Studying the Distribution of Outpatient Services in Health Care System in East Azerbaijan

Background and Objectives: It is necessary that various aspects of health information and statistics are identified and measured since health problems are getting more complex day by day. This study was aimed to investigate the distribution of outpatient services in East Azerbaijan province. Material and Methods : This research was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. In this study, the data from all functional health sectors, including hospitals, health centers, and all clinics and private offices (public, private, charitable, military, social security and NGOs sectors) in 2014 were studied. The relevant performance data were collected according to pre-determined format (researcher-made check list) approved by five professionals and experts in health services management (content validity). The study was conducted in different sites including Deputy of Treatment, health section of University of Medical Sciences, Social Security Organization, Iran Health Insurance, Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, Welfare Organization and healthcare organizations of the oil industry. In order to analyze the data, SPSS 18 software was used. Results: The information and data were collected according to pre-determined format (researcher-made check list) approved by five professionals and experts in health services management (content validity and reliability). In general, the highest and the lowest outpatient services, have been provided in the private sector (53.6%) and the charitable sector (0.6%), respectively. Social security with 27.7% and public sector with 13.4% are the largest providers of outpatient services after private sector in this province. Conclusion: The results showed that the private sector in comparison with public sector is at the forefront of outpatient services. So, policies and decisions should be aimed to protecting and reinforcing these sectors.