title: Developing a policy guidance for financing dental care in Iran using the RAND Appropriateness Method.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to provide recommendations on health care financing with special emphasis on dental care.
  
  
  METHODS
  The RAND Appropriateness Method was employed to obtain the collective opinion of a multidisciplinary panel of experts on a set of recommendation statements regarding Iranian dental care financing. An initial set of recommendations were identified from a literature review. Panel members, selected purposively and by peer nomination, each rated the appropriateness and necessity of the recommendations in a structured process of two rounds. Each recommendation was classified as inappropriate, uncertain, appropriate but not necessary, or appropriate and necessary according to the median rating score and the level of disagreement among the panellists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 28 initial recommendations, 25 were agreed on as appropriate, of which 22 were considered as necessary. Altogether, these recommendations provide a holistic picture of an oral health system's financing in three domains: revenue collection, pooling of revenues and purchasing of dental services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The policy guidance recommendations are intended to provide the Iranian oral health authorities with an evidence-base for financing dental care. The recommendations may be transferrable, at least in part, particularly to developing countries with similar hybrid health system structures. Finally, the method used to develop the recommendations can serve as a model for use elsewhere.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Oral Health, School of Dentistry, Shahid-Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Jadidfard
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Education, Shahid-Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yazdani
authors.affiliation: Preventive Dentistry Research Centre, Department of Community Oral Health, School of Dentistry, Shahid-Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Khoshnevisan
mesh_terms: D003729:Dental Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D003906:Developing Countries; D017144:Focus Groups; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D006291:Health Policy; D061889:Healthcare Financing; D006801:Humans; D007347:Insurance, Dental; D007492:Iran; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012040:Regional Health Planning