Social Accountability in the Health System: Practical Strategies for Transforming Medical Education

Social accountability in the health system, as a commitment of educational institutions to meet the real needs of society, has today become one of the fundamental pillars of transformation in medical education. The proposed policy options in this regard have been developed based on the experiences of 15 faculty members of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences who have expressed the challenges and operational solutions for institutionalizing this concept. The findings of the qualitative study showed that the current medical education system faces several obstacles, including traditional management structures, lack of effective incentives for professors, weakness in real community participation, and lack of coherence in curricula.

The proposed solutions for promoting social accountability in the medical education system are categorized into four main axes: first, empowering professors as social role models through reviewing the promotion system and creating tangible incentives. second, designing an integrated social accountability management system by forming specialized committees and developing a strategic document. Third, reengineering curricula with an emphasis on communication skills and social responsibility; and fourth, developing cross-sector partnerships with industry and community-based organizations. Successful implementation of these strategies requires addressing challenges such as resistance to change, budget constraints, generational differences in faculty attitudes, and the need for time to build social trust. By explaining operational strategies, this study emphasizes the need for gradual and comprehensive action that can help medical schools fulfill their social mission.