Explain the Key Informant Viewpoints on the Educational Transformation and Innovation Plan in Iran’s Health System Using the SWOT Approach

Background: Modernizing education means taking an innovative approach to it and creating solutions towards meeting both the current and the future needs of society. Identifying the weaknesses and strengths, opportunities, and threats that exist in the way of implementing transformation and innovation packages at universities can have positive outcomes for improving the quality of medical education. Therefore, this study aims to explain the key informant viewpoint on the Educational Transformation and Innovation Plan in Iran’s Health System using the SWOT Approach. Methods: The current research is a qualitative study conducted using the directed content analysis with a structured matrix approach from February 2021 to June 2022. The participants in this study included policy makers, key informants, and those involved in implementing transformation and innovation packages in medical education, selected through snowball and purposeful sampling. To collect data, in-depth and semi-structured interviews were used, which continued until data saturation was achieved. To analyze the qualitative data, Graneheim and Lundman’s method was used. Results: After continuous analysis and comparison, 658 codes were extracted, 12 subcategories, and four main categories were identified: strengths (innovation, consistency with policies, and being evidence-based), weaknesses (executive and administrative problems, stakeholders’ lack of awareness, lack of career pathways and incentives, and poor engagement), opportunities (institutional capacity, international relations, and technological advantages), and threats (improper supply/demand, and lack of resources). Conclusion: The success of the Transformation and Innovation Plan requires specialized mechanisms. It is necessary to overcome this plan’s weaknesses and threats through the optimal use of the opportunities and the strengths, ultimately leading to the improvement of organizational performance.