The Clinical Group is among the first scientific groups of the Academy, which, over the past decades, alongside other pillars of this institution, has strived diligently in the path of qualitative and quantitative advancement of the Academy. Without a doubt, the existence of diverse clinical disciplines in medical sciences, as well as the progress achieved in the healthcare delivery system over the past decades, has multiplied the duties and mission of this scientific group within the Academy.

Strategic Plan

Opportunities:

• The goals and outlook of the Twenty-Year National Vision Plan of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the emphasis of the Supreme Leader on the indicators defined by the system and programs, and the government’s decision to enhance Iran’s scientific standing in the world.
• The increasing role and influence of clinical physicians, specialists, and subspecialists as a result of demographic changes, lifestyle transformations, and the growing burden of chronic diseases.
• Rapid and appropriate growth of certain modern technologies in information, education, diagnostics, and treatment, as well as opportunities for clinical research in the country.

• The presence of scientific, professional, and non-governmental associations for the exchange of views.
• Existence of a favorable healthcare, educational, and research labor market in the country and the region for physicians.
• Opportunities for exchange of ideas and benefiting from the theories and experiences of scientists and reputable international academic centers.
• The presence of universities, educational centers, research institutes, and specialized research facilities across various disciplines, along with capacities for human resource development.
• Iran’s scientific, cultural, and historical centrality among the countries of the region.

Threats:

• Instability of health, medical, educational, and research policies.
• Inadequate per capita allocation for healthcare and treatment, and unequal distribution of medical, specialized, welfare, and social facilities across different regions of the country.
• Weakness both in data concerning the health status of society and in the expansion of the national healthcare network, along with the lack of clarity regarding the role of physicians in the healthcare delivery system, especially in urban settings.
• Imbalance in medical tariffs across different specialties, and greater valuation of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures compared to clinical diagnosis and treatment.
• Insufficient national research funding and its unjust and improper distribution among executive bodies and research centers.
• Presence of strong regional competitors in establishing medical facilities and attracting financial and human resources.
• Lack of intra-sectoral governance and inter-sectoral leadership.
• The small share of healthcare within the national budget, absence of a National Health Fund account, and inappropriate budgetary orientations.
• Shortcomings in the selection and admission processes of specialized and subspecialty educational institutions.
• Inefficiency of the health system structure in relation to urban life.
• Internal Environment Analysis

Capabilities:

• Membership of distinguished and veteran physicians in the Clinical Sciences Group of the Academy.
• The position of the Academy of Medical Sciences as the supreme scientific authority in the supervision and planning of the country’s scientific level.
• Experiences and accumulated knowledge from past years within the Academy and the Clinical Sciences Group.

Weaknesses:

• Limited participation of clinical sciences members in the activities of the Academy.
• Short comings in the engagement and employment of young professionals.
• Absence of institutionalized communication and cooperation with scientific associations, policymakers, and executive authorities.
• Lack of cooperation with reputable scientific centers and similar academies in other countries.
• Absence of a strategic and operational plan at the level of the Academy and the Clinical Sciences Group.
• Weakness in documentation of decisions and opinions, as well as deficiencies in information dissemination and participation in social activities and decision-making processes.
• Insufficient awareness of the country’s scientific capacity and lack of a database of medical science specialists and scholars inside and outside the country.
• Inadequate interaction between the Clinical Sciences Group and other scientific groups of the Academy.
• Lack of presence in virtual platforms and key functional websites in the fields of health provision, improvement, and promotion.
• Weakness in the enhancement of key processes in teaching, learning, education, and research (knowledge production).
• Weakness in the improvement of key clinical processes, ethical and professional values, and professional status.
• Weakness in the advancement of community-oriented and holistic approaches in medicine.

Strategic Goals:

• Improving community health with emphasis on preventive medicine (both communicable and non-communicable diseases), comprehensive and community-based approaches, the referral and registration system, and enhancing public awareness and participation.
• Monitoring and defining the role of clinical medicine within the health system and its relation to social determinants of health.
• Evaluation and guidance regarding medical ethics and legal issues.
• Organizing and creating favorable conditions for continuous teaching and learning, knowledge production, and the promotion of clinical and interdisciplinary medical education, as well as human resource development.
• Evaluation and provision of policies and recommendations to strengthen medical research in the country, with emphasis on collaborative and integrative studies.
• Advancement of scientific knowledge, culture, and management, alongside ethical and professional skills and values, in order to improve service delivery.
• Expansion of national, regional, and international relations and cooperation to promote scientific and technological exchanges and attract Iranian scholars abroad.
• Updating information and identifying the country’s scientific capacities.
• Improvement of the structure and functioning of the Clinical Sciences Group of the Academy, including the recruitment of young professionals.
• Strengthening relationships with other scientific centers, policymakers, executive authorities, and social institutions.
• Encouraging and promoting the development of medical books and journals in the Persian language.

Approaches for Achieving Strategic Goals:

1. Practical strategies for the prevention of non-communicable diseases at the national level.

2. Establishment of indicators for training comprehensive and community-oriented physicians.

3. Review of the healthcare delivery system.

4. Defining indicators and scientific criteria for a healthy society and its monitoring (formulation of principles and standards for the provision of medical services).

5. Developing scientific and practical guidelines and recommendations for proper physician-patient communication.

6. Critically evaluating medical education curricula and providing recommendations.

7. Establishing indicators for scientific production and outcomes of research.

8. Formulating health management indicators.

9. Evaluating and providing solutions for existing scientific capacities and fostering collaboration with organizations such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, ECO, UNICEF, WHO, and medical academies.