Strategic planning challenges in the hospital: A qualitative study

Strategic planning challenges in the hospital: A qualitative study Ali Mohammad Mosadeghrad 1 , Parvaneh Isfahani 2 1. School of Public Health, Health information management research center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2. School of Public Health, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran Payesh 2020; 19 (1): 19-39 Accepted for publication: 18 January 2020 [EPub a head of print-21 January 2020] Objective (s): Strategic planning (SP) is the art and science of strategic analysis of an organization, forecasting changes in an organization’s internal and external environments, articulating strategic goals, developing strategies, and utilization resources to achieve competitive advantage. Iranian hospitals are facing challenges in formulating and implementing strategic plans. Hence, this study aimed to explore and identify strategic planning challenges in hospitals. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 47 managers of 17 public, private, social security, charity and military hospitals in 2016. Hospitals were selected purposefully from Tehran province hospitals in Iran. Content thematic analysis was used for data analysis using inductive approach. Overall, 8 themes and 34 codes were identified