Table 2. Factors affecting the migration of human resources in the health system of Iran–Themes 1–3.
| Theme | Category | Subcategory |
|---|---|---|
| 1: Structural | 1: Problems arising from Ministry of Health (37.5%)a | Wrong policies of the Iranian Ministry of Health |
| Restrictive regulations | ||
| Lack of accountability of the Ministry of Health | ||
| Lack of permanent and appropriate supervision of the Ministry of Health | ||
| 2: Lack of optimal use of the knowledge and experiences of graduates (45.83%) | Unfavourable conditions for the development of the abilities of individuals | |
| Feeling of not being useful to society | ||
| Poor management of graduates | ||
| 3: Educational system problems (45.83%) | Unsuitable educational environment | |
| Comparing academics in Iran and that in other countries | ||
| Problems of students acceptance system | ||
| Poor management in the education system | ||
| 4: Problems in the field of research (20.83%) | Disregard or lack of application of results from health-related research | |
| Insufficient financial resource allocation | ||
| Poor management of financial resources in research | ||
| Restrictions on research process | ||
| 2: Occupational | 5: Workplace problems (70.83%) | Dissatisfaction with the behaviour of higher officials |
| Psychological pressures at the workplace | ||
| Low welfare facilities | ||
| Dissatisfaction with salary | ||
| Problems of job security | ||
| Uncertainty of the job description | ||
| Inappropriate occupational position and weak employment protection | ||
| Inappropriate recruitment processes and selection (e.g. selection criteria) | ||
| 6: Discrimination between fields (37.5%) | Uneven distribution of employment opportunities among different fields | |
| Insufficient attention to some fields | ||
| Physician-controlled tendency | ||
| Disparity in job security in different fields | ||
| Unfair income gap between different fields | ||
| 7: Strengthening the scientific status (45.83%) | More professional experience | |
| Strengthening level of foreign language skills (Primarily English knowledge) | ||
| 3: Personal | 8: Gaining new experiences (37.5%) | The experience of studying in foreign universities |
| The experience of living in another country | ||
| 9: Achieving a better life (54.16%) | Hope to make further progress abroad | |
| Better equipment and facilities abroad | ||
| Dissatisfaction with the quality of life in Iran | ||
| 10: For children (16.66%) | The future of children | |
| Children’s safety |
a Numbers in parentheses indicate the percentage of the participants who mentioned one of the theme factors as their reason to migrate.