Convergence mapping analysis of interdisciplinary linkages in health services management

This research aims to identify and evaluate scientific outputs to compare the scientific landscape of Iran with the world in the field of health services management. By examining convergence patterns in the field of health services management, this study aims to identify interdisciplinary areas that support decision-making, inform policy development, and foster new areas of research.

This is a descriptive analytical study that uses word co-occurrence, thematic structure, and semantic search of concepts using a semantic exploration tool to draw knowledge maps of concepts in the field of health services management. In this study, the research community comprises all published articles related to the field of health services management in the Web of Science database, as well as Thomson and Clarivate Company, from 2019 to 2024. In this study, a keyword-based search strategy was used to extract data related to the articles.

This study shows that global research in health services management is rapidly converging on digital health, AI, and health economics, while Iran remains more focused on policy, workforce, and disaster management. The global network is interdisciplinary and technology-driven, with public health, economics, and medical IT acting as central bridges, whereas in Iran, medical IT plays only a minor role. These differences highlight both contextual strengths such as disaster preparedness and clear gaps in digital and interdisciplinary integration. Overall, the study shows underline that while the global field advances toward digital and economic paradigms, Iran's trajectory is more traditional, signaling both a lag and an opportunity for strategic development.

This study demonstrates that health services management is evolving globally into a digitally driven, economically oriented, and interdisciplinary field, with telemedicine, AI, and health economics at its core. In contrast, Iran's research remains anchored in disaster management, hospital services, and policy, reflecting contextual needs but revealing weaker integration of digital health and interdisciplinary linkages. Public health and economics act as central bridges in both contexts, yet medical information technology plays a much stronger global role. Overall, the findings highlight both convergence and divergence: while global research advances toward innovation and integration, Iran must strengthen digital health, interdisciplinary collaboration, and international alignment to close the strategic gap and fully harness the transformative potential of health services management.