Developing national meta-accreditation standards for medical education accreditation bodies in Iran: a mixed-methods standards development and consensus study.
7 affiliations
- 1Department of Medical Education, Department of eLearning, Smart University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 2Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Research Center, Research Institute for Children's Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 3Medical Education Research Center, Medical Education Development Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and health services, Isfahan, Iran.
- 4Department of Medicine, Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 5Health Professions Education Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 6Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research, FAIMER, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- 7Medical Education Research Center, Medical Education Development Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and health services, Isfahan, Iran. [email protected].
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.
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BibTeX
@article{khan2026developing,
title = {{Developing national meta-accreditation standards for medical education accreditation bodies in Iran: a mixed-methods standards development and consensus study.}},
author = {Tahereh Sabouri Aghbolagh Rostam Khan and Tahereh Changiz and Azim Mirzazadeh and Marta van Zanten and Nikoo Yamani},
journal = {Npj health systems},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s44401-026-00150-8},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42888209},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Developing national meta-accreditation standards for medical education accreditation bodies in Iran: a mixed-methods standards development and consensus study.
AU - Tahereh Sabouri Aghbolagh Rostam Khan
AU - Tahereh Changiz
AU - Azim Mirzazadeh
AU - Marta van Zanten
AU - Nikoo Yamani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
JO - Npj health systems
DO - 10.1038/s44401-026-00150-8
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42888209
AB - 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.
SN - 3005-1959
ER -