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Prioritizing solutions to incorporate Prosthetics and Orthotics services into Iranian health benefits package: Using an analytic hierarchy process

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posted on 2023-07-26, 15:25 authored by Amir Radfar, Saeed Shahabi, Shahina Pardhan, Ahmad Ahmadi Teymourlouy, Dimitrios Skempes, Shabnam Shahali, Parviz Mojgani, Maryam Jalali, Kamran B. Lankarani
Introduction: Health benefits package (HBP) is regarded as one of the main dimensions of health financing strategy. Even with increasing demands for prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) services to approximately 0.5% of the world’s population, only 15% of vulnerable groups have the chance to make use of such benefits. Inadequate coverage of P&O services in the HBP is accordingly one of the leading reasons for this situation in many countries, including Iran. Aims: The main objective of this study was to find and prioritize solutions in order to facilitate and promote P&O services in the Iranian HBP. Study design: A mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) research design was employed in this study. Methods: This study was conducted in two phases. First, semi-structured interviews were undertaken to retrieve potential solutions. Then an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) reflecting on seven criteria of acceptability, effectiveness, time, cost, feasibility, burden of disease, and fairness was performed to prioritize them. Results: In total, 26 individuals participated in semi-structured interviews and several policy solutions were proposed. Following the AHP, preventive interventions, infant-specific interventions, inpatient interventions, interventions until 6 years of age, and emergency interventions gained the highest priority to incorporate in the Iranian HBP. Conclusion: A number of policy solutions were explored and prioritized for P&O services in the Iranian HBP. Our findings provide a framework for decision- and policy-makers in Iran and other countries aiming to curb the financial burdens of P&O users, especially in vulnerable groups

History

Refereed

  • Yes

Volume

16

Issue number

6

Page range

e0253001

Publication title

PLOS ONE

ISSN

1932-6203

Publisher

Public Library of Science

File version

  • Published version

Language

  • eng

Legacy posted date

2021-06-18

Legacy creation date

2021-06-18

Legacy Faculty/School/Department

Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine & Social Care

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