Behzad Karami Matin, Shahin Soltani, Sarah Byford, Moslem Soofi, Satar Rezaei, Ali Kazemi-Karyani, Esmaeil Hosseini and Shiva Tolouei Rakhshan
Studies show that economic sanctions have had major negative impacts on health systems during the past years. The aim of this study is to identify the impacts of US sanctions on…
Abstract
Purpose
Studies show that economic sanctions have had major negative impacts on health systems during the past years. The aim of this study is to identify the impacts of US sanctions on the performance of public hospitals in Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research study was conducted between October 2019 and September 2020 in Kermanshah Province, Iran. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, lasting between 25 and 90 min, were carried out with 20 participants in seven public hospitals affiliated to the authors’ institution in Kermanshah Province. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify themes in the data.
Findings
Five main themes emerged from the analysis: resource management challenges; financial restrictions; interruptions in planning; reductions in the quality of service delivery; and changes in organizational relationships.
Originality/value
The results of the present study demonstrate that US economic sanctions have considerably reduced access to necessary medical equipment and medicines for public hospitals in Iran. Policymakers should monitor the distribution of equipment and pharmaceutical products within public hospitals in Iran and take actions to ameliorate shortages during times of economic sanctions.
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Moslem Soofi, Ali Akbari Sari, Satar Rezaei, Mohammad Hajizadeh and Farid Najafi
Behavioral economic analysis of health-related behavior is a potentially useful approach to study and control non-communicable diseases. The purpose of this paper is to explore…
Abstract
Purpose
Behavioral economic analysis of health-related behavior is a potentially useful approach to study and control non-communicable diseases. The purpose of this paper is to explore the time preferences of individuals and its impact on obesity in an adult population of Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured questionnaire was completed by 792 individuals who were randomly selected from the participants of an ongoing national Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN cohort study in West of Iran. The quasi-hyperbolic discounting model was used to estimate the parameters of time preferences and a probit regression model was used to explore the correlation between obesity and time preferences.
Findings
There was a statistically significant correlation between obesity and both the long-run patience and present-biased preferences of participants. Individuals with a low level of long-run patience were 10.2 percentage points more likely to be obese compared to individuals with a high level of long-run patience. The probability of being obese increased by 11 percentage points in present-biased individuals compared to future biased individuals.
Originality/value
The long-run patience and time inconsistent preferences were significant determinants of obesity. Considering the time-inconsistent preferences in the development of policies to change obesity-related behavior among adults might increase the success rate of the interventions.
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Rauf Kord, Enayatollah Homaie Rad and Ali Davoudi Kiakalayeh
This study aims to calculate the inequity in out of pocket expenditures and utilization of laboratory tests in Iran. Equal access to health services is an important part of human…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to calculate the inequity in out of pocket expenditures and utilization of laboratory tests in Iran. Equal access to health services is an important part of human rights in health care. Out-of-pocket payment is a part of financial access to health care. In this study, the authors tried to find inequity in out-of-pocket payments and utilization of medical laboratory tests (MLTs) as a part of human rights in Iran in 2016.
Design/methodology/approach
Gini and concentration indices were calculated for this purpose, and regression models were estimated to show the relationship between different factors and utilization and out-of-pocket.
Findings
The average out-of-pocket payment for all of the households was US$1.56 (urban areas: 1.97 and rural areas: 1.31). Moreover, the average utilization of MLTs was 0.079 (urban areas: 0.0908 and rural areas: 0.0753). Gini and concentration indices for out-of-pocket payments were 0.522 and 0.0701, respectively.
Originality/value
Out-of-pocket and utilization were low in lower in less developed regions of ease and southeast regions of the country and were related to access to health insurance, income and wealth deciles.