Developing a Model for the Success of Healthcare Start-up Companies in Iran: A Systematic Review and Interviews with Experts

Abstract

Background: In the dynamic landscape of healthcare, start-ups drive transformative change. Understanding the pivotal factors influencing their success is paramount to their advancement. This study aims to present a comprehensive framework delineating the drivers of success for emerging businesses in healthcare. Methods: Employing a mixed-method approach, this research integrates expert interviews and a systematic review of pertinent literature. Extensive scientific exploration across databases, augmented by manual searches and expert surveys, identified 57 influential factors from 37 selected articles and interviews. Through expert consultations, additional factors were incorporated, culminating in an 11-dimensional classification. Finally, the position of the factors in 4 stages (before starting the business, during the activity, evaluation, control and feedback) was determined, and the final model was extracted. Results: Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 37 articles were reviewed. Eleven dimensions were utilized to classify the 57 factors identified in this study. The factors "choosing the appropriate marketing and advertising strategy" and "targeting how to finance the business" had the highest number of repetitions in the studies; 49% of these factors were related to the stage "before starting the business", and 33% were related to "during activity". Discussion: To ensure growth and development at various stages of business formation, founders of start-up businesses in the healthcare sector need to carefully consider the factors that impact success, particularly business financing and marketing and advertising strategies.