Explaining the Effective Dimensions and Components for Community-Based Medical Education from the Perspective of Family Physicians of Ilam University of Medical Sciences: A Qualitative Study

Structural changes following the socialization of medical education in the last decade have not only been effective in transforming the medical and health care professions but also has an impact on issues related to the welfare and health of society. Despite the basic steps that have been taken in presenting such programs during various medical education courses around the world, little research has been conducted on the development and implementation of community-based medical programs in Iran. The present study aimed to explain the dimensions and components affecting the implementation of community-based medical education from the perspective of family physicians of Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.

This study was conducted based on the qualitative approach and content analysis method. The data were then collected using semi-structural interviews and an interview guide. The study population consisted of family physicians working at health centers affiliated to Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran, in 2019. According to the data saturation, 30 cases were selected using the purposive sampling method. Data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis using the Burningham method and MAXQAD10 software. The validity of the research findings was ensured by members' review methods, researcher immersion, and the multidimensionality of the data with Goba and Lincoln criteria.

According to the analytical findings of the interviews, 121 initial codes, 41 subcategories, 13 categories, and 5 main themes affecting the implementation of community-based medical education were obtained. The five main themes included "conceptual analysis", "professional credibility", "professional challenges", "realization", and "facing real conflicts".

The results showed that what is taught under the name of medical education in practice could not meet the real needs of society and hinders people from reaching an acceptable level of social health. Therefore, considering the dimensions arising from the views of family physicians in future planning can be implemented to compensate for the existing shortcomings.