ArticleJournal of health, population, and nutrition2026
Conflicts of interest as a barrier to the development of health technology assessment in Iran: a qualitative study.
Article in Journal of health, population, and nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHealth Technology Assessment (HTA) is vital for evidence-based decision-making and efficient resource allocation. Although HTA has gained importance in Iran's health policy agenda, its development faces major barriers. Among these, conflicts of interest (COI) remain a critical yet understudied challenge that can undermine the integrity of HTA processes. This study explored how COI manifest within Iran's HTA environment and hinder its development.
methodsA qualitative design was used, employing purposive sampling to select key informants involved in HTA and health policymaking. Twenty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with policymakers, academics, healthcare professionals, and representatives from regulatory and insurance bodies. Data were analyzed thematically using an inductive approach to identify the types, sources, and impacts of COI.
findingsParticipants described multiple personal, institutional, and systemic COI influencing HTA. Key themes included the lack of formal disclosure and management mechanisms, strong industry influence, overlapping roles of decision-makers, and weak regulatory oversight. These factors distorted priority-setting, delayed the adoption of cost-effective technologies, and eroded public trust. Cultural norms favoring informal relationships and political patronage further reinforced these problems.
conclusionsCOI threaten the credibility and transparency of HTA in Iran. Strengthening governance frameworks, ensuring institutional independence, and promoting ethical accountability are essential to enhance HTA integrity. The findings provide insights for other low- and middle-income countries seeking to institutionalize HTA within complex governance systems. This study highlights that managing COI requires not only technical solutions but also interdisciplinary approaches, particularly drawing on legal frameworks and organizational management theories, to address governance failures in Iran's health system.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.