ArticleBMC health services research2020
Effect of two major health reforms on health care cost and utilization in Fars Province of Iran: family physician program and health transformation plan.
Article in BMC health services research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of family physician program in Iran: a systematic review of existing literature.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The effect of family physician program and health transformation plan on utilization and cost of health services.Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E · 2025Article
- Hospitalization and cost trends during Iranian health system reforms over two decades: a time series analysis.International journal for equity in health · 2025Observational
- The effect of Covid-19 pandemic on the primary health care utilization and cost: an interrupted time series analysis.Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E · 2025Article
- Barriers and challenges of establishing family physician policy for urban population; evidence from a qualitative study in Iran.Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene · 2024Article
- Can family doctor system improve health service utilization for patients with hypertension and diabetes in China? A difference-in-differences study.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- The effect of Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare utilization in public vs private centers in Iran: a multiple group interrupted time-series analysis.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- The challenges of urban family physician program over the past decade in Iran: a scoping review and qualitative study with policy-makers.Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene · 2023Article
- Near Two Decades of the Family Physician Program in Iran and the Structural Challenges: A Systematic Review.International journal of preventive medicine · 2023Review
- Financial challenges in the family physician programme in Iran: A systematic review of qualitative research.Malaysian family physician : the official journal of the Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia · 2023Review
- Patient experience with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a nationally representative demonstration study on quality and cost of healthcare services.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Preferences of people in choosing a family physician in rural areas: a qualitative inquiry from Iran.Primary health care research & development · 2022Article
- The costs of inappropriate referral pathways in inpatient care for three major noncommunicable diseases in Mongolia: a national registry-based analysis.BMC health services research · 2021Article
- The impacts of family physician plan and health transformation plan on hospitalization rates in Iran: an interrupted time series.BMC health services research · 2021Article
- The effects of family physician-contracted service on health-related quality of life and equity in health in China.International journal for equity in health · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundFamily physician program (FPP) and health transformation plan (HTP) are two major reforms that have been implemented in Iran's health system in recent. The present study was aimed at evaluating the impact of these two reforms on the level of service utilization and cost of health care services.
methodsThis longitudinal study was conducted on people insured by social security organization in Fars province during 2009-2016. The data on the utilization of services and costs of general practitioner visits, specialist visits, medications, imaging, laboratory tests, and hospitalization were collected. Interrupted time series analysis was used to analyze the effect of the two mentioned reforms.
resultsFPP resulted in a significant reduction in the number of specialist visits, imaging, and laboratory tests in the short term, and in the number of radiology services, laboratory tests, and hospitalization in the long term. In contrast, HTP significantly increased the utilization of radiology services and laboratory tests both in the short term and long term. Concerning the costs, FPP resulted in a reduction in costs in short and long term except general practitioners' and specialist visit, and medication in long term. However, HTP resulted in an increase in health care costs in both of the studied time periods.
conclusionsFPP has been successful in rationalizing the utilization of services. On the other hand, HTP has improved people's access to services by increasing the utilization; but it has increased health care costs. Therefore, policymakers must adopt an agenda to revise and re-design the plan.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.