Social Accountability: A Key Role of Health Professions Education Institutions

Health professions education institutions play a crucial role in society. One of their key responsibilities is ‘social accountability’. But what does this mean?

In simple terms, social accountability refers to the obligation of these institutions to direct their education, research, and service activities towards addressing the priority health concerns of the community they serve. It’s about ensuring that their actions and policies are contributing positively to the health and wellbeing of the community. For instance, a health professional education school might focus on training doctors who are not only skilled clinicians but also understand the social determinants of health. They might prioritize research that addresses local health issues or provide services that meet the specific needs of their community. In essence, social accountability is about making sure that health professions education institutions are working in the best interests of society. It’s about ensuring that they are producing health professionals who are equipped to meet the health needs of the communities they will serve and are committed to improving health outcomes.

How can health professions education institutions train faculty and students to be socially accountable? Should it be restricted only to Community medicine/ public health departments? The answer is an emphatic no!! In this age of interprofessional education, it is fool hardy to categorise social accountability education  as belonging “only” to public health!! Every clinician and basic science teacher needs to sensitise students to understand the determinants of health. A patient is more than the disease. Causative factors of disease, prognosis and treatment is vastly influenced by the societal, psychological, pathological and economic factors. It is imperative that every health care professional should consider these factors when managing a patient.

How do we integrate social accountability education into our everyday teaching? Know more through our workshops!