating Zarei and 2013 University
System reform Plan, and field the Impact of mohamm Hospitals
government subsidy to the method the Health adi in Ilam
health system, and rural and System
enrollment have been effective referring reform Plan
in reducing patient costs, but to patient on the
implementation of the Health costs Payback
System reform Plan has led to statistics Reduction of
an increase in costs overall. and Insured
document Persons in the

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s Health
Insurance
Organization
(Case Study:
Patients
Admitted to
Ilam
University
Hospitals in
Nov. 2012
and 2013)
⃰ The execution of this book has -- Forms of Comparison Ghasem 2014 An
had an effect on some of the activity of the zade et Education
markers (percentage of of the selected al. al Therapy
occupancy of bed, occupation center markers of a Center In
bed, cesarean section) and on and medical Isfahan
other markers (number of referring education
admitted patients, outpatients, to the center before
emergency clients, discharged managem and after
and number of surgeries). ent of implementati
statistics on of health
of system
Isfahan reform plan
Universit in 2013:
y of Isfahan
Medical
Sciences
⃰ Indicators in most hospitals have -- Hospital The study and Mosavi 2017 Selected
a better status than health care Performa comparison et al. Hospitals
system implementation before nce of some of Bushehr
implementation. Indicator performance University
s indicators of of Medical
the hospital Sciences
before and
after the
implementati
on of the
therapeutic
package of
health system
reform plan
in selected
hospitals of
Bushehr
University of
Medical
Sciences
⃰ Implementation of the reform -- Emergen Effect of Emamgh 2017 Hospitals
plan improved the status of the cy Health oli et al. Affiliated
percentage of patients assigned Hospital System to Shahid
to the appointment within six Performa reform Plan Beheshti
hours and increased the average nce on University
response time of the emergency Indicator Performance of Medical
tests. s Indicators in Sciences
Also, although it has Emergency
significantly improved the CPR Department

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trend, it has decreased the in Tehran

successful CPR level. University of
Medical
Sciences
Hospitals:
Breakdown
Time Series
Analysis
⃰ The rate of use of hospital -- Hospital Evaluation of Zarei and 2015 Hospitals
services in Shahid Beheshti Performa performance Enisi Affiliated
University of Medical Sciences nce indicators in to Shahid
has significantly increased after Indicator hospitals Beheshti
implementation of health system s affiliated to University
reform plan, which can serve Shahid of Medical
more patients and increase Beheshti Sciences
access to health services and University of
consequently improve health Medical
equity. Sciences
before and
after
implementati
on of Health
reform Plan
⃰ The Natural child delivery -- Refer to The effect of Pirozi et 2015 Hospitals
extension program has achieved statistics health system al. of
its predetermined target of a and reform plan Kurdistan
10% reduction in cesarean document on the rate of University
section over a year after s cesarean and of Medical
implementation of the health the average Sciences
care reform plan relative to the cost paid by
base rate, and the percentage of mothers: a
the cost paid from the pocket in case study of
the hospital bill decreased Kurdistan
significantly province
⃰ In general, performance -- Refer to Performance Bastani 2015 Education
indicators of hospitals affiliated statistics Analysis of et al. al
to Shiraz University of Medical and Shiraz hospitals
Sciences were not in desirable document University of of Shiraz
position compared to standards. s Medical University
Sciences of Medical
Teaching Sciences
Hospitals
Before and
After the
reform of
Health
System Using
the Pabon
Lasso Model
⃰ Based on the findings of this -- Hospital Effect of Rezaei et 2015 Hamedan
study, all selected indicators Performa Health al. University
changed relatively after the nce System Hospitals
implementation of the Health Indicator reform Plan
reform Plan, which in some way s on
indicates the effect of this Performance
project on the performance of Indicators of

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hospitals. Hamedan
Of course, along with these University
changes, other consequences Hospitals
should be taken into account,
such as increasing the workload
of hospitals and possible
inductive demand, and in
general judging the effects of
the plan with caution and in the
long run.
⃰ The reform of the health Ran -- questionn Comparison EBrahim 2015 Sari -Buali
system requires a dom aire of costs and njad et al. Hospital
fundamental review and ly quality of
more precise planning to hospital
improve its status. services
before and
after
implementati
on of the
health system
reform plan

⃰ The Natural child Ran 177 questionn Evaluation of Moradi et 2015 Hospitals
delivery Extension Pack dom aire the package al. of
encourages pregnancy ly for the Kurdistan
mothers to a normal promotion of University
child delivery. As well as natural child of Medical
the satisfaction of delivery in Sciences
gynecologists to a large the health
extent. care reform
from the
viewpoint of
stakeholders
in Kurdistan
University of
Medical
Sciences
hospitals in
2015

2 19 ⃰ ⃰ ⃰ Total

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: care, From May 15, 2014, it was implemented in
In recent years, the health system of Iran has been state-owned hospitals throughout the country.
associated with various problems that caused According to the study, it can be claimed that the
dissatisfaction among the people and the various health system reform plan in Iran has been able to
sectors of the health system. In August 2013, and successfully accomplish its first and most important
after the 11th government came to power after the goal, namely to reduce the rate of payment from
Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Ministry of Health, patients' pockets. The study of Arieta in Peru showed
Medical Education and Medicine approved a plan for that after reforming and changing the pay system to
the reform of the health system. The plan, which “fee for service” payment system, the rate of cesarean
seeks to "financial protect " of people from the cost in the private sector increased from 28% before
of health care, improve quality and access to health reforming to 53% after the implementation of the

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reform, and after reforming, in the private sector accepted principles of health systems, especially
centers, compared with health centers related to the health and prevention that has maximum efficiency,
Peruvian Ministry of Health, the cesarean index and avoids testing and error in resource injection.
increased to 19% that the results are consistent with Providing community health is the responsibility of
our study (53). Shen and et al. examined the effects the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, this
of implementing the Health reform Plan on the important is possible with policy, planning,
performance of hospitals in China between 2001 and evaluation and monitoring. In other words, the
2005, and concluded that the new health reform Ministry of Health is obliged to manage the health of
policy had a positive impact on hospital performance the community by coordinating the various
and reduced economic burden on patients that the organizations and devices, but in the current health
results are consistent with our study (54). Anderson system, the Ministry of Health and Medical
and Catechlo study in Australia also showed that Education is considered as the largest provider of
health system reforms have had positive effects on services. The role of ownership and beneficiary can
some hospital performance indicators such as bed have a detrimental effect on the core responsibilities
occupancy rate, number of active beds, cancellation of the ministry, which includes policy-making,
of surgical day and re-admittance of mental health coordination, evaluation and oversight; hence, it can
patients whose results are consistent with our study be seen that many of the laws and programs that are
(55). Although the implementation of the healthcare being drafted and approved by the Ministry are not
reform plan in Iran has provided an area for implemented in practice or are incompletely
increasing the satisfaction of people and a group of implemented. In this regard, the promotion of quality
health actors, but the continuity of the and justice in the provision of services that is possible
implementation of the plan faces serious challenges. through the management and enforcement of
The most important strength of the health reform plan applicable laws, is carried out with a massive
was that the process of increasing pressure on the financial injection and siege insurance to cover the
society health economics and the cost of treatment ineffectiveness of public sector providers.
has been reduced and has caused the relative
satisfaction of the people. Another positive point of Suggestions:
the reform plan has been to reduce the doctor bribe In order that the Health System reform Plan can
receiving. continue its path, actions is needed; first, create
sustainable resources and revenues to continue the
Estimates show that there were between $ 7,000 and project. Second, the Ministry of Welfare identifies
$ 10,000,000 illegal or bribe, and the reform plan has the amount of the deficit in the health insurance
been able to reduce about 20% and 30%. The most organization and the social security organization.
important weaknesses in the healthcare reform plan And also the resources and insurance premiums
includes: 1- neglect of upstream laws and general should be strengthened in line with the insured; that
health policies 2- therapeutic focus rather than is, necessary and sufficient funds are provided to the
prevention 3- Physician focus instead of services 4- insurances. Third, the Ministry of Health is engaged
illness focus instead focusing on health 5- lack of to category of all diagnostic and therapeutic services.
resource sustainability due to high costs 6- Increased The fourth point is to review and proper adjustment
income gap in the medical staff 7- Professionalism in tariffs the relative value of services. The fifth
and neglect of level 1 health services 8- inattention to priority is related to the electronic health record
the consequences of the difference in the relative system and the mechanization of treatment processes,
value of services in the private and public sectors 9. which should be operational as quickly as possible.
The inability of insurance to pay its obligations 10. Finally, it is suggested that the members of the High
Lack of 30,000 beds and 200,000 nurses. 11. Non- Council of Health and a group of experts and elites in
contributing basic and supplemental insurance, as a this area continuously monitor the trends of this
consequence, due to the lack of coverage of some project, especially in the area of resource
health services, the reimbursement of people's pocket sustainability, and provide the necessary report to
has increased. 12. The encouraging package of the supreme decision-making system for improve the
normal delivery of child for midwives has been affairs and identify the opportunities and challenges.
discontinued. 13. Restricting the package of
promotion of visits and reducing payments to
doctors. (56). Injection of funds into the health sector Ethical considerations
is very important, but given the fact that different Ethical issues have been completely observed by the
sectors of the economy face a shortage of funds, authors.
resource allocation is expected to be based on

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Conflicts of interest: none an idea whose time has come in diabetes education.
Diabetes Educ 1991; 17(1): 37-41
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