Social accountability and accreditation: a new frontier for educational institutions

Abstract

Context An association with excellence should be reserved for educational institutions which verify that their actions make a difference to people’s well‐being. The graduates they produce should not only possess all of the competencies desirable to improve the health of citizens and society, but should also use them in their professional practice. Four principles enunciated by the World Health Organization refer to the type of health care to which people have a right, from both an individual and a collective standpoint: quality, equity, relevance and effectiveness. Therefore, social, economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health must guide the strategic development of an educational institution. Discussion Social responsibility implies accountability to society for actions intended to serve it. In the health field, social accountability involves a commitment to respond as best as possible to the priority health needs of citizens and society. An educational institution should verify its impact on society by following basic principles of quality, equity, relevance and effectiveness, and by active participation in health system development. Its social accountability should be measured in three interdependent domains concerning health personnel: conceptualisation, production and utilisability. An educational institution that fully assumes the position of a responsible partner in the health care system and is dedicated to the public interest deserves a label of excellence. Conclusions As globalisation is reassessed for its social impact, societies will seek to justify their investments with more solid evidence of their impact on the public good. Medical schools should be prepared to be judged accordingly. There is an urgent need to foster the adaptation of accreditation standards and norms that reflect social accountability. Only then can educational institutions be measured and rewarded for their real capacity to meet the pressing health care needs of society.

Evidence regarding the utility of multiple mini-interview (MMI) for selection to undergraduate health programs: A BEME systematic review: BEME Guide No. 37

“…This mission leads to an increased importance of admitting students from rural backgrounds. These requirements for admissions processes are embedded in accreditation standards across the western world (Boelen and Woollard 2009;Liaison Committee on Medical Education, 2012).…”

Home-based rehabilitation: Physiotherapy student and client perspectives

“…[2] Graduates need to serve as health advocates and be accountable for making informed decisions to improve healthcare. [3] To enable them to be more effective in this regard, graduates need exposure to the realities of the healthcare system, socioeconomic health determinants, and clients' real-life situations through PHC.…”

Una reforma global de la formación de los profesionales sanitarios

“…La valoración de estos procedimientos es de gran interés porque la calidad de la acreditación refleja, al menos en parte, la incorporación social del profesionalismo, lo que nos lleva a considerar la responsabilidad social de las profesiones y la necesidad de transparencia y de rendir cuentas a las poblaciones. Ello constituye uno de los aspectos de mayor enjundia política porque el principal reto que afronta la formación de los profesionales sanitarios en este nuevo siglo es precisamente el de contribuir de forma efectiva a la mejora del funcionamiento de los sistemas sanitarios y a la de la salud de la población [5].…”