Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41788512›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2026

From policy to practice and vice versa: a cross-sectional study of healthcare workers' perspectives on safeguarding public health service access for displaced populations in Iran.

Zahra Karimian, Asgar Aghaei Hashjin, Saverio Bellizzi, Volker Winkler

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Article in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Zahra KarimianHeidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Asgar Aghaei HashjinSchool of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran.
Saverio BellizziPublic Health and Migration, World Health Organization Headquarters (WHO HQ), Geneva, Switzerland.
Volker WinklerHeidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Global progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is severely off track. Iran hosts the world's largest migrant and refugee population, but sanctions, inflation, and workforce migration have strained its capacity. Since the attitudes of service providers influence whether inclusive policies are translated into practice, this study explores frontline staff perspectives on access to public health services for non-citizens in one of Tehran's largest public health networks. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among staff in three public health centers that serve migrant and refugee populations. The questionnaire assessed five Likert scale outcomes: support for separate centers, shared user fees, prioritization of citizens under conditions of scarcity, equal service provision, and preference for working with citizens. Demographic variables included age, sex, years of experience, and role (clinical vs. non-clinical). Items were analyzed descriptively; subgroup comparisons were conducted using two-sided Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: Of approximately 150 eligible healthcare workers, 87 provided complete responses. Agreement with prioritizing citizens was highest at 93.1% (median 5). Support for equal service provision was lowest, with 56.3% of participants expressing disagreement (median 2). A preference for working with citizens was endorsed by 61.9% of the respondents (median 4) and differed by age, experience, and role, with younger, less-experienced, and clinical staff reporting stronger preferences (all Conclusion: Healthcare workers' perspectives can serve as a rapid, low-burden proxy indicator for equitable service delivery. In this exploratory study, workers favored citizen prioritization and fee-based models under conditions of scarcity, with the lowest support expressed for equal access for non-citizens; these preferences were strongest among younger and clinical staff. Adapted service delivery models, targeted training, and clear operational guidance are needed to support equitable access in resource-constrained settings.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelHealth PersonnelHealth PolicyHealth Services AccessibilityRefugeesTransients and MigrantsAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansIranMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and Questionnairesdisplaced populationsEastern Mediterranean Regionequitable access to health carehealthcare workersmigrants and refugeesprovider perspectivespublic health servicesuniversal health coverage

Identifiers

PMID41788512
PMCPMC12956734

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.