Who are the right teachers for medical clinical students? Investigating stakeholders’ opinions using modified Delphi approach

Figures & data

Table 1 Main category, subcategory, and subclasses of optimal clinical teachers

Main category	Subcategories	Subclasses
Tutors	Rules and regulations	–
	Teaching team	Teaching team members
		Criteria for entering the teaching team
		Task description of the teaching team
		Attendance formalization
		Empowerment of the teaching team

Note: Motivation and financial and non-financial incentives.

Table 2 Teaching team

How necessary is the involvement of each of the following groups in the “teaching team” to help with clinical education (clerkship and internship in major courses)?
No	Teaching team	Consensus (%)
		Necessary	Helpful
1	Faculties (specialist)	100	–
2	Faculties (subspecialist)	–	88
3	Specialist staff	–	79
4	Subspecialist staff	–	57
5	Residents	76	–
6	GPs	–	83
7	Nursing, midwifery, and paramedic instructors	–	76
8	Health and treatment staff (nurse, etc)	–	78

Abbreviation: GPs, general practitioners.

Table 3 Selection criteria

Express your opinions about the “selection criteria” and the way to use different groups in clinical teaching team
No.	Criteria	Consensus (%)
1	Participation of all the specialist staff working in hospitals or educational clinics in the teaching team will lead to improved clinical education in general medicine	5.9
2	Only selected specialist staffs (based on academic and educational competence) working in educational settings should participate in the teaching team	88.2
3	All the residents from different disciplines should participate in the teaching team	70
4	Only the last 2-year residents should be requested to participate in the teaching team	3.6
5	Only qualified and interested residents selected by the educational group should participate in the teaching team	43.8
6	All GPs working in health care centers should participate in the teaching team.	18.8
7	Only GPs whose scientific and skillful competency are to up to date and confirmed via theoretical and practical tests by the relevant educational group should participate in the teaching team	78.9
8	Only GPs working in health care centers whose ethical competence, client satisfaction, and quality as evidenced by the absence of medical errors should participate in the teaching team	68.8
9	The participation of nursing, midwifery, and paramedical instructors introduced by their schools in the teaching team is helpful	73.8
10	The participation of staffs, nurses, and paramedics introduced by the health and treatment deputy, whose academic and educational abilities are confirmed by the medical school in the teaching team is useful	66.7
11	There must be a clear task description for all the teaching team	94.3
12	All the teaching team members must participate in continuous personal development	94.2

Abbreviation: GPs, general practitioners.

Table 4 Task description of the teaching team

With which members of the teaching team should lie the responsibility of each task outlined below?
No	Tasks	Consensus (%)
		Faculties (specialist/subspecialists)	Specialist/subspecialist staffs	Resident	General practitioners (GPs)	Nursing, midwifery, and paramedical instructors	Health and treatment staff
1	The main responsibility of teaching clerks and interns	96.1	5.9	21.6	7.8	2	2
2	Appointing the educational responsibilities to the teaching team based on the curriculum	92	16	52.9	14	10	6
3	Participation in the elaboration of clear clinical task descriptions for clerk students and interns based on the expected clinical competencies	80	23.5	50	21.6	9.8	3.9
4	Participation in provision of a clear explanation of task descriptions for clerk students and interns in the clinical setting	100	17.6	88.9	17.6	9.8	7.8
5	Selecting and writing applicable and appropriate educational methods for each setting	88.2	11.8	28	15.7	7.8	5.9
6	Theoretical teaching (theoretical course in clerkship that is taught in clinical education course)	98	26	47.7	11.8	3.9	3.9
7	Practical teaching (history taking, physical examination…)	76.5	16.1	74.5	52.6	68.4	25.5
8	Teaching procedures (NG tube, catheterization…)	78	55.6	70	37.8	63.2	22
9	Participation in the teaching of medical records	89.5	19.6	89.5	50	36.8	23.5
10	Collaborating on the teaching of evidence- based medicine	90.2	29.4	83.3	19.6	7.8	3.9
11	Participation in the familiarization of interns with the roles of a GP in the real workplace	94.7	29.4	68.4	80.4	11.8	21.6
12	Collaborating in familiarizing interns with common diseases and patient management in health care centers	94.7	63.2	68.4	75	15.7	29.4
13	Supervision on the performance of the teaching team and giving feedback to them	86.3	13.7	27.5	17.6	7.8	9.8
14	Supervision and accountability for clinical student assessment	99	22	80	14	8	6
15	Participating in summative clinical assessment	90	50	63.2	26	20	10
16	Participating in supervision on student communication with teachers, patients, and their families, peers, and staffs	82	28	85	35	31.6	24

Abbreviations: GP, general practitioner; NG, nasogastric.

Table 5 Incentives

Following incentives should be given to which of the mentioned teaching team members?
No.	Incentives	Consensus (%)
		Specialist/subspecialist staffs	Residents	General practitioners (GPs)	Nursing, midwifery, and paramedical instructors	Health and treatment staff
1	Issuing notification for participation in the teaching team	81.3	68.4	77.1	68.4	68.4
2	Certification of educational cooperation with the teaching team at the end of each course	83.3	72.9	72.9	73.7	80
3	Granting financial incentives for teaching activities	94.7	65	70.8	80	70
4	Granting non-financial incentives proportional to the task and clinical setting	83.8	94.7	75	88.9	90
5	Reducing the amount of medical/health activities expected from staffs, relative to participation in the teaching team	73.7	40	63.2	75	65

Abbreviation: GP, general practitioner.