The roles and functions of future hospitals in health promotion: A systematic review in Iran

As a main pillar of the health and social welfare system, hospitals affect the public health status in two ways: (1) Prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services and (2) external effects on society and the environment. The present study aimed to identify the roles and functions of future hospitals in the world. The present study was a systematic review in which all studies about the roles and functions of future hospitals in different countries with a time limit of 2000 to August 2021 were extracted from foreign databases, including PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science, and search engine, Google Scholar, as well as Persian databases, including Magiran, SID, and Iran Medex. We utilized the STROBE checklists for quantitative studies and SRQR checklists for qualitative studies to critique and evaluate the quality of qualitative studies. We then extracted their results and classified the content according to the main and subtopics. A total of 16 articles met the inclusion criteria of the present study. Hospitals can play four roles: stand-alone, dominant, collaborative, and partner. Findings were classified into six general groups: the role and mission of future hospitals, the way of providing care, funding, staff and patients, technology and information of future hospitals, and the challenges and barriers of current hospitals. Health service policy-makers need to pay special attention to technological innovations and advances as well as changes in the roles and functions of hospitals and seek to turn the threats arising from external changes into opportunities for better hospital performances.