Rural Health Care In Central Iran: A Study From The Patients’ And The Government’s Perspectives

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the state of affairs in rural health care, with a focus on examining the reasons for the ensuing disconnect between patients and health care providers. The lack of a direct connection between the patients and the government, an absence of a systematic method for the government to collect data on the status of patients, lack of supervision over the execution of the Patient’s Rights Charter, incompetent and incomplete execution of health care laws, along with the mere structure of the current existing health care system in Iran are some of the reasons for this disconnect. This thesis represents a total of 13 patients, five doctors, and one government official. In summary, the Iranian government should instill policies and action plans to collect data and feedback on health care across the nation, establish a computerized an interconnected network and database, allocate appropriate funds to different locations based on their needs, improve the efficiency of the insurance reimbursement system, incentivize experienced doctors to provide service in underprivileged areas, and better prepare medical residents to serve in rural areas.