Document Analysis of Health Policy in the Eight Successive Governments of the Islamic Republic of Iran from 1989 to 2021: (Emphasizing Cabinet Resolutions)

Subject Areas : medical documents

Fatemeh Homayouni ¹ (PhD student of Sociology, Science and Research Branch Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran)
Ali Baghaei Sarabi ² (Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran)
Mahmoud Eisavi ³ (Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Economics, University of Allameh Tabataba’i, Tehran, Iran)
Asmeh Ghasemi ⁴ (Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran)

Received: 2023-11-22 Accepted : 2024-02-04 Published : 2024-06-24

Keywords: Health Policy, Government, Cabinet, Health and Medical Care.,

Abstract :

Introduction: Due to Iran's political-economic structure and the government's role in social policymaking, understanding the transformations in social-welfare policies, including health and medical care, in the post-Islamic Revolution governments is among the key issues in political sociology. Therefore, the aim of this research was to conduct a document analysis of health policy in the eight successive governments of the Islamic Republic of Iran from 1989 to 2021, with an emphasis on cabinet resolutions. The study employed a qualitative content analysis method, focusing on cabinet resolutions from 1989 to 2021. Methods: In this study, we employed a qualitative content analysis approach with an inductive method, focusing on government board approvals from 1989 to 2021. Initially, these approvals underwent open and secondary coding methods, ultimately evolving into the primary categories of health policy. The reliability of the coding was substantiated through a re-coding process conducted over two weeks, achieving a consistency rate of 75%. Additionally, inter-coder reliability between two distinct coders was established at a rate of 90%. Results: The findings indicate that government resolutions in the health sector, including health and medical care, are consistent with their primary policies and electoral slogans. However, the political approach of the eight successive governments has not significantly influenced their health policymaking. These policies have been more short-term, situational, and responsive to societal conditions. None of the examined governments demonstrated a sufficient equilibrium across the policy domains identified in this study. Conclusion: While these governments may have operated following their declared slogans and policies, the formulation of health policies consistently prioritized short-term exigencies. Consequently, these policies failed to align cohesively toward achieving long-term objectives within the health system.

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