Development and Validation of Instruments for Evaluation of the Clinical Medicine Curriculum in Terms of Social Accountability

Background & Objective: Medical graduates must acquire the necessary competencies to address the needs of the community during their studies. This requires the evaluation, modification, and quality improvement of the curriculum. The present study aimed to develop a valid and reliable instrument for the evaluation of the curriculum of clinical medicine in terms of social accountability. Materials and Methods: This combined study was conducted in three stages at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2015. In the first stage, qualitative content analysis and features of the curriculum of clinical medicine were determined based on the social accountability approach. In the second stage, the dimensions and items of the instrument were codified using the results of the qualitative stage of the study and by reviewing credible manuscripts relevant to the research subject. In the third stage, the face validity, content validity, and reliability of the instrument were assessed. Results: In the first stage of the study, features of the curriculum of clinical medicine were determined based on social accountability. In the second stage, the initial instrument was developed with 4 dimensions and 55 items. In the third stage, the instrument was validated with 40 items. The effects score of the items was <1.5, and the CVR and CVI of each item were <0.59 and <0.79, respectively. In addition, the reliability of the instrument was confirmed at the Cronbach’s alpha of 0.97. Conclusion: The evaluation instrument was developed with 4 dimensions and 40 items, which had good content validity, face validity, and reliability. Therefore, the instrument could be used for the evaluation of the curriculum of clinical medicine in terms of social accountability.