Title |
How can medical schools contribute to bringing about health equity?
|
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Published in |
Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, May 2014
|
DOI | 10.1186/2045-4015-3-17 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Mary CJ Rudolf, Shmuel Reis, Trevor J Gibbs, Deborah Murdoch Eaton, David Stone, Michael Grady, Anita Berlin, Mitch Blair, Jumanah Essa-Hadad, Sivan Spitzer-Shohat, Michael Weingarten |
Abstract |
The role of medical schools is in a process of change. The World Health Organization has declared that they can no longer be ivory towers whose primary focus is the production of specialist physicians and cutting edge laboratory research. They must also be socially accountable and direct their activities towards meeting the priority health concerns of the areas they serve. The agenda must be set in partnership with stakeholders including governments, health care organisations and the public. The concept of social accountability has particular resonance for the Bar Ilan Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Israel's newest medical school, which was established with a purpose of reducing health inequities in the Region. As a way of exploring and understanding the issues, discussions were held with international experts in the field who visited the Galilee. A symposium involving representatives from other medical schools in Israel was also held to extend the discourse. Deliberations that took place are reported here. The meaning of social accountability was discussed, and how it could be achieved. Three forms of action were the principal foci - augmentation of the medical curriculum, direct action through community engagement and political advocacy. A platform was set for taking the social accountability agenda forward, with the hope that it will impact on health inequalities in Israel and contribute to discussions elsewhere. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Switzerland | 2 | 10% |
France | 1 | 5% |
United States | 1 | 5% |
Spain | 1 | 5% |
Kenya | 1 | 5% |
Unknown | 15 | 71% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 13 | 62% |
Scientists | 5 | 24% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 3 | 14% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Pakistan | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 69 | 99% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 9 | 13% |
Student > Master | 9 | 13% |
Other | 7 | 10% |
Professor | 7 | 10% |
Student > Bachelor | 7 | 10% |
Other | 24 | 34% |
Unknown | 7 | 10% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 25 | 36% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 8 | 11% |
Social Sciences | 7 | 10% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 5 | 7% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 4 | 6% |
Other | 9 | 13% |
Unknown | 12 | 17% |