TY - JOUR
T1 - Strategic purchasing in the market of advanced medical equipment
T2 - an applied model for developing countries
AU - Bastani, Peivand
AU - Hakimzadeh, Seyyed Mostafa
AU - Rezapour, Aziz
AU - Panahi, Sirous
AU - Tahernezhad, Ali
AU - Sheikhotayefeh, Mostafa
PY - 2020/9
Y1 - 2020/9
N2 - BackgroundPurchasing health services related to advanced medical equipment is merely based on the decision of the providers in Iran as a developing country in West Asia. This passive process makes health insurance organizations reimburse the bills retrospectively. This study aimed at developing a model for the strategic purchasing of high-tech medical services in Iranian health insurance organizations.MethodsThis was a mixed-method study consisting of a qualitative and a quantitative phase. In the qualitative phase, a scoping study was performed to identify the indicators and strategies of strategic purchasing of high-tech medical services in the world and then the primary model of strategic purchasing of high-tech medical services was developed for Iranian health insurance organizations by an expert panel. In the quantitative phase, the developed model was validated by the Delphi technique.ResultsNarrative analysis of the articles yielded six main dimensions and 36 sub-dimensions of strategic purchasing of high-tech medical services each of which was relevant to one of the five main questions of strategic purchasing. The main dimensions were the position of strategic purchasing in the health system, organization and management, position of internal and external stakeholders, health technology assessment, pricing, and indicators of contracting.ConclusionIn the present model, six applied dimensions were achieved for implementing strategic purchasing in Iranian Health Insurance Organization. The relationship of “stewardship and position of health system” and “Position of health stakeholders” which are responsible for all resource allocation and purchasing mechanism in the health system are emphasized. Simultaneously, the model emphasized “structure and management of the provider organizations” that is important for determining the real needs of the community and managing the correct medical demand.
AB - BackgroundPurchasing health services related to advanced medical equipment is merely based on the decision of the providers in Iran as a developing country in West Asia. This passive process makes health insurance organizations reimburse the bills retrospectively. This study aimed at developing a model for the strategic purchasing of high-tech medical services in Iranian health insurance organizations.MethodsThis was a mixed-method study consisting of a qualitative and a quantitative phase. In the qualitative phase, a scoping study was performed to identify the indicators and strategies of strategic purchasing of high-tech medical services in the world and then the primary model of strategic purchasing of high-tech medical services was developed for Iranian health insurance organizations by an expert panel. In the quantitative phase, the developed model was validated by the Delphi technique.ResultsNarrative analysis of the articles yielded six main dimensions and 36 sub-dimensions of strategic purchasing of high-tech medical services each of which was relevant to one of the five main questions of strategic purchasing. The main dimensions were the position of strategic purchasing in the health system, organization and management, position of internal and external stakeholders, health technology assessment, pricing, and indicators of contracting.ConclusionIn the present model, six applied dimensions were achieved for implementing strategic purchasing in Iranian Health Insurance Organization. The relationship of “stewardship and position of health system” and “Position of health stakeholders” which are responsible for all resource allocation and purchasing mechanism in the health system are emphasized. Simultaneously, the model emphasized “structure and management of the provider organizations” that is important for determining the real needs of the community and managing the correct medical demand.
KW - Costly medical equipment
KW - Developing countries
KW - Health insurance
KW - Strategic purchasing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85086049166&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.hlpt.2020.05.003
DO - 10.1016/j.hlpt.2020.05.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85086049166
SN - 2211-8837
VL - 9
SP - 348
EP - 355
JO - Health Policy and Technology
JF - Health Policy and Technology
IS - 3
ER -
