Aziz Rezapour, Farbod Ebadifard Azar, Negar Yusef Zadeh, Fatemeh Hasanpour, Hossein Bagheri Faradonbeh, Saeideh Ansari Nosrati, Zahra Asemaneh , Mohammad Hossein Ghafoori,
Volume 9, Issue 2 (7-2015)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Receiving and using health care services is called
health services uitilization. There are many socio-economic factors including
income, culture, age and education affecting the utilization of the services. This
survey aimed to study socio-economic determinants of health utilization in Tehran.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, population based health
survey done in year 2013. The sample was 792 households living in Tehran. Data
was collected by WHO (households) questionnaire, and analyzed using logistic
model and stata12.
Results: Among the study variables, households' income, presence of a person
with chronic disease, education of the head of the household, and presence of
person older than 60 and younger than 14 in households, had a significant
statistical relationship with utilization. Insurance coverage had a vague and weak
effect on the utilization of health services. Moreover about 23 percent of the
households were not under insurance coverage.
Conclusion: According to the announced policies by the supreme leader of the
Islamic Republic of Iran to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and by
cconsidering the main focus of these policies on the universal insurance coverage,
households financial security and reform of the payment system identifying
households that utilize more health care services than any others because of any
socio-economic reasons is a considerable step for providing financial security for
vulnerable households and reforming health care system at the national level.
Morteza Arab Zozani, Saeid Bagheri Faradonbeh , Ebrahim Jaafari Pooyan,
Volume 9, Issue 4 (11-2015)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Given the increasing growth of new technologies in health care and their rising cost, the necessity of concentration on assessing new technologies and their potential role in quality of health care is more crucial. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of health technology assessment (HTA) in improving healthcare quality and offer the best evidence for decision makers.
Materials and Methods: The study was based on systematic review of papers in health technology assessment via searching in databases such as Pubmed, Cochrane and other HTA related databases. The search has covered the period between years 2000 to 2013. Studies analyzed by narrative synthesis method.
Results: Related studies show that assessing new technologies has potential role in quality improvement of healthcare. HTA can boost the competition among companies which this in turn increases the quality of technologies and ultimately enhances the quality of health services and stakeholders satisfaction.
Conclusion: HTA may increase quality of healthcare services through facilitating a move towards evidence-based decision-making, providing safe health care and increasing patients’ trust and satisfaction to clinical procedures and team members.
