The Future Study of Service-Based Financing in the Healthcare Supply Chain

The healthcare sector is a primary driver of a country's growth. In light of recent healthcare crises, adequate financing has gained special importance. This research aims to explore potential futures of service-based financing in the healthcare supply chain.

This study, applied in nature and employing a mixed-methods approach, was conducted in Iran over four stages from 2021 to 2023. The first stage involved 15 participants, followed by 12 in the subsequent stages. Participants included healthcare supply chain managers and university professors specializing in healthcare management and research. In the first stage, semi-structured interviews, interview guidelines, and thematic analysis were utilized to identify the drivers of the service-based financing chain. The second stage involved a researcher-made questionnaire and the Micmac software to extract the main drivers. In the third stage, an interactive management approach determined the uncertainty of each main driver. Finally, the fourth stage used a researcher-made questionnaire and the ScenarioWizard software to identify consistent scenarios.

The study identified 20 drivers, with 13 deemed as main drivers, leading to 15 consistent scenarios. The results reveal a contradiction: while the improvement and differentiation of services (coupled with inflation) may increase the cost of services, leading to reduced accessibility for some, failure to improve healthcare services could result in capital flight and inadequate treatment for new diseases.

To resolve this contradiction, two approaches for the healthcare sector can be envisioned: a) customer segmentation based on financial capacity and required services, and b) alternative financing methods. Approach "a" potentially increases social inequality by providing different services based on financial ability. Approach "b", relying on inconsistent income sources like charity, leaves the government's role in financing ambiguous. Consequently, approach "a", supplemented with governmental support for vulnerable groups, appears more viable.