Stakeholders' perspectives on the necessary requirements of implementing the Hospital-at-Home program: a qualitative...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Health Policy
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Hospital at Home (HaH) offers solutions for healthcare system challenges but faces implementation obstacles.
• Understanding manager and policymaker perspectives is key to overcoming these implementation hurdles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore Iranian healthcare managers' and policymakers' views on requirements for successful Hospital at Home (HaH) program implementation.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study conducted from December 2023 to June 2024.
• Semi-structured interviews with 14 health policymakers, faculty, and hospital managers from Tehran and Shiraz.
• Conventional content analysis of interview data.

Main Results:

• Identified two main themes: "alignment of macro-level mechanisms in supporting the HaH program" and "organizing the HaH program within the healthcare system."
• Extracted 652 initial codes, classified into 7 categories and 2 overarching themes.

Conclusions:

• Successful HaH implementation in Iran depends on economic, legal, socio-cultural factors, and Ministry of Health policies.
• Requires integrated approaches, precise healthcare system structures, executive support, and essential infrastructure development.
• Findings offer guidance for designing and implementing HaH programs as a supplement to routine care.