Table 3 Reasons for informal payments from the perspective of health care providers and recipients in Iran
Main themes | Codes |
|---|---|
MT1: economic factors | Improper tariff valuation of services Failure to increase tariffs proportionate to inflation Lack of comprehensive participation of stakeholders in determining tariffs Tariff inconsistency in the public, private and charity sectors Failure to pay financial claims on time by insurance companies Insufficient coverage of basic and specialized services by insurance companies |
MT2: socio-cultural factors | Decreased social capital of the medical community among the people Improving the quality of life Incorrect comparison of providers' income levels with the income of doctors in other countries Existence of a culture of gratitude and appreciation Health as a priority for society Pride of service recipients (luxury in receiving services) Pride of service providers (merit in providing services) Lack of attention to ethical-religious issues by both providers and recipients of services Insufficient attention to teaching professional ethics at universities and the workplace |
MT3: service delivery challenges | High professional skills of the doctor Use of modern medical equipment The difficulty of the medical profession and the lack of attention to the needs of the medical community during education The monopoly of some doctors |
MT4: legal-political factors | Inadequate monitoring by upstream organizations Lack of strict rules Difficulty of proving informal payments Presence of stakeholders in management and policy making processes |