Articles In Press
Back to the articles list |
Back to browse issues page
1- Department of Rehabilitation Management, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2- Rehabilitation Research Center, Department of Rehabilitation Management, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. ,Kamali.mo@iums.ac.ir
3- Rehabilitation Research Center, Department of Rehabilitation Management, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
4- Geriatric Mental Health Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. & Iranian Center of Excellence in Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation Research Center, Department of Physiotherapy, and Department of Rehabilitation Management, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2- Rehabilitation Research Center, Department of Rehabilitation Management, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. ,
3- Rehabilitation Research Center, Department of Rehabilitation Management, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
4- Geriatric Mental Health Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. & Iranian Center of Excellence in Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation Research Center, Department of Physiotherapy, and Department of Rehabilitation Management, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract: (30 Views)
Objectives: the integration of rehabilitation services for older adults into Iran’s primary healthcare system has not yet been achieved. Accordingly, this study aimed to analyze the situation and propose strategies for integration of geriatric rehabilitation services into Iran’s primary healthcare system.
Materials and Methods: This study employed a qualitative design using a framework-based content analysis approach. Participants included ten experts in the fields of aging, rehabilitation, and primary healthcare, who were selected purposively with maximum variation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was conducted within a predefined SWOT framework across four dimensions strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and, subsequently, strategies for integrating geriatric rehabilitation services were extracted and categorized based on the analysis results.
Findings: Iran’s primary healthcare system demonstrates substantial capacity for integrating geriatric rehabilitation services, including broad urban–rural coverage, existing workforce (community health workers and providers), the SIB information infrastructure, and relatively favorable financial access. Key opportunities include synergy between preventive care and rehabilitation, cost-effectiveness of first-level interventions, potential for community-based and telerehabilitation, strong family support culture, the Ministry of Health Office for Older Adults, and the family physician program. However, structural weaknesses lack of sustainable financing, limited professional diversity at the primary level, heavy workload and insufficient staff awareness, absence of integrated guidelines and referral pathways, poor physical accessibility, and low prioritization of older adults limit effective integration. Major threats include fragmented stewardship, weak political commitment, inadequate implementation of upstream policies, shortage and maldistribution of rehabilitation professionals, and insufficient insurance coverage. Accordingly, strategies were developed using a strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats framework
Conclusion: This study suggests that despite the presence of considerable strengths and opportunities within Iran’s primary healthcare system, the integration of geriatric rehabilitation services requires targeted responses to existing structural and policy-related weaknesses and threats. The extracted strategies emphasize strengthening preventive and community-based rehabilitation approaches, empowering the workforce through modular and interdisciplinary training, expanding telerehabilitation services, systematic use of health information systems, and integrating rehabilitation services into the family physician program. Optimal use of existing capacities and avoidance of costly solutions may provide a practical and realistic pathway to improving older adults’ access to rehabilitation services at the primary care level.
Materials and Methods: This study employed a qualitative design using a framework-based content analysis approach. Participants included ten experts in the fields of aging, rehabilitation, and primary healthcare, who were selected purposively with maximum variation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was conducted within a predefined SWOT framework across four dimensions strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and, subsequently, strategies for integrating geriatric rehabilitation services were extracted and categorized based on the analysis results.
Findings: Iran’s primary healthcare system demonstrates substantial capacity for integrating geriatric rehabilitation services, including broad urban–rural coverage, existing workforce (community health workers and providers), the SIB information infrastructure, and relatively favorable financial access. Key opportunities include synergy between preventive care and rehabilitation, cost-effectiveness of first-level interventions, potential for community-based and telerehabilitation, strong family support culture, the Ministry of Health Office for Older Adults, and the family physician program. However, structural weaknesses lack of sustainable financing, limited professional diversity at the primary level, heavy workload and insufficient staff awareness, absence of integrated guidelines and referral pathways, poor physical accessibility, and low prioritization of older adults limit effective integration. Major threats include fragmented stewardship, weak political commitment, inadequate implementation of upstream policies, shortage and maldistribution of rehabilitation professionals, and insufficient insurance coverage. Accordingly, strategies were developed using a strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats framework
Conclusion: This study suggests that despite the presence of considerable strengths and opportunities within Iran’s primary healthcare system, the integration of geriatric rehabilitation services requires targeted responses to existing structural and policy-related weaknesses and threats. The extracted strategies emphasize strengthening preventive and community-based rehabilitation approaches, empowering the workforce through modular and interdisciplinary training, expanding telerehabilitation services, systematic use of health information systems, and integrating rehabilitation services into the family physician program. Optimal use of existing capacities and avoidance of costly solutions may provide a practical and realistic pathway to improving older adults’ access to rehabilitation services at the primary care level.
Keywords: Geriatric Rehabilitation, Primary Health Care, Systems Integration, Health Services Administration, Aging
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Rehabilitation Management
Received: 2025/11/10 | Accepted: 2026/02/28
Received: 2025/11/10 | Accepted: 2026/02/28
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
Copyright © The Author(s);
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-By-NC), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
Contact Information
