Scholarlink

Introduction <p>Hospital licensure is a foundational regulatory mechanism to ensure minimum safety and quality standards. In Iran, the core licensing framework, established in 2004, has not undergone major legislative revision, creating a regulatory gap that fails to address contemporary advances in healthcare delivery and technology. This stagnation undermines the effectiveness of subsequent accreditation programs and compromises patient safety and public trust in the health system. This study endeavored to develop an optimized, transparent, and efficient framework for hospital licensing in Iran.</p> Methods <p>This applied, descriptive-comparative study was conducted in two phases. First, a systematic analysis of hospital licensing processes in California, New York, Texas, Turkey, and Iran was performed to extract legal and structural components. The framework was validated using a Delphi technique with Iranian experts. Although the study was designed for multiple rounds, consensus on all items was achieved in the first round (median ≥ 4), and therefore additional rounds were not required.</p> Results <p>The comparative analysis informed a framework comprising five core dimensions: (1) Preliminary &amp; Planning, (2) Administrative/Legal/Financial Documentation, (3) Technical/Architectural/Safety Requirements, (4) Inspection/Evaluation/Licensing, and (5) Post-Licensing Supervision/Renewal. All 29 initially extracted components achieved expert consensus. A 30th component a mandatory post-inspection clarification meeting was added based on expert panel feedback, resulting in a final validated framework of 5 dimensions and 30 components.</p> Conclusion <p>This study presents a novel, validated, and operational framework to standardize and reform the hospital licensing process in Iran. By integrating international benchmarks with contextual expert consensus, the framework addresses critical procedural gaps. The explicit inclusion of a clarification meeting was a key innovation to enhance transparency and dialogue. This framework provides policymakers with a practical, evidence-based tool to improve licensing efficiency, transparency, and foundational safety, thereby strengthening the overall governance of hospital quality.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Toward a standardized hospital licensing framework in Iran

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月7日

查看全文
  • Nasrin Mohammadi,
  • Asghar Ehteshami,
  • Ahmadreza Raeisi

摘要

Introduction

Hospital licensure is a foundational regulatory mechanism to ensure minimum safety and quality standards. In Iran, the core licensing framework, established in 2004, has not undergone major legislative revision, creating a regulatory gap that fails to address contemporary advances in healthcare delivery and technology. This stagnation undermines the effectiveness of subsequent accreditation programs and compromises patient safety and public trust in the health system. This study endeavored to develop an optimized, transparent, and efficient framework for hospital licensing in Iran.

Methods

This applied, descriptive-comparative study was conducted in two phases. First, a systematic analysis of hospital licensing processes in California, New York, Texas, Turkey, and Iran was performed to extract legal and structural components. The framework was validated using a Delphi technique with Iranian experts. Although the study was designed for multiple rounds, consensus on all items was achieved in the first round (median ≥ 4), and therefore additional rounds were not required.

Results

The comparative analysis informed a framework comprising five core dimensions: (1) Preliminary & Planning, (2) Administrative/Legal/Financial Documentation, (3) Technical/Architectural/Safety Requirements, (4) Inspection/Evaluation/Licensing, and (5) Post-Licensing Supervision/Renewal. All 29 initially extracted components achieved expert consensus. A 30th component a mandatory post-inspection clarification meeting was added based on expert panel feedback, resulting in a final validated framework of 5 dimensions and 30 components.

Conclusion

This study presents a novel, validated, and operational framework to standardize and reform the hospital licensing process in Iran. By integrating international benchmarks with contextual expert consensus, the framework addresses critical procedural gaps. The explicit inclusion of a clarification meeting was a key innovation to enhance transparency and dialogue. This framework provides policymakers with a practical, evidence-based tool to improve licensing efficiency, transparency, and foundational safety, thereby strengthening the overall governance of hospital quality.