Strategic management in health system: A qualitative research in the case of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Türkiye

Strategic planning is a fundamental managerial tool that guides institutional decision-making processes and systematically structures policy priorities in the healthcare sector. Within the scope of this thesis, the 2019–2023 Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Türkiye was examined using the qualitative content analysis method; thematic structures and content-based priorities prominent in strategic management practices are systematically revealed. The healthcare sector, due to its multi-stakeholder nature, intensive resource utilization, and the direct impact of service delivery on human life, is a domain where strategic planning holds critical importance. In this context, strategic plans go beyond being merely technical documents; they are textual structures that reflect the institutional stance, priorities, and decision-making rationale of organizations. Additionally, coding and thematic analysis were conducted using the MAXQDA software. The findings indicate that themes such as accessibility, financial sustainability, participatory governance, and health literacy are predominantly emphasized in the plan. Furthermore, the high degree of interconnection among these themes supports the integrative nature of the strategic approach. This study offers a theoretical foundation for the content-based analysis of strategic documents in the field of health and produces meaningful insights into the thematic architecture of policy texts. In this respect, the research presents an original approach not only contributing to the management science literature but also advancing the analytical evaluation of health policies.