Family Medicine Program in Iran: SWOT Analysis and TOWS Matrix Model

Abstract

Abstract
 Background: We aimed to determine strength, weakness, opportunities and threats analysis and intended to present strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats matrix model for appropriate implementation of Family medicine program in Iran.
 Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study. All attending physicians in 30 health care centers of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran were asked to present and prioritized their views about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats factors of family medicine program in Iran in 2015. Then, the prioritization of these factors was showed by weighted score of each factor. Finally, the respondents determined four groups of TOWS model including SO, ST, WO, and WT strategy for development of family medicine in Iran.
 Results: Totally, the respondents expressed 44 factors as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of family medicine program and prioritized these factors and suggested 30 TOWS matrix strategy for efficient implementation of this program.
 Conclusion: There were many internal and external factors that impress the implementation of family medicine program. There is a gap between the ideal and the current situation of this program. We suggest the health care system policy makers notice the TOWS matrix strategies determined for improvement of family medicine program in Iran.

How does postgraduate diploma in Family Medicine impact on primary care doctors?

“…Al-khathami, also argued the importance of quality health care at the primary care level for patient satisfaction and better health outcomes [ 16 ]. The SWOT Analysis of Family medicine programme in Iran identified that implementation of the family medicine program is essential to improve and strengthen primary health care in a developing country like Iran in a very cost-effective way [ 19 ]. The Besrour papers on developing family practice also reported that the implementation of family medicine practice is the key to overcome the challenges in developing countries who are having the issue of brain drain while the community is facing enormous challenges regarding health care [ 20 ].…”

Strategies for improving the financing of family medicine program: Evidence from Iran

“…Two decades ago, Iran introduced the FM program as part of its primary healthcare network reforms 15 . FM focuses on providing PHC services, including preventive care, diagnosis, treatment of common diseases, and management of chronic diseases, and is funded primarily through public sources in Iran 16 . The structure of FM is organized in the form of primary care units, rural healthcare centers and urban healthcare centers, and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME) sets policies and regulations for the healthcare and FM system.…”

“… 15 FM focuses on providing PHC services, including preventive care, diagnosis, treatment of common diseases, and management of chronic diseases, and is funded primarily through public sources in Iran. 16 The structure of FM is organized in the form of primary care units, rural healthcare centers and urban healthcare centers, and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME) sets policies and regulations for the healthcare and FM system. MoHME and its affiliated organizations monitor quality through inspections, performance indicators, and accreditation.…”

Using Focus Groups to Modify the Workplace Affective Commitment Multidimensional Questionnaire (Wacmq) for Use in Health Care

“…A study by Lee and Allen consisting of 149 RNs from Ontario Canada, with over 70 percent working in a general hospital, found that job affects (feelings about work) were associated more strongly than were job cognitions (thoughts about work such as fairness, recognition) with OCBs directed at individuals, whereas job cognitions correlated more strongly than did job affects with OCBs directed at the organization (Lee & Allen, 2002). A cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study by Dargahi, Alirezaie, and Shaham (2012) conducted among 510 nurses working in teaching hospitals in Tehran, Iran, confirmed the existence of OCBs among nurses with frequent demonstration of sportsmanship, civil virtue, conscientiousness, and altruism behaviors (Dargahi, Alirezaie, & Shaham, 2012).…”

“…This paper describes a psychometrics exercise that was conducted as a precursor to a larger study which focuses on work attitudes and work-related behaviours shown to relate to work motivation in the health services literature (Chu et al, 2005;Dargahi et al, 2012;Lee & Allen, 2002) and in the organization studies literature (Greenberg, 2009;Lavelle, 2007;Lavelle et al, 2009;Mathieu & Zajac, 1990;Morin et al, 2011;Rhoades, Eisenberger, & Armeli, 2001;Rupp & Cropanzano, 2002;Solinger, van Olffen, & Roe, 2008). Specifically, the larger study examines the relationship between the work attitude affective commitment and OCBs.…”