Assessment of the Iran health innovation system and provide corrective suggestions

Objective (s): This study aimed to do institutional mapping of the health innovation system in Iran.

This was a qualitative study. The study was carried out in four stages including determining the main organizations in the national health innovation system, identifying how they work, assessing communication among different organizations, and ultimately determining failure of health innovation system.

The results indicated that the financial relationship in higher layers was stronger but it was decreased in lower layers. In the field of administrative communication, there was more vertical relationship in the upper layers. There were btter relationships among middle layers.

In general we can conclude that there were some defects in different functions of the national system of innovation in health sector in Iran. These defects were present in the number and type of activity and relationship existing among institutions involved in different layers. To promote innovation in the health sector these defects must be dealth with.