Identifying the opportunities and challenges of educational accreditation in teaching hospitals: a qualitative study

Background & objective: The education accreditation system at the Iranian medical sciences universities pursues continuous improvement in education. Successfully implementing this program at any university requires identifying and attending to every university's opportunity and challenge. This study examined the opportunities and challenges of educational accreditation in teaching hospitals. Material & methods: The current qualitative-exploratory study was done from November 12, 2023, to October 22, 2024. The data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews with heads and educational vice-chancellors of teaching hospitals and faculties, managers and experts of educational development offices, and educational accreditation experts. Conventional content analysis based on Graneheim and lundman's approach was used to analyze the interview data. Results: The opportunities and challenges of educational accreditation at the teaching hospitals fell into two main categories and nine subcategories. Educational accreditation faces various challenges including human and financial resources, facilities, accreditation standards, program implementation, and intra- and extra-organizational cooperation. The privilege of experienced and competent managers and employees, the promotion of educational processes, and the optimal utilization of internal capacities are opportunities to implement this program. Conclusion: Educational accreditation is a process that requires the commitment of managers, staff, and faculty members, sufficient resources, and internal and external cooperation and communication. Identifying and attending to the factors that impact the accreditation process will make this program more successful and assure the quality of educational programs. On the other hand, utilizing the experiences of different universities can help with future planning and decision-making.