en Public Health Public Health پژوهشي Original Article <div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><strong><span style="line-height:107%">Background</span></strong><b><span style="color:#0e101a"><strong>:</strong> </span></b><span style="color:#0e101a">The<b> </b></span><span style="background:white"><span style="color:black">family physician program plays a crucial role in promoting the quality of community‐based primary healthcare. This</span></span> study aimed to explore the challenges and obstacles of implementing the family physician program in an Iranian urban community context.<br> <b><span style="color:#0e101a">Methods: </span></b><span style="color:#0e101a">A qualitative study design employing a conventional content analysis approach was conducted. The </span>participants<span style="color:#0e101a"> were nineteen healthcare recipients and healthcare providers from urban health centers in Bonab, Iran. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews until data saturation, and simultaneous data analysis was conducted. MAXQDA 10 software was used to manage the data.</span> The study was conducted between February and July 2019 at the urban health centers in Bonab, Iran.<span style="color:#0e101a"></span><br> <b><span style="color:#0e101a">Results: </span></b><span style="color:#0e101a">The analysis of the collected data yielded </span>three main categories, namely, &lsquo;socio-cultural and economic challenges&rsquo;, &lsquo;interpersonal communication difficulties&rsquo;, and &lsquo;inefficient management&rsquo;. These categories emerged as the challenges faced in implementing the urban family physician program in the community.<br> <b><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="color:#0e101a">Conclusion: </span></span></b><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="color:#0e101a">The implementation of the family </span></span><span style="background:white"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="color:black">physician program</span></span></span><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="color:#0e101a"> is a long process that is influenced by various factors and the elimination of barriers requires developing infrastructures and culture growth and improving the professional settings and interpersonal relationships.</span></span></span></span></div> Family physician, Delivery of health care, Health services, Urban health services, Qualitative research, 216 223 http://jhehp.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-519-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Parisa Hajibadali parisahbx@gmail.com 100319475328460013375 100319475328460013375 No Department of health education and promotion, school of health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Haidar Nadrian haidarnadrian@gmail.com 100319475328460013376 100319475328460013376 No Department of health education and promotion, school of health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Mina Hashemiparast Mina.Hashemi26@yahoo.com 100319475328460013377 100319475328460013377 Yes Department of health education and promotion, school of health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.