Irtiqa Imini Pishgiri Masdumiyat (Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention)

Abstract

Telemedicine, as an essential technological solution, holds considerable potential for improving equity in access to primary health care, particularly by reducing disparities in rural and remote areas and for enhancing the efficiency of the Family Physician Program. Findings from this qualitative study indicate that, despite its strong potential to expand access, especially for specialist consultations, treatment follow-up, and chronic disease management and to reduce costs and save time, telemedicine implementation faces structural and systemic barriers. These include the lack of reliable communication infrastructure in rural areas and significant ambiguities in governance, legal, and financial frameworks. To enable a successful transition, three key policy recommendations are proposed: 1) Establishing a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework, including clinical guidelines, reimbursement regulations, and privacy protections; 2) Strategic investment in communication infrastructure and a national telemedicine platform; and 3) Simultaneous empowerment of providers and patients through targeted training. Adopting this three-pillar strategy is an urgent policy priority to prevent resource waste and to realize health .system equity

Please cite this article as:

Taghioghli Sh, Zarei E. Developing a Governance, Infrastructure, and Empowerment Framework: A National Strategy for Implementing Telemedicine in Iran’s Family Physician Program. Irtiqa Imini Pishgiri Masdumiyat .2026;13(1):26-30. https://doi.org/10.22037/iipm.v11i3.50538