The role of Iran's context for the development of health technology assessment: challenges and solutions

Behzadifar, Meysam; Behzadifar, Masoud; Saran, Maryam; Shahabi, Saeed; Bakhtiari, Ahad; Azari, Samad; Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi

doi:10.1186/s13561-023-00438-7

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 46 publications

(50 reference statements)

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“…HTAs in Iran have been established since 2007 and was first introduced as a secretariat by the Deputy of Health at the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME). Since 2010, the HTA unit has collaborated with the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR)[ 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research gaps identified in Iran’s health technology assessment reports

Mohtasham,

Yazdizadeh,

Mobinizadeh

2023

Health Res Policy Sys

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Introduction Identifying gaps in the evidence is a useful byproduct of conducting a health technology assessment (HTA). This study aims to identify research gaps in Iran’s HTA reports. Method We reviewed the HTA reports published between 2014 and 2016. Then, we developed two separate questionnaires for principal investigators (PIs) and independent HTA researchers. The questionnaire for independent HTA researchers consisted of four main parts. However, the PIs’ questionnaire consisted of two main parts. We also conducted a literature search in the PubMed database in November 2017 to find frameworks for prioritizing research gaps. We also conducted a semi-structured interview with the head of the Iran’s HTA Office at that time and sought feedback based on his expert opinion about questionnaires, the priority-setting tool and our process for extracting research gaps. Results A total of 11 HTA reports published between 2014 and 2016 by Iran’s HTA Office were selected for the study. Of these 11 reports, 5 involved technologies related to medical equipment, while 6 involved medical and surgical interventions. Assessing the outcomes of technology use in various indications and updating HTAs when new evidence arises; evaluating the viewpoints of patients, clinicians and key technology users; conducting post-marketing evaluations of technology; comparing the impact of the technology in question to other treatments for the same condition; and requesting long-term clinical and cost–effectiveness data for technologies with limited follow-up periods were identified as the main gaps by independent HTA researchers and PIs. Conclusions The research gaps identified from Iran’s HTAs could be utilized by research funding agencies.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research gaps identified in Iran’s health technology assessment reports

Mohtasham,

Yazdizadeh,

Mobinizadeh

2023

Health Res Policy Sys

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“…Primary healthcare culture in Iran is eroding mainly due to the lack of knowledge of healthcare providers in healthcare centers [ 28 ]. Iran is a multicultural country; distinct cultures may hold distinct attitudes towards health, medical care, and technological advancements and may result in different conceptions of health, disease, medical interventions [ 29 ]. For example, some sociocultural barriers (e.g., religious restrictions) prevent women from timely breast and cervical cancer screening [ 30 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and validation of primary health care quality assessment tool

Farrokhi,

Zarei,

Bagherzadeh

et al. 2023

BMC Health Serv Res

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Background Assessing the quality of health services gives insights to managers about the status of services delivered by them, especially from the client’s perspective. Although various tools have been developed to measure the quality of primary health care (PHC), no specific tool was found in this field in Iran. Therefore, the present study was conducted to develop and validate the quality assessment tool of PHC in Iran. Methods This methodological study was conducted in 2021. In the first step, based on a literature review, an initial questionnaire was designed, and its face validity, content validity, construct validity, and reliability were evaluated. Descriptive tests, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, exploratory factor analysis, Kaiser-Myer-Olkin (KMO), and Cronbach’s alpha were performed by using SPSS 22. Results The initial questionnaire included 33 items, of which three items were removed due to inconsistency with factorization. The final questionnaire consisted of 30 items and nine dimensions: interaction, efficiency, timeliness, accuracy, consultation, tangibility, safety, accessibility, and environment. The KMO and Cronbach’s alpha index values were 0.734 and 0.82, respectively, indicating acceptable reliability and validity. The developed dimensions represented about 73% of the total variance. Conclusion The designed questionnaire has relatively good validity and reliability and can be used to measure the quality of PHC and to identify weaknesses in service delivery. However, researchers should carefully examine it to enhance its applicability as a standard tool for measuring PHC quality.

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