Providing the Model of Deployment of Smart Services in Iranian Health Sector: A Qualitative Study

Background and Aim: Due to the importance and position of the health sector in society and consideration of industry 4.0 during these days, we witness an increase in the spread of state-of-the-art (smart) technologies in various fields, on one hand, and an evolutionary development by integrating healthcare and technology, on the other hand. Thus, the application of smart technologies can help to overcome many of the healthcare sector limitations. This study aimed to propose an appropriate model for deploying smart services in the Iranian healthcare system. Material and Methods: This was a qualitative research study based on thematic analysis in 2020. The required data were extracted by literature review and expert interviews. A sample of 15 experts were selected using purposive sampling. Sampling was continued until full data saturation was reached. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The interviews were implemented and analyzed in MAXQDA. Finally, a qualitative method was developed. Results: Based on the findings of this research, 202 open codes were extracted and 23 basic themes (sub- themes) were identified to design the model of deployment smart services in the Iranian health sector which categorized in seven organizing themes (main themes) consist deployment planning, execution management, task organization frame work, national preparedness, stage-setting, organizational interventions, and resistance management. Then, according to the above themes, the thematic model was provided which has a suitable model fitness (IFI: 0.934, NFI: 0.959, RMSEA: 0.080). Conclusion: Providing the model for deploying smart health care and use of these technologies help to significantly improve the quality of health services, improve access to these services, reduce costs and thus improve health of society.