{
  "abstract": "Ensuring the quality and credibility of medical education systems increasingly depends on robust accreditation mechanisms, yet the performance of accreditation bodies themselves often remains insufficiently evaluated. Addressing this gap, this study developed and validated the first national meta-accreditation standards for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Using a rigorous mixed-methods design, the study integrated insights from semi-structured interviews with 13 national experts, a comparative review of six international recognition systems, expert panel consensus, and a national survey of 90 stakeholders. From an initial pool of 184 standards, systematic refinement led to a final set of 51 standards. Stakeholder evaluation demonstrated strong consensus across practicality, necessity, and transparency (76-94%), with all standards exceeding the predefined 70% agreement threshold. The resulting framework is structured across three domains: structure and formality, accreditation processes, and accountability and quality improvement. By aligning national needs with international benchmarks, these standards enhance transparency, consistency, and trust in accreditation systems. The high level of expert agreement and methodological rigor underscore the framework's readiness for implementation and its potential as a model for strengthening meta-accreditation in similar centralized health education systems.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Medical Education, Department of eLearning, Smart University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.",
    "Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Research Center, Research Institute for Children's Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.",
    "Medical Education Research Center, Medical Education Development Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and health services, Isfahan, Iran.",
    "Department of Medicine, Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.",
    "Health Professions Education Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.",
    "Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research, FAIMER, Philadelphia, PA, USA.",
    "Medical Education Research Center, Medical Education Development Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and health services, Isfahan, Iran. nikooyamani@gmail.com."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Tahereh Sabouri Aghbolagh Rostam Khan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Tahereh Changiz"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Azim Mirzazadeh"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Marta van Zanten"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Nikoo Yamani"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1aw2h506avjk7.bib",
  "cited_by": 2,
  "doi": "10.1038/s44401-026-00150-8",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13675224",
  "id": "1aw2h506avjk7",
  "issns": [
    "3005-1959"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42888209",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2739|Innovations in Medical Education"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7222759847",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13675224?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13675224",
  "pmid": "42888209",
  "published": "2026-10-16",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1aw2h506avjk7.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:46Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42888209",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42888209"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2739|Innovations in Medical Education",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Developing national meta-accreditation standards for medical education accreditation bodies in Iran: a mixed-methods standards development and consensus study.",
  "title_text": "Developing national meta-accreditation standards for medical education accreditation bodies in Iran: a mixed-methods standards development and consensus study.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:46Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1aw2h506avjk7",
  "venue": "Npj health systems",
  "versions": []
}