Accreditation Improves Quality of Oncology Education in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Perspectives of African Oncologists

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand the perspectives of African Oncologists on the role of accreditation and on global standards. We developed a survey that addressed African oncologists’ opinions on the role of accreditation. The survey also included 187 standards from World Federation of Medical Education Postgraduate medical education (PGME) standards, American Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-I standards for hematology/oncology, and the Royal College of Physician and Surgeons of Canada Medical Oncology standards. A 3-point scale was employed for each standard: 1 = not important, 2 = important but not essential, 3 = essential. The survey was sent to 79 physicians, 38 responded. Eighty-seven percent agreed that accreditation ensures quality. Forty-five percent agreed it will not increase migration of qualified doctors. Twenty-two individuals who completed the entire survey were analyzed for the standards. Five standards received the highest ratings of 3 (essential) from all respondents. One standard received a rating of < 2.0. The majority of standards had ratings between 2.6 and 2.94 indicating African oncologists found most standards to be useful. Ratings < 2.6 were mostly related to resource constraints. Most African Oncologists believed that accreditation ensures quality of education, and most standards were considered important. This data is useful for developing and adapting accreditation standards in resource-constrained settings. © 2019, American Association for Cancer Education.