Advancing Continuous Quality Improvement in Medical Education: A Systematized Synthesis Across the Learning Continuum
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59343/yuyay.v5.n3.cv9hjF67Keywords:
Medical education, Quality assurance, Educational evaluation, Pedagogical innovation, Vocational trainingAbstract
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) has become a central expectation in undergraduate medical education worldwide, driven by accreditation frameworks such as LCME, WFME, and COMAEM. Despite its widespread adoption, the literature lacks an integrated synthesis of CQI innovations spanning governance, assessment, analytics, faculty development, and systems-based learning. Objective: To synthesize advances in CQI in undergraduate medical education from 2015 to 2025 and develop an integrated conceptual model aligning accreditation standards with emerging CQI practices. Evidence Review: This narrative review analyzed peer-reviewed studies addressing accreditation, programmatic assessment, learning analytics, curricular improvement, faculty development, and learner engagement. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify core domains underpinning a cohesive CQI ecosystem. Findings: Seven interrelated domains were identified: accreditation-driven governance, learning analytics and dashboards, programmatic assessment and curriculum revision, faculty development and institutional culture, learner engagement, interprofessional and systems-based integration, and global perspectives on quality assurance. Together, these domains reflect a maturing educational ecosystem characterized by continuous monitoring, data-informed decision-making, and iterative improvement cycles. Conclusion: CQI has evolved from compliance-based processes to system-level organizational learning structures. Accreditation establishes quality benchmarks, while analytics, assessment systems, faculty development, and learner engagement operationalize continuous improvement. Relevance: This synthesis offers a unified framework for educators, accreditation bodies, and policymakers to strengthen CQI implementation, support institutional self-study, and promote global alignment in educational quality systems.
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