Issues in the financing and provision of Orthotics and Prosthetics services in Iran: Protocol for a Qualitative Research Study (Preprint)
BACKGROUND The demand for rehabilitation services, including Orthotics and prosthetics services, is increasing. Traffic injuries, Eight-years imposed war, natural disasters, aging, and chronic diseases are the main causes of disability in Iran that lead to the great need for receiving these services. This study will attempt to identify the challenges in the financing and provision of Orthotics and Prosthetics services in Iran and declare the policy solutions to improve the financing and delivery of these services in line with the universal health coverage. OBJECTIVE This study aims to explore the challenges in the financing and provision of the Orthotics and Prosthetics services in Iran and propose policy solutions to strengthen this sector. METHODS This study will use the qualitative content analysis method for understanding the challenges. The study population of this study will be all clinicians, academics, and policy-makers who involved in the financing and provision of the Orthotics and Prosthetics services. The purposeful sampling, as well as the snowball sampling, will be used to select the informants. The individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews will be conducted in Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz. Furthermore, telephone and Skype interviews will be applied to participants who lived in other regions. This project will be performed from 2019 to 2020. RESULTS We believe the results will lead to identifying challenges and also policy solutions to strengthen the Orthotics and Prosthetics services in the healthcare system and improve the utilization in Iran. CONCLUSIONS The findings will inform the policy-makers to better planning in Iran and internationally.