Missing the point: Quality-driven healthcare institutions may mistakenly disregard their role in nursing and medical education.

Abstract

Aligned with international standards, the UAE Government and many other developing countries in the region (GCC and MENA) have started to implement strict quality improvement initiatives to develop their healthcare systems. Most of these initiatives are geared toward meeting patient satisfaction and avoiding circumstances or events that would dissatisfy patients. It is also used to measure healthcare institution performance, assess efficiency and determine their funding and reimbursement. With this emphasis on quality, it is also important for healthcare organizations to fulfill their other functions. Among the most important is performing their teaching role to prepare future healthcare professionals, and attracting and retaining healthcare professionals. These roles are also a paramount for a quality, sustained healthcare system. However, clinical educators and managers reflect on how these roles seem to be frequently missed or at least compromised while applying the quality assurance measures in the region developing countries. This reflective paper discusses this concern and suggests possible strategies that may help overcome this challenge and thus contributing to the achievement of the quality goal of the service in a more comprehensive and sustainable manner. The similarities between the UAE healthcare system and neighboring Gulf Cooperation Council and the Middle East/North African countries mean these challenges and solutions may resonate with these countries and support the implementation of effective health services in these countries as well.