Compilation of Quality Improvement Standards of General Dentistry Program in Islamic Republic of Iran

The importance of quality assurance makes the standard compilation in educational systems as a high priority subject in medical education. The purpose of this study was to study the compilation of quality improvement standards in general dentistry program in Islamic Republic of Iran. This descriptive study was performed during the years of 2011 & 2012 in three phases. In the first phase، previous literature and similar standards were included in a comparative study and screened based on national health policies in Health map. Results were evaluated by 16 dental school representatives using modified Delphi methodology and open-closed questionnaires were filled by their faculty members and were reported back to the dental secretariat of ministry of health in the second phase. In the final phase، results were evaluated in the secretariat by a focus group and the final criteria were introduced based on the secretariat politics. Fifty-eight criteria were created in the first phase. Data were collected from 13 faculties in the second phase (response rate=81%). Eighteen criteria had less than 90% agreement of the participants; however، all of the criteria were agreed by more than 70% of the participants. In the final phase، 48 quality improvement standards in seven areas were accepted and introduced in dental secretariat of the ministry of health. The final standard documents could be used as a national covenant of quality improvement based on their high agreement rate and dependence by national politics in the health map.