Health System Governance Evaluation: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND: Governance is one of the critical functions of the health system. Good governance of the health system leads to better performance and outcomes. Evaluation is the first step to improving health system governance. Therefore, this research aimed to identify evaluation tools for health system governance. METHODS: In the current scoping review, we searched all documents related to health system governance evaluation indexed in Medline, EMBASE, ProQuest, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Science Direct databases, and Google Scholar search engines to 2022, extracted, and assessed. Finally, documents were selected and analyzed by thematic analysis. RESULTS: Thirty tools were found to evaluate health system governance. Among the proposed tools, 11 specific tools have been designed just for health system governance evaluation, while others have governance as a component of health system evaluation. Health system governance’s significant components are health policy-making, strategic planning, organizing, stewardship, and control. Indicators such as accountability, participation, transparency, equity, efficiency, accountability, corruption control, effectiveness, ethic, the rule of law, and sustainability could be used to evaluate the health system governance. CONCLUSION: Different tools have been used to evaluate governance worldwide, and each governance evaluation tool has different components suitable for governance evaluation. However, these tools cannot fully evaluate governance and have shortcomings. A comprehensive evaluation of governance and sharing lessons denrael will affect the health system's capacity and ability to provide quality, safe and effective health services. It will lead to the stability of the health system.