Exploration of Social Accountability Indicators in Medical Science Schools in Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Quality Improvement in Clinical Education Research Center, Education Development Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran

10.5812/ijvlms.12144

Abstract

Introduction : Social accountability has received much research attention in recent decades. Social accountability has been identified as an important prerequisite in development; however different development targets each have a particular definition of social accountability. The aim of this study was to provide indicators for application in making assessments for the progress of medical science colleges and institutions towards social accountability. Methods : This research was conducted as a qualitative study in 2015. The research aimed to explore indicators of social accountability in medical science training institutions using three rounds of the Delphi technique. A group of experts was gathered from among all regions of Iran. Prior to the first round of Delphi, some proposed measures were identified from a review of the related literature. In the first round, content validity ratio values were determined for each indicator and accountability assessment was the made by the group of experts. In the second round of Delphi, item-content validity index determinations were made according to relevance and clarity of the indicators. In the third final round, confirmation of indicators was made by the group of experts. Results : The four main domains of organization and performance, educational activities, research activities and cooperation in health services in society and region, were confirmed using the Delphi method. Finally, 58 objective indicators were listed for these 4 domains. Conclusions : Determination of national criteria for evaluating social accountability is a major step toward improving accountability in medical training institutions. Evaluations for medical training institutions based on criteria derived from this study were determined as efficient. But further research is needed on function of the mentioned criteria in relation to fulfilling the needs of society.

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