Developing Urban Family Physician Program in Shiraz, Fars Province, the Doctors’ Experiences: A Qualitative Research

Abstract

Background: Regarding problems related to quality, justice, effectiveness of health care provided by the Ministry of Health of Islamic Republic of Iran in 2015, the family physician is the main responsible for the health team who provides all the services and medical-healthcare with the assistance of midwives and other staff. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explain the experiences of urban family physicians in Shiraz, Fars province, Iran. Methods: This study was conducted in 2018 at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Participants in this study were 8 physicians in the urban family physician program with a variety of experiences. The method of this study is qualitative, based on content analysis. Sampling was done purposefully using semi-structured in-depth interviews from participants to reach saturation. Data were analyzed using content analysis with software MAXQDA V. 2007. Data validity was evaluated using criteria such as credibility, dependability, and confirmability. Results: Results were presented in 4 categories: lack of infrastructure, inefficiency of implementation, comprehensive look at the health of the community, and the need for corrective actions along with 17 subcategories. Conclusions: The most important challenges after 8 years of starting a family physician program include the lack of infrastructure, inefficiency of the implementation method, lack of a comprehensive look at the health of the community, and the need for corrective actions in the program. It is the responsibility of health policymakers to address these challenges to improve them. It is recommended that training at all levels of the involved individuals, including theoretical and practical training should be considered.